Rise Up, Ordinary Kids with Extraordinary Stories review

Some parents will have their guard up given the title to this book, Rise Up, Ordinary Kids With Extraordinary Stories. The title might lead some parents to think that it’s just a book about Generation Z kids who are better at grabbing headlines than solving things or actually doing something worth mentioning. However, readers of any age will be pleased to know that this is a book that spans the globe and covers many generations of special things or accomplishments that those under 23 have achieved.

There isn’t a hard and fast rule about what ages merit achievements in the book. The oldest one that I saw was Ally Swindon an English mountain climber who survives an avalanche on Mont Blanc. The youngest one is Pratima Sherpa, a Nepalese golfer who won her first tournament when she was only 11. For the record, Sherpa had won 33 tournaments by the time she turned 17 and Swindon survived by ‘swimming’ along the top of the snow.

Each profile covers two pages and has an overview about what field they are acknowledged for. Frida Kahlo was 18 when she started painting. You want to learn how to paint a self-portrait? There’s half a page with tips on how you can paint yourself, as well as, another page devoted to tips on using colors and a breakdown on warm or cold colors.

Many of the stories will be brand new to readers. These are welcome tales of survival, courage, creativity, ingenuity, talent, intelligence or passion that any middle school reader will understand. They might not have even heard of the countries that some of the youth are from, but they will draw parallels to their own life.

Have you heard about Ocean Cleanup? It’s a system of floating barriers that skim the surface of the ocean corralling the plastic rubbish. I’ve seen it on television but didn’t know that it was invented by a kid from the Netherlands. If you’re just studying about Asia, then the story of Yeonmi Park, a youth who escaped from North Korea will make you appreciate your current   situation.

Written by Amanda Li, Rise Up has vocabulary that’s written in an upper elementary and middle school level. The illustrations by Amy Blackwell are detailed and very well placed. They’re front and center in some cases, yet happy to sit in the background at other times. The pages all have different colors and the combined effect is one that invites readers to keep on turning the pages. Ages 9 and up will find themselves reading-and learning about different people, countries or adventures that they’ve never even thought of before.