Customer Reviews

Iqbal

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Iqbal Masih was a 4 year boy who was sold into child bonded labor for under $50 by his parents. He worked in a rug making factory in Pakistan under deplorable conditions. At the age of 10 he escaped and began crusading against illegal child bonded labor practices. His work won him the Reebok Human Rights Award and he came to the US to receive the award. Upon his return home Iqbal was murdered while riding his bike near his grandmother's home. While no one knows who murdered him, it is assumed that the "carpet mafia" wanted to silence him.

Iqbal is a fictionalized account of Iqbal Masih's life. It is written at a fifth grade level but the content is better suited for middle school students. We are reading this book as a kick off to our study of child labor practices around the world. The book is compelling and told from a adolescents point of view. It is advised that this book is read as a class and within context of classroom discussions and facts about child labor. A student reading this book without classroom support may have a difficult time with emotional and societal issues addressed in the novel.

A powerful book about a young boy from Pakistan who was influential in freeing children from slavery in the carpet trade. Translated from Italian, this book is a fast, easy read. It is an eye opener for those who are unaware of child bondage. It will also create in young readers the realization that great things can be accomplished by youth.

Iqbal, a great fictional novel, is written by Francesco D'Adamo.
Francesco D'Adamo wrote the story told through a girl, Fatima.
Iqbal's major award that it won was the Christopher Award in 2004. The
Christopher award was established in 1949. These awards are given to
directors of books, writers of books, producers, and television
specials. These awards goals are to encourage people to use their
talents and imagination to make the world more positive. This book is
set in Pakistan, at Hussain Khan's factory near a dry countryside.
Iqbal
Masih, a young Pakistani boy, comes to the carpet factory and brings
hope to all the other slave treated children. He tells the other
children that their family's dept will never be canceled. He meets
Fatima and promises her she will be free soon. He comes to the
factory and is the bravest boy there. He knows he can escape and be
free. He even has the courage to talk about the future. Fatima is a
Pakistani girl who is at the factory because she has to pay her
fathers debts. She meets Iqbal and they become close. He promises her
she will be free, and they will soon go kite flying together. Fatima
is used to the harsh conditions and when Iqbal shows up her hopes are
raised. This book is so intriguing it makes all the readers keep
reading. You not only get to read a great novel, you get to learn
some interesting facts about harsh working factories in Pakistan. The
reader's response to this book is very meaningful. Iqbal has become a
symbol to millions of children in the world, who have had hardship
and violence in their life.

Iqbal is a book about bonded labour. It is about Pakistani children Iqbal, Fatima and fourteen other children. They have been sent out to work to pay off the debt, which their family owe to the unkind and evil Hassan Khan.

Hassan Khan tricks these children. Their job is to weave carpets day in and day out. Each child has a slate with lines on it. They have to work hard each day for these lines to be rubbed off. These lines represent the money they owe. Hassan Khan tricks the children. He kept on adding more lines because he knew that they couldn't count. Every day he would inspect, if the children were naughty or the carpet wasn't good enough to sell. He would lock them in the dreaded tomb where snakes, cockroaches and scorpions lived. All kids were chained to their looms. This continued until Iqbal came into the workshop.

Iqbal wasn't very tall and was shabby but he was very talented and brave. He knew that Hassan Khan was cheating them and wanted to get away. He taught the kids that what Hassan Khan was doing was wrong and to fight back. Unfortunately Iqbal was murdered by the carpet mafia on Easter Sunday 1995. He was only 13. Iqbal gave the kids courage and hope to get back to their families.

I thought that this book was touching and was an eye opener to what the world around you is like. You are so protected in your environment that sometimes you don't realize what is happening in this world and when you find out what actually happens you are shocked to discover that there are kids out there who have to work really hard to survive.
When you read Iqbal you can understand why they want to get away. One thing I have noticed is that when you read Iqbal you feel like you are a spy in the background watching everything that is happening. Or you are re-tracing the footsteps of the children. The way that D'Adamo has written this novel you almost feel like you are going through those hardships as well and you are celebrating the successes that they had.
It is a wonderful book and it makes you feel tearful.

By: Rima (New Zealand)

"Iqbal and Fatimah are forced to work for a cruel man in a Pakistani sweatshop. They are not paid and it does not look like they, nor any of their friends, will ever be released. Thus, Iqbal takes things into his own hands and escapes so that he can show the world what is going on. Based on a true story, this shows what can happen when one person makes a stand." (summary from Lone Star List 2005-06, TX Library Association)

This story is valuable both as literary prose and for its powerful message about child labor. It follows Iqbal (a former child laborer in Pakistan) as he works to end child labor and hold those who support it accountable. I couldn't put it down. To learn that Iqbal was in fact a real child who had the inner strength to fight for not only his own, but the freedom of all children sends an incredibly powerful message to any reader.

Iqbal was a boy who had to work in a factory owned by a really mean ugly old guy who was really strict and didn't treat the kids well, more like slaves. Iqbal had to work there to pay off his parent's debt. He knew he would never get out of there, so he stood up for what he believed in. Iqbal inspired other kids to do the same as well. He got so famous that today it is illegal to have child laborers. It's really sad, but it's a really good book. :)

Book in great condition and came in designated time -Easy to order and took only a few minutes - thank you

In real life, Iqbal Masih was a young Pakistani boy who escaped child slavery in a carpet factory and worked to help free other exploited children. This short historical novel is written from the perspective of a young girl who works in the same carpet factory as Iqbal and becomes his friend. Like many children in Pakistan, Fatima is indentured by her family and has no hope of ever paying off the debt. Her despair and hope are beautifully described in an analogy where every morning she stretches toward a window that brings in the scent of the almond tree outside. She hopes to someday be able to reach the window and pull herself up for a look. Perhaps she is 1/4 of an inch closer? No, probably not. Then Iqbal is transferred to her Master and begins working at a loom near hers. They become friends, and Fatima becomes aware that Iqbal is not like her and the other children. He is not afraid. Or rather, he is afraid, but stands up for them anyway.

I was afraid to begin reading Iqbal because the topic of child exploitation is so emotionally difficult. But instead of despair, D'Adamo creates a beautiful mood of childish innocence and hope that transcends the passivity of some characters and the greed of others. I found myself wanting more: both of the delicate language and of the story. I would like to read more by this new-to-me author, and the book's bibliography provides some opportunities to learn more about the real Iqbal Masih.

I just finished reading this book. It has to be one of the most inspirational and most wonderful books I have ever read. It shows courage and bravery and Iqbal himself is amazing. If you haven't read this book what are you waiting for? Pick it up!