Be the Change: Your Guide to Freeing Slaves and Changing the World By Zach Hunter, Zondervan, 2007, Softcover, 157 pages, $9.99
Fifteen-year-old Zach Hunter is on a mission. But not to wipe out all the alien baddies on a video game, or to be the top athlete who comes through for his high school team in a clutch. Hunter wants to abolish modern-day slavery and help the oppressed. And he wants to inspire such lofty goals in his peers.
Clearly directed toward Christian youth like himself, Hunter's book, Be the Change, uses simple, direct language to encourage teens to find the passion and courage to help others.
Each chapter focuses on a quality the author considers necessary to "be the change you want to see." A short profile or anecdote about a person who embodies the quality is followed by suggestions on how young people can live out the quality in their everyday lives, practical ways to help others and questions for reflection and discussion, all presented in an unassuming, conversational tone.
Although Hunter's passion is ending modern slavery, his book has a broader focus. He encourages teens to identify the issues close to their own hearts, and to develop their unique skills and abilities to make positive change in the world. This slim volume is a great primer for young social activists just discovering their calling.