Our Stories, Our Songs: African Children Talk About AIDS

by Deborah Ellis

Presents accounts of children and teens in Africa whose lives have been affected by AIDS.

Genres: Nonfiction, Africa

104 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2005

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Deborah Ellis has achieved international acclaim with her courageous and dramatic books that give Western readers a glimpse into the plight of children in developing countries.

She has won the Governor General's Award, Sweden's Peter Pan Prize, the Ruth Schwartz Award, the University of California's Middle East Book Award, the Jane Addams Children's Book Award and the Vicky Metcalf Award.

A long-time feminist and anti-war activist, she is best known for The Breadwinner Trilogy, which has been published around the world in seventeen languages, with more than a million dollars in royalties donated to Street Kids International and to Women for Women, an organization that supports health and education projects in Afghanistan. In 2006, Deb was named to the Order of Ontario.

Reviews

[bjneary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who reads this will be stunned to learn about the Aids epidemic in Africa but even more so - it is just as bad in countries like China and Russia and India so the future is pretty grim!
The stories from kids and the few adults that are still alive will make you cry and want to help.

[Hannah Lulu]

These are interviews with young people about their own experiences living with AIDS in their communities in Zambia and Milawi. I appreciate Deborah Ellis's work in letting people, especially children who live in vulnerable circumstances, to tell their own stories. I think this is a good book just for being a listener and understanding hard things that are a part of life and our world, and for giving space for acknowledging how critically the AIDS crisis has hurt people. I think it's very hard to conceive of how many people have been effected without hearing the stories of the survivors. It's very hard to imagine that a situation could even exist where so many adults have died that there just aren't people around to care for the children and to do the things in the community that the community needs to function.

Usually when I read a book I ask myself if it's a book I want to own, and also where I would fit it into a homeschool curriculum. I do not know where this book fits in in that regard, but I do believe it is worth a read.

[Esther · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published in 2005 by Fitzhenry and Whiteside
Interest Level: 5th-8th Grade

This is a great informational book about AIDS and how it is effecting children from their own stories. The different types of stories are separated into groups and by country with informational sidebars included. I thought that this book could really bring a great perspective about AIDS to children who have not experienced poverty or disease. The stories are touching, honest, and heartfelt. The children's stories are combined with a picture of the child. This book could be compared to Ellis' book "Three Wishes" about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The format is similar and the many sides of the issue are covered. The difference is the facts and references about the AIDS epidemic that was lacking from the "Three Wishes" book. I think that it would be interesting to take some accounts from this book and "Three Wishes" and discuss what hardships children face around the world and how that shapes their perspective. At the end of the book there is an index, more resources, a map, and fact sheets about AIDS and the AIDS epidemic. I think this is a great informational text for readers who may not be interested in this type of topic. Overall, an authentic point of view is presented from the children and many varied perspectives of all ages is included as well.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent resource for kids to use when trying to learn about the effects of AIDS on different cultures. This nonfiction book focuses on children in Africa, specifically Malawi and Zambia. I found the book to be really down-to-earth because it features different kids' stories that all show how AIDS has played a role in their lives. Some are orphans, some still have a parent, but all of them are aware of AIDS/HIV and you can get a really good sense for how they feel about it, whether or not they fear it, and how it's changed their lives and their communities from reading their stories.

Sadly, many of the stories sound the same. It was hard not to feel very detached and disillusioned after a while. Ellis doesn't sound preachy in this book. I almost wish she had talked more about HOW we can help but aside from saying that we need to "act locally and think globally" she didn't really get at the economic issues. I suppose that wasn't the purpose of the book but I feel like there's a huge disconnect between why American kids (and some adults) THINK HIV/AIDS is a problem in Africa and why it REALLY IS a problem. So I wish there was a bit more of that but, again, not the purpose of the book.

[Amy Stipp · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would recommend this book to 5th grade up. Deborah went to Malawi and Zambia to interview people aids. The stories included in her books are stories from children she came in contact with who's lives have been affected by AIDS. This is broken into three sections: Songs at the edge. Songs of Survival. Songs of Victory. I like how it ends in victory. Hopeful. In each section Deborah includes 7-10 stories as told to her by African children. Next to each story, the child's picture is placed. She communicates that AIDS is not just a disease thousand of miles away affecting faceless people. She shows that each face has a name. A story. Dreams. Fears. Ellis also includes AIDS facts as well as quotes from people around the world about hope, life and survival, that coordinate with each section.
At the very end she gives a good blurb about AIDS education.

[Sharri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about different kids with different lives that live in Africa, that have been somehow effected by AIDS. Either they have AIDs or they have been affected by it. My favorite story is Grace. She is an HIV positive girl discriminated against by her family. They gave her, her own soap, cup, and toothpaste and told her not to use anyone elses. She does a counseling career with her friend Liz, who is also HIV positive. I like this book because the stories are very interesting and the pictures are very good. I recommend this book for people who want to go to Africa to help people with AIDS.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An oral history of the AIDS crisis in Africa, told primarily through the voices of AIDS orphans and some of their caretakers. It's interesting and it definitely shines a new light on what we in the US hear about the AIDS crisis. It is, however, pretty out of date; it was published 14 years ago and a lot of things have (hopefully) changed. Probably worth a read, especially if there's a child you want to introduce to the idea without terrifying them completely.

[Carol Littlejohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book contains personal stories and photographs of young people that have been affected by the AIDS virus. Within the text are sidebars of pertinent information about child labor, orphans, signs and symptoms of AIDS and AIDS terms. Long after the book is finished, the stories of these young people will remain.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Remarkable.....because these kids embody hope despite incredible loss.

One surprise was how few of these kids who tell their story actually called the sickness, AIDS, by its name. They usually referred to it as the sickness that made my mother/father grow very skinny and die. Cultural taboo? Youthful ignorance? Both? Not sure.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the things that really struck me about this book was how so many of the children don't know whether their parents/relatives/friends died of AIDS. Apparently it is something that is just not discussed, but almost swept under the table, because of the negative stigma.

[Marissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick and easy, but not a light read.

The book shares the stories of children living with and surrounded by AIDS. Though these individuals are living lives in this not desirable conditions, they find the joys in every day living. This is a book filled with hope and dreams.

[Colemama · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://lwthsit.blogspot.com/2007/06/o...

[Clivemichael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very moving evocative book. Powerfully presented with simplicity and honesty.