We witness our beloved pet pooches and feline friends experiencing moments of joy, pain, fear and even grief. We accept that they feel, they have an emotional world of their own. With this understanding, comes a moral imperative and legal framework to protect them from suffering.

Yet our empathy for our pets does not extend to the billions of animals we use and exploit for food, fashion, beauty and profit [Read more]

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https://www.alternet.org

I was a sensitive kid, my brother always said over-sensitive. And highly anxious about the suffering of animals. I became veggie at seven years old, a time in the early ’80s when soy milk or a veggie burger was unheard of. As a teenager, I felt isolated and weird – being veg was not normal and certainly not cool.

Today, my teen daughter is veggie, and things have changed. She bought a T-shirt recently that says, ‘Eat beans not beasts’ and wears it proudly. She’s part of a growing number of teens in Australia and around the world who are choosing a veg*an diet.* [Read more...]

Do you believe in kindness and compassion towards animals?

A majority of us do, so the statistics show. And in increasing numbers, people are starting to draw a direct line between how they feel about animals and how often they eat them.

And the reason for this might surprise you: YouTube. [Read more...]

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https://www.mamamia.com.au

"I thoroughly enjoyed this book, feeling it was powerful and thought-provoking.  The fast-paced plot fitted together beautifully, both capturing the fact that there is not always a perfect ending and restoring my faith in humanity. It nicely balanced the two main elements of the story, animal rights and social life.

SpineOut is an online mag written by and for Young Adults published by Good Reading Magazine.

Reviewed by Isabella Wright, 11, North Shore, Sydney. Score: 8/10. I loved this book. It was so interesting to see how much Sky's life changed when her mum died. Having to move schools and find friends is something many kids go through. I change schools, so could really understand Sky's character and the other characters. I loved that Sky worked out how to have the confidence to stick by what she believed in. I also like that it was about people who live in Australia. I really hope they make it into a movie one day.

It was terribly hard to choose only four books that influenced my life when I have read and loved so many! I spent days considering all the books, since childhood, that were my most beloved and dog-eared. And came up with this list.

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Thank you, Fairfax for asking me such a fun and interesting question.

Read the article here - http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books-that-changed-me--by-ondine-sherman-20170718-gxdaca