Gandhi for Kids His Life and Ideas, with 21 Activities

With his wire-rimmed glasses, homespun cloths, and walking stick, Mohandas Gandhi is an international symbol of nonviolence, freedom, simplicity, and peace. Tracing Gandhi's evolution from a shy boy in India to a courageous, world-traveling spiritual and political leader who worked tirelessly to help India achieve independence from England, Gandhi for Kids will inspire young readers to make connections between his ideas and contemporary issues such as bullying and conflict resolution, healthful eating from local sources, civil rights and diversity, the "reduce, reuse, recycle" movement, and more. Kids learn about Gandhi's important impact on the lives and work of Martin Luther King Jr., Aung San Suu Kyi, Malala Yousafzai, and other modern heroes, yet come to understand that he was also a complex man who struggled with personal conflicts, disappointments, and idiosyncracies. Packed with historic images, informative sidebars, a time line, glossary, resource section, and 21 creative activities that illuminate Gandhi's life, ideas, and environment, Gandhi for Kids is an indispensable resource for a new generation of change makers. Kids can: make a traditional Indian lamp called a diya; practice anti-consumerism or vegetarianism for a day; create a henna hand design; learn some basic yoga poses; and much more. 

Ellen Mahoney is the author of Nellie Bly and Investigative Journalism for Kids and coauthor, with the late astronaut Edgar Mitchell, of Earthrise: My Adventures As an Apollo 14 Astronaut.