We've heard from many quarters that one of the things kids need most now is hope. We looked at our Giraffe Heroes Project files, bulging with stories of "Giraffe Heroes"— people from an array of ages, locations and backgrounds who are plunging into every imaginable problem and getting positive results. Their lives are models for positive action and enormous sources of hope.

We've put forty of these stories into Voices of Hope, a unique middle/high school program that builds reading skills while it encourages kids to be active citizens in their communities. We know from many years' experience in classrooms how well the inspiring and exciting stories of Giraffe Heroes grab kids' attention—even kids who don't like to read. Used as a supplementary reader, Voices of Hope is a welcome addition to standard reading texts, many of which are notoriously dull.

But Voices of Hope is much more than an anthology of stories and instruction in vocabulary, sentence structure and comprehension. Voices of Hope tells kids that individuals can impact their world for the better, and that they themselves can do that too. Then it shows them how, with easy-to-use service-learning lesson plans and skills-building materials in the Voices of Hope Service Learning Guide.

Giraffe Heroes' stories inspire many kids to move from "Why bother?" to "How can I make a difference?" The Service Learning Guide can help teachers help kids create and carry out successful service projects on issues they care about. Guiding kids into courageous, caring service can change their attitudes—and their lives.