OFF THE SHELF Generation Change By Zach Hunter Zondervan/Youth Specialties Reviewed by Sarah Macolino “We’re too young to know that some things are impossible, so we do them anyway.” This quote from the recent movie Amazing Grace launches Generation Change: Roll Up Your Sleeves and Change the World. These words are powerful, coming as they do from the mouth of a passionate young William Wilberforce, but what makes them especially poignant here is that the book quoting them was written by a 16-year-old named Zach Hunter. Hunter published his first book, Be the Change: Your Guide to Freeing Slaves and Changing the World, last year, and is the subject of a just-released biography entitled Zach Hunter: ModernDay Abolitionist (part of the Young Heroes series from KidHaven Press) by Q.L. Pearce. Hunter understands that sometimes the most powerful truths are best delivered in the simplest packages. While his
informal writing style (as well as the cover design) will draw in a mostly teenage audience, Hunter expresses universal truths in ways that apply to adults as well as teens and to both Christians and non-Christians alike. He doesn’t avoid discussing faith, but he adds the frank statement,“Whether you share my beliefs or not, if you’re interested in making a difference in this world, I welcome you.” This is a message nonChristians need to hear from believers more often. The book’s format is also welcoming. Each chapter deals with a single issue— justice, hunger, and education are a few of the titles—and is illustrated with an example of a young person who is making a difference in that particular area of concern. For example, in the chapter about health, Hunter tells the story of Conner, a boy who began a foundation called Dry Tears and sold bracelets to raise money for clean water in Africa. Hunter’s simple but powerful outline of the events that brought Conner’s attention to Africa’s needs gives hope to the reader by showing that young people really can—and do—have a powerful influence for good. Then Hunter invites his readers to consider taking on that responsibility themselves. At the end of each section, he provides a list of suggestions for what the “ordinary teenager” can do to make a difference. Both doable and affordable, these suggestions eliminate any excuses that young people (or their elders) might be tempted to make for remaining uninvolved. And, of course, the author himself is living, writing proof that the “too young to make a difference” excuse has no validity. This book is a valuable resource for any teen who isn’t sure what changing the world is all about, for any Christian who wants to know what Generation Y is thinking, and for any non-Christian concerned about the most important issues of today. Speaking from both personal experience and the experiences of others, Hunter does an excellent job of explainPRISM 2008
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ing how Generation Y can become Generation Change. n This book has been peer reviewed by Sarah Macolino, 15, an avid writer herself. She lives with her family and dog in Philadelphia. She enjoys softball, singing, and a good enchilada, and is photographically inclined.
The Church of the Second Chance By Jens Soering Lantern Books Reviewed by David L. O’Hara Jens Soering has already written several books about the gospel and what it means for prison reform. While each of his books does a good job of laying out the case for prison reform, Soering’s latest offers several features that particularly commend it. Each chapter of The Church of the Second Chance: A Faith-Based Approach to Prison Reform opens with a vignette from the Bible that illuminates some facet of our American prisons. Soering reminds us that Joseph was wrongly imprisoned for rape, for instance, and that Paul appealed for clemency on behalf of Onesimus, who had legally earned harsh punishment. In each of these commentaries Soering demonstrates his unique gift for showing us how deeply the gospel addresses the way we should deal with crime and criminals. Still, for my money, the best parts of each chapter come after these commentaries—in the form of a dialogue, plus what I’ll call the “provocations.” Each chapter concludes with the transcript of an interview with a prisoner, prisoner advocate, or crime victim. Plato and Shakespeare knew it, and Soering knows it as well: Dialogue— human conversation—is a powerful medi-