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A PARENT-TEACHER'S GUIDE
for
"Forever
Ten" by Larry
Dickens
(for ages 12+; sixth grade level and up) |
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(This page is formatted
for most printers)
Forever Ten
is a tale about
two children from two worlds, an ocean apart.
As seen through
the eyes of Tyshaun, a ten year-old boy from Rochester, NY, Forever Ten
takes the reader on a dark journey to two places which are plagued by two of the
world's biggest threats to the well-being of today's children: the street-level
violence caused by the global, illegal drug trade, and the epidemic rise of
child slavery.
After
his best friend is killed by a drug dealer's stray bullet, a young, inner city
boy runs away from his crime-ridden neighborhood. His remarkable journey
unexpectedly takes him to a place where children are enslaved. Along the way,
he befriends and helps a young girl who has a horrible secret. In helping her,
he learns that running away is not the answer to solving your problems and
discovers that strength can be found where you least expect it.
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Primary Messages
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Demand for drugs kills.
- Just say "NO" to drugs, and anything related to them.
- Kids have the right to be kids.
- The book serves as a remembrance for the innocent victims of drug
violence and child slavery.
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Educational Elements
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Written for mature children/young adults (12+; sixth grade level and
up).
- The story is sharp-edged and seen through the eyes of a ten year-old
boy.
- It is a fast-paced read and entertaining. There is enough action
in the story to keep the young reader's interest while at the same time
imparting valuable lessons and information.
- It demonstrates how the act of buying drugs contributes to
violence and death, and that those who buy drugs are just as guilty of
drug-related violence as those who actually commit the acts.
- It is designed to provide awareness of the global child slavery problem
and how kids in other parts are forced to live.
- It provides young people with a global outlook, helping them to see and
experience what is beyond the borders of their own neighborhoods and the
social problems that children from other parts of the world are
experiencing.
- It says "Education + No Drugs = Success + Happy Life," encouraging at-risk students
to stay in school.
- It portrays the hard-working parent who follows the rules and instills
values in their children.
- It depicts the horror and unfairness of sudden, violent death and its
effect on young people.
- It tells young people that running away from your problems is not the
way to solving them.
- The young reader learns that
"indifference is worse than evil" and that to make your neighborhood
better you have to be proactive in keeping it free of negative elements.
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Larry Dickens is the author of Mrs. McGillacuddy's Garden Party, Hillary's
Wish,
Tropical Depression, and Gone with the Breeze.
Visit his Web site
at
www.LarryDickens.com for additional reference and background material.
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