One of my favorite things about reading is how it makes our world smaller by opening our minds. Compassion is not just an emotion, it’s an action. We will be adding several posts per month in the category “Turn the Page” based on issues discussed in our Top Picks for the month. In this way, you can learn more about how you can get involved to help change lives and make a difference.

Recently, I went to a talk by a passionate woman who ministers worldwide and was haunted by the beautiful images of children who had been kidnapped for human trafficking in Europe. The stats will churn your stomach, but I hope it will also do what it did for me: stir me to do something. She founded The A-21 Campaign. Follow them on Twitter.

In our Sept. Top Pick THE VARIOUS FLAVORS OF COFFEE, one of the main characters is Fikre, a fiery slave who is determined to get herself out of slavery in Africa. The book is set in the 19th century, but guess what? SLAVERY HAS NOT BEEN ABOLISHED. There are more than 27 million slaves in the world today, many of them women and children. I hope you’ll take the time to watch this video to learn more about the cause. It’s time to turn the page on human trafficking to create a happier ending. One world.