Child Soldier

June 29, 2015
Chikwanine, who was abducted by a rebel militia at age five and now works as a public speaker and activist, describes a childhood filled with horrors, heartbreak, and hope growing up in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the 1990s. Writing with Humphreys, he begins with a capsule history of the region’s instabilities before moving on to his early life in the city of Beni; his father was a human rights lawyer, while his mother sold fish and fabric at the market. After Chikwanine and some friends are abducted during an after-school soccer game, the direct first-person narration lays bare the boy’s confusion and pain: “Every day was hard and terrible, filled with fear, torture and death.” Dávila’s panel sequences temper the story’s atrocities, but only slightly: readers see the sandal-clad foot of the friend Chikwanine was forced to kill; elsewhere, bodies hang from trees while he is shown holding a rifle as large as he is. Chikwanine escaped the rebels not long after, but his family’s troubles were just beginning. Back matter provides extensive information about the use of child soldiers worldwide. Ages 10–14.

May 15, 2015
An ex-child soldier tells his horrifying tale, beginning with being kidnapped at the age of 5 and forced to kill his best friend. Graphic in format but not detail, co-author Chikwanine's narrative begins with his arrival in Canada, then flashes back to the early 1990s and happy childhood days in the Democratic Republic of Congo. These quickly end in terror as a ragged band of militia snatch him up with schoolmates, blindfold him, put a gun in his hands, and cajole him into pulling the trigger. "Your family will never take you back now. We are your only family." He escapes and discovers otherwise, but the trauma stays with him through flight to a refugee camp in Uganda and immigration to a strange, snowy country. In her large, paneled illustrations Davila steers clear of explicit violence, using facial expressions to convey vividly the rebels' brutality, the shock of their child captives, and the narrator's emotional scars. His initial impression that North America's young people seem preoccupied by trivial concerns ultimately broadens into a hopeful note as he goes on to become a speaker and activist. Further information about his work, plus a Q-and-A about child soldiers worldwide and annotated lists of organizations and other resources close this affecting but not strident call to action. The visual element gives this memoir particular immediacy for audiences who "don't understand what is happening right now, to kids just like them." (Graphic memoir. 10-14)

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Starred review from July 1, 2015

Gr 3-6-Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and forced to become a child soldier at age five, Chikwanine tells his painful yet ultimately uplifting story with help from coauthor Humphreys and artist Davila. Though there was unrest in his country, Michel lived a happy, carefree existence with his parents and sisters-until one day after school he was abducted by soldiers. He lived in a state of terror and exhaustion while he underwent training, until he was able to escape and return to his family. However, more trauma lay ahead. Chikwanine, Humphreys, and Davila handle this difficult subject sensitively; readers are informed that "these events did not occur out of the blue and won't suddenly happen to you." The authors gloss over some details to keep the story age appropriate, but they do acknowledge some difficult truths. Chikwanine's narration is matter of fact but never didactic, emphasizing less the gruesome details and more young Michel's emotional response and attempts to make sense of the world around him. Earthy hued and gentle, the images make a potentially disturbing topic accessible. Davila foregoes blood and gore for more delicate, effective ways of depicting fear and danger, such as using darker hues, extreme close-ups, and dramatic angles. Several pages of back matter provide more information on Chikwanine's life, child soldiers in general, and resources for those who want to get involved combating this problem. VERDICT An enlightening, accessible, and, above all, child-friendly introduction to the issue.-Mahnaz Dar, School Library Journal

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2015
Grades 4-7 Chikwanine describes his harrowing real-life experiences as an extremely young child soldier in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In 1993, rebel soldiers kidnapped five-year-old Michel and some older classmates and forced them to train as soldiers. In order to make Michel think he could never go home, they drugged and blindfolded him and, putting a rifle in his hands, made him shootand killhis best friend. Even after he escaped and found his way home, danger threatened Michel's family for years. While his experiences were horrible and violent, Davila's subdued, approachable art shows only enough to suggest to readers what's going on. The wide, haunted eyes of the boys will stay with the reader long after finishing the book. The narration includes enough history of the Congo to give context to the personal story, while the back matter provides more information about child soldiers. The book also includes information on how young people can learn more and take action to prevent organizations from using child soldiers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)