Sold

McCormick , P. (2006). Sold . (1st ed., p. 263). New York : Hyperion.

Sold is about Lakshmi, a 13 year old girl living in Nepal. Her family is very poor and she is eventually sent to India to work as a maid, or so she thinks. She is actually sold into prostitution and can't leave until she pays her debt. Mumtaz is the owner of the brothel and is very cruel to Lakshmi and the other girls. The book is written into small, about 1-2 pages, of entries, each with a title. It is about her day to day life and the unimaginable struggles she faces. An American eventually comes to try and save Lakshmi but the girls in the brothel have been tricked into thinking that anyone who says they want to help are lying. 

There is an Author's note at the end of the book giving brief facts about girls that are sold into the sex trade. This book would be good for middle school students to read because it would open their eyes to things that are going on in the world that they didn't even know about. Students often do not have a chance to read books that take place in the Middle East. It is important that students read books from all over the world so that they can begin to build an understanding of different cultures around the world. This book could also tie into Women's Rights and how many countries still have a long way to go.