From Booklist
Can kids make a difference? The Activism 2000 Project says yes. A nonpartisan group dedicated to helping empower youth to make a positive difference in the community, Activism 2000 has prepared a social action guide. The "26% solution" refers to the potent demographic fact that 26 percent of the population is under the age of 18. Whether it's planning for a skateboard park, brainstorming ways to reduce graffiti, or keeping drunk drivers off the road, students can organize to effect change. The handbook is a lively pep talk full of instructions on everything from organizing a small meeting, wording a petition, and setting goals to relating to press and government officials and maintaining public relations. Anecdotes about real-life projects fuel the inspirational tone: Young adults make up a Youth Commission in San Francisco, with input on laws affecting teens; suburban Cleveland students discovered that picked-up recyclables were not being recycled, prompting the local government to take action; and South Bend, Indiana, teens worked for tougher gun legislation. Activist teens and the adults who work with them will find the book both helpful and motivational. Anne O'Malley
