Up for Sale: Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery

Gr 7 Up—"In modern times, slavery has a different face and goes by a different name: human trafficking" states this well-sourced overview of human rights violations. Drawing readers in with a brief definition of the subject and a few harrowing tales from victims, the book is broken down into five chapters: "Modern-Day Slavery," "Terrible Toil," "Sex Sells," "Stolen Childhoods," and "Taking Action." Although the book is fairly brief, it offers a good first look at human trafficking, and the text is substantial enough to provide an overview for those unfamiliar with the topic. Though Behnke includes examples of trafficking in the United States, she also casts her eye globally, looking at debt bondage, sweatshops, forced prostitution, the illegal selling of body organs, child soldiers, and children illegally taken from families and sold for adoption. The narrative is concise, clear, and factual, and there are plenty of photos and text boxes to break up text, though they are sometimes repetitive, and stock photos are occasionally used. While this book doesn't get too close to its difficult subject, the images and stories, especially those of young people, will inform teen readers. For firsthand accounts of sex trafficking, try Abby Sher's Breaking Free: True Stories of Girls Who Escaped Modern Slavery (Barron's, 2014). A strong stepping-off point for further inquiry into the subject.—Danielle Jones, Multnomah County Library, OR