For most folks summer reading means fun, lighthearted beach reads. However, as summer winds down, you may find yourself in need of a break from the saccharine. If you are looking for a summer read with some substance and meaningful discussion, then look no further than Tara Sullivan’s “The Bitter Side of Sweet.”
This is Sullivan’s second novel and her first title for middle grade readers, but make no mistake — the subject matter in “The Bitter Side of Sweet” is not for the faint of heart. This novel deals with child slave labor in cacao farms along the Ivory Coast. Brothers Amadou and Seydou go to work one season on the farm in order to help bring in money for their family in a small Malian village. However, two years later they are still on the farm with no idea how much money they have earned or if it will be enough to pay off the debt they’ve incurred for living and working on the farm. Then one day a new girl, Kadisha, is brought to the farm. After several failed escape attempts on her own, she enlists the help of Amadou and Seydou to plot another escape. You’ll have to read to find out what happens next!
“The Bitter Side of Sweet” is based on true life events. Sullivan is very matter of fact in her descriptions and doesn’t pull any punches. I would recommend this for middle school readers and up. This is a well written book on a serious topic that will help young readers expand their worldview and learn about fair trade in the process.
Here are some other titles that will help young readers learn more about child labor:
- “Breaker Boys: How A Photograph Helped End Child Labor” by Michael Burgan
- “Digging A Hole to Heaven: Coal Miner Boys” by S. D. Nelson
- “Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers’ Strike of 1909” by Michelle Markel
