Summer Reading List

I'm a nerd, and I know it.

As a child, there were few things that made me happier than the freedom of hours stretched out with a good book. Summer reading lists never scared me--there was a new adventure waiting for me between the pages of every assignment.

Here at World Next Door, we believe that reading is one of the best ways to open a child's eyes to the world around them, and in accord with that principle, we stock lots of great children's books. If you're looking for a fun summer read that will give your little ones a global perspective, here are just a few of our favorites.

We're Sailing to Galapagos: A Week in the Pacific
Writen by Laurie Krebs Illustrated by Grazia Restelli

This brightly illustrated book follows a red-sailed boat and its passengers as they visit the islands of Galapagos, 600+ miles off the western coast of Ecuador. The visitors see giant tortoises, lava crabs, blue-footed boobies, and more, discovering a new wonder with each new day. A singsong rhythm makes the book perfect for reading aloud at night, and the beautiful collages used as illustration keep your eyes glued to each page.

Mama Panya's Pancakes: A Village Tale from Kenya

Written by Mary and Rich Chamberlain Illustrated by Julia Cairns
This African tale teaches children about life in a Kenyan village, and the importance of sharing what we have--even when it doesn't seem like much. Join Adika and Mama Panya as they visit the market, encountering friends at every turn. Adika is quick to invite their friends to join them for a pancake meal that evening, although Mama Panya worries she can't stretch the flour far enough. In the end Adika's generous impulses are rewarded as the village gathers for a feast. Bonus: spicy pancake recipe, map, and glossary of Kiswahili words.

Going to School in India

By Lisa Hedlauff

It can be a wild ride to get to school in India--racing across a river on a wooden swing, balancing gingerly as they tiptoe across a bamboo bridge, riding in a cart between two huge bullocks. And that just covers getting there!

This book gives kids an up-close look at what life is like for millions of children in India. Complete with photos of Indian kids in every imaginable school situation (night school, school in a bus, school after an earthquake...), this book introduces children to the challenges that others face. Going to School in India is cheerful, upbeat, and optimistic about the futre, even as it acknowledges grim facts about the present (98% of disabled children in India do not receive an education).

I fear that we are about to beat a dead horse into the ground on this blog with our continued talk of Freeset and Sari Bari, but we're putting a press release out on Monday and I thought I'd post it on here for you to see.
Thanks for your continued support of all we're about here at World Next Door!

The designs are simple: swirling daisies, the dark silhouettes of gnarled trees, cheerfully placed dots. A recycled sari, once used as a traditional Indian dress, is now a bamboo-handled purse.
The stories behind these bags, however, are more complex. The purses, available at World Next Door, downtown Chattanooga’s fair trade store, are made by women who were formerly forced to work in the sex industry in Kolkata, India. Today, thanks to fair trade, the women are able to support themselves and their families by creating and marketing the bags.
World Next Door managers Jency and Nathan Shirai traveled to eastern India in April and May, where they were able to meet some of the women who make the bags that line the shelves of their store.
“Every time I sell a Freeset or Sari Bari bag, I picture the women’s smiling faces and the joy in their eyes from having a job where they are treated with dignity and respect,” Jency Shirai said. “By selling their bags, we are playing a small part in Chattanooga to transform a community from the inside out.”
Sari Bari and Freeset are two of the companies the Shirais met with while in India. Sari Bari takes its name from two symbols: a sari, which is the traditional clothing worn by Indian women and the representation of womanhood, and bari, which means house or home. The company seeks the freedom and restoration of Kolkata’s red light districts by giving women affected by the sex trade industry dignified employment opportunities.
Freeset employs former prostitutes, many of whom were trafficked into Kolkata’s sex districts from neighboring countries like Bangladesh or Nepal. Today, more than 140 women work for the company, which produces approximately 1,000 bags each day. Employees at Freeset are paid a fair wage for their labor and receive health insurance and a pension plan with their job.
World Next Door’s relationship with these Kolkata-based businesses is living proof that local consumers who shop with their conscience in mind can make a global difference.
Fair trade is an alternative business practice that hinges on guaranteeing fair wages and dignified working conditions for producers in marginalized economic systems.

Blog Love

Thank you, Handmade Expressions!
One of our fair trade partners, Texas- and India-based Handmade Expressions, this week featured Nathan and Jency's trip to India on their company blog. Click here to check out their take on World Next Door's visit to two artisan groups that create products for Handmade Expressions.

Handmade Expressions is an importer and wholesaler of fair trade, handmade products from India. All of the company's products are made by hand following strict fair trade standards. Partners earn a fair wage, work under safe conditions, and are given help to develop their communities.
Handmade Expressions was started in 2005 by Manish Gupta. Stateside, the company is based in Austin, Texas. A second arm of the company operates in India, where Handmade Expressions staff work to ensure that fair trade practices are upheld.

Tonight's the night

Yes, the long-awaited, much anticipated day has arrived: we get to hear Nathan and Jency share the good, the bad, and the ugly from their travels to India and Nepal. Tonight I'll bake something delicious and chocolate-y and head (with about 40 of their other closest friends) to Jency's grandparents' house for a dessert de-briefing of their world travels.
This will be much more than just a tell-all, though. I feel certain that I'll get a glimpse inside their hearts as they let us know about the heartbreaking, amazing, and heartbreakingly amazingly things they saw and experienced on the other side of the world.
An update will be coming soon--I'll let you know what we hear.