During the Rwandan genocide, five-year-old Emma hides behind an armchair. From her hiding place, she hears the murder of her mother. When silence fills the home, Emma is able to escape and hide in the bush. She observes an old Hutu woman and decides to approach her for food. The old woman risks her own life when she takes Emma into her home. After the war ends, the two women settle into a routine and continue to live together.
Rwanda establishes the Gacaca courts in villages where victims can face their tormentors to seek justice. Emma seeks friendship with Ndoli, another victim of the genocide. Sitting outside the Gacaca court, Ndoli and Emma listen to the victims tell their stories. With the help of an elderly man whose job is to help young child survivors, Ndoli and Emma start the healing process.
A brief author's note puts the book in its historical context.

Eleanor Roosevelt chaired a committee that determined rights for every citizen in every country. Since 1948, these rights declare that every human is entitled to freedom, fair government, freedom to come and go and to associate with others and the right to free expression.
In the foreword, Mary Robinson writes about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, what it means and how we struggle to achieve true freedom for all people. She reminds us that change does not occur by reading a book; rather, action is required.
The rights in the book are accompanied by photographs. Youth are encouraged to write a poem, short essay or paragraph describing what the right means to them. The book includes an index and the full Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Water not only replenishes the human body, it provides habitat for freshwater and saltwater life forms, as well as a source of energy. Water available for human consumption is threatened by pollution, overuse and is not evenly distributed throughout the world. For some, it is a daily struggle to find water to drink. Scientific research on water indicates the effect of global warming and the ability to grow food and to create solutions for the world's water needs.
This book includes a number of photographs, a watershed map, a timeline of water-related milestones, an illustration of the water cycle and graphs. Both Imperial and Metric measurements are included.
Included in the book is a table of contents, a glossary, suggestions for further reading and an index.

Kojo lives in Ghana, West Africa. Kojo and his mother survive gathering firewood to sell. One day, Kojo receives a small loan. With his loan, he purchases one hen. The hen provides eggs for Kojo and his mother to eat. Kojo sells the extra eggs at the market. As Kojo prospers, so does his business.
The story is based on a true person, Kwabena Darko, who changes his community and helps others do the same through a micro credit lending program.
The book includes a website, www.onehen.org, which highlights organizations that support small loans or micro credit to individuals wanting to start a small business. As well, two women who received a small loan are profiled. The book includes a glossary.

Slavery was a way of life for many African-Americans during the formative years of the United States. Fortunes were made on the backs of men, women and children, who were forced to work and had no rights. Using diary entries, narratives, schoolwork and anti-slavery publications, Osborne tells the story of slavery. Many young people tried to escape from their masters, sometimes to be caught and returned to the plantation. Alternatively, some succeeded in reaching freedom and then became abolitionists or landowners.
The book includes photographs, postcards and illustrations. The book includes a table of contents, a timeline, bibliography and an index.