Little Princes

Little Princes
By Conor Grennan
William Morrow, 2010. 294 pgs. Adult Nonfiction

When Conor Grennan originally went to Nepal, it was to spend a few weeks there volunteering before continuing on a trip around the world. However, as he went to work the Little Princes orphanage, he found himself touched by the orphans and their situation, and happy to help; he even found seven additional children and made arrangements for shelter for them. However, back in the U.S., he found out that those seven children had been taken by a child trafficker. Torn up by guilt, he started a non-profit organization, Next Generation Nepal, and went back to find those seven children. His mission expanded when he realized that many of the "orphans" were not actually orphans; their parents had paid men to take them to safety in the midst of Nepal's civil war. These men were actually child traffickers who had threatened and harmed the children if they spoke about their families. Soon, Conor began traveling to the remote villages of Nepal to find these families and bring them news of their children.

This was a fascinating story, and one that makes you want to go to Nepal and save the children. It's told in a simple, conversational style, with Conor relating his experiences with the children, which isn't the most sophisticated style but which is effective for this type of book. It's sad and sweet and has a bit of adventure and even some romance thrown in. Although it was published for the general adult market, it is appropriate for and would be interesting to teen readers as well.

3.5 stars.