About the author

The following story, for grades 3-6, will help North American children to understand the varieties of lives of their peers in other places. It is most effective if it is read by at least two people. Encourage comparisons (similarities as well as differences) amongst the characters in the story and also with your own lives.

Story:
Reader 1:

Brian is an eleven-year-old boy who lives in a small city in the United States. Imagine him in gym class at school. Wearing a tee-shirt with the logo of his favorite football team, he bends down to tie his new shoes. The teacher then throws the basketball to him, and the game begins. Later, after a quick hot shower in the locker room, Brian heads to the cafeteria where he buys a soda and gets in line for hot lunch. It is pizza today, and he takes three large pieces. As he gulps down his food, Brian rummages through his backpack to make sure his new calculator is still there.

Reader 2:

Bhola is an eleven-year-old boy who lives in a village in India. Like Brian, he too is at school. The school building is too small for all the children, so classes are held outside. Bhola sits in the sun with the older students.