Gandhi for Kids: His Life and Ideas, with 21 Activities

Gr 5–8—This entry focuses on how Mohandas Gandhi's life—including his childhood in India, Western education, and firsthand experience of racism and injustice—influenced his rejection of material culture and political power and inspired his world-changing idea of nonviolent protest. Mahoney provides some general background to help readers put the man's life into the context of the places he lived and the time period. Since the emphasis is on Gandhi's ideas, there is more coverage of his formative experiences in India, Britain, and South Africa than of his return to India and efforts to make India independent (the book's midsection about the South African years is occasionally dry). Mahoney admires Gandhi and his adherence to his beliefs but also describes his struggles to live up to his ideals, especially in his family life. The text is supplemented with average-quality black-and-white photos and sidebars about people and political movements. The 21 activities are related to Gandhi's culture, work, and ideas, ranging from simple craft projects such as evaporating salt to more complex research and critical thinking projects such as examining the role of consumerism in modern society and becoming an advocate for a cause. This book is a complement to, rather than a replacement for, titles such as Kem Knapp Sawyer's Champion of Freedom: Mohandas Gandhi, which has a fuller discussion of India's colonial history and Gandhi's role in its independence.