Joshua Wong: Student Activist for Democracy

“The Remarkable Lives Revealed” series tells the stories of both well-known and relatively unknown people who, through their convictions, are making an impact in the world. This topical high interest, low vocab series introduces young readers to such concepts as advocacy, resilience, democracy and other social justice issues. Previous volumes of the series have been devoted to Rick Hansen, Craig Kielburger and Malala Yousafzai, well-known activists whose stories young readers may already know.

Joshua Wong, a student activist from Hong Kong, will likely be unknown to young readers in North America, and yet his story is timely and relevant as many teens in North America are becoming empowered by student activism. In Joshua Wong: Student Activist for Democracy, Linda Barghoorn provides a lot of detail about Joshua, a committed activist challenging the Chinese government on various issues including school curriculum, pollution, voting systems and democratic rights and freedoms. By organizing protests and demonstrations, Joshua has faced imprisonment and been labelled an extremist by the Chinese government. But he has also received awards and recognition as a passionate student activist who has encouraged other people to demonstrate in the fight for democracy.

The themes in this series are very topical and are an excellent way for young readers to learn about such current topics as civil disobedience, ADHD, and foster care. Through the individuals’ stories, young readers can learn how others have faced challenges and overcome adversity. Their belief that everyone can make a difference in their community is inspiring.

While the books in the series may not appeal to readers for independent reading, they would complement a school unit or assignment in social studies. Each chapter promotes additional learning by asking readers to think critically about what they have just read and to apply the knowledge to their own lives. Highlighted words are defined in a glossary, thereby encouraging readers to expand their vocabulary. Pages are populated with images and quotations, and there is information for further learning at the back of each book that includes writing prompts, the aforementioned glossary and additional books and websites on the topics covered.

The subject matter is relevant and timely, and the biographies are an excellent way to introduce readers to topical issues, like foster care or emotional issues. However, the topic content may become quickly outdated, and readers might not connect with the books’ subjects.