A review by hkingcrab
Trust Kids!: Stories on Youth Autonomy and Confronting Adult Supremacy by carla joy bergman

challenging emotional hopeful slow-paced

4.0

an interesting read that analyzes social issues, esp education and caregiving through the lens of child autonomy and liberation. it is a collection of short essays, poems, manifesto-esque writing pieces from various authors. 
this focus on children and ageism would be eyeopening for people who don't have these thoughts on the daily (lol). i definitely thought about the book between bouts of reading it, and i would recommend certain essays from it for different people. 
one chapter reframing adultification of Black children in NA to infantilization felt too narrow of an argument. granted, abuse of children has happened through history. however, in the essay's attempt to provide a new angle to racism and colonialism, i think the argument could be taken as an excuse to deny race and focus on "child advocacy." 
i also feel like the argument for unschooling and deschooling, free schools etc. didn't address poverty and lack of time or resources for parents to organize their own schools and education for their child. the case studies presented were likely middle-class mothers who made their home a daycare and collaborated with other mothers in the neighbourhood. because of that, the arguments and visions presented by the authors felt too idealistic. 

overall, i appreciated the diversity of authors and representation of children, as well as the overall message to trust kids.