Intermediate 9-11 Years

From silly to serious, here is a compilation of sixteen fictional stories about walking your own path, finding friends, and fighting everyday battles. Read together, or read alone for ages 9 and up.

• How can Mica compete at the science fair when parents are helping the other kids?
• Niccolo doesn’t want to play in the symphony this summer, but can he bring himself to blow the audition?
• How will Jenna and Abby ever become astronauts if they're stuck on the farm, and lost in the maize?

Saichiro Fujita loved ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and made the aim of his entire life to be of service to Him. He was a source of great joy to everyone. He was faithful, capable, and full of laughter.

Once someone asked Fujita what he did for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. He replied, "I never felt that I could do very much for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá." Then, after a pause, he added, "Sometimes I made Him laugh."

This is Fujita-san’s story. It is told through the words of a youthful gardener from Papua New Guinea named Mia, and shared with Paolo, a 10-year-old boy from Brazil.

Warrior Grandma: The Story of Patricia Locke by Littlebrave Beaston is the latest title in the Change Maker series. Patricia Locke—whose Lakota name, Thawáchin Wašté Win, means “Compassionate Woman”—courageously fought for the equality of Indigenous people in the United States and around the world. She was not only a staunch advocate for the rights of Indigenous people but a loving mother and grandmother.

This book teaches the values of generosity, selflessness, and the importance of building strong family relationships. Readers will learn about how prejudice affects American Indians and how Patricia advocated for equal rights for Indigenous people during her lifetime. The book also discusses the qualities of leadership, the principle of consultation, and the importance of courage and perseverance in the face of oppression and attempted assimilation. Patricia acted as a bridge between two cultures—white and Indigenous—and, even in the face of overwhelming difficulties, she always demonstrated compassion toward others. She embodied the qualities of a true Change Maker.

See other books in the Change Maker Series

Brilliant Star: Better Together, Vol. 51, No. 6. This issue empowers kids to build strong friendships through these activities and more:

• Explore the ingredients needed for successful collaboration;
• Find out how Bahá’u’lláh helped a kid in the mountains;
• Make a treasure box for a pal in Nur’s Nook;
• Discover how ‘Abdu’l-Bahá encouraged people to be their true selves;
• Draw yourself doing something that makes your spirit shine;
• Quiz yourself on how well you stay in touch with friends;
• Learn what kids around the world have to say about friendship;
• Practice what you would say when you and a friend disagree;
• Get to know Roman Orona, an Indigenous artist and performer who inspires us to remember how we’re all connected.