Customer Reviews

The Doggy Dung Disaster & Other True Stories: Regular Kids Doing Heroic Things Around the World

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Written by social studies teacher Garth Sundem, The Doggy Dung Disaster & Other True Stories: Regular Kids Doing Heroic Things Around the World is a compilation of inspirational true-life stories about the heroism, inventiveness, and compassion of kids worldwide. From 12-year-old Haruka, who invented an environmentally friendly paper dog-poop scooper that allowed the waste to decompose (unlike plastic bags, which sealed the waste and prevented it from decomposing in landfills), to 11-year-old Tilly, who spotted the warning signs of a tsunami in Thailand and helped save 100 people, to Izidor, a maltreated Romanian orphan adopted by an American couple who devoted his young adult and adult life to bringing international attention to the plight of fellow orphans and improving their living conditions. A one-of-a-kind book that uses real-life examples to teach young people everywhere that they can make a positive difference.

I purchased this book for my then nine year-old because our family really values community service. We've endeavored to develop an awareness of its importance in our daughter from a young age. At first, she wasn't much interested in the book and it sat on the shelf for months. However, it was when her teacher assigned a non-fiction reading book that she picked it and couldn't put it down! She would read a story of how a child in some part of the world had helped humanity, and she couldn't wait to fill me in. She finally started keeping a list of all the ways in which she wanted to help the planet and humankind. As a parent, one couldn't ask for more from a book. It's written in a lively, kid-friendly manner. All of the stories are amazingly true. Side note: Not all of them are "happy." This is one of the more worthwhile childhood books, which should be required reading in schools today.