Mind the Child is the last of the books I’ve read in the Penguin Lines. It’s been an up and down ride, with some books excellent and some not so. Mind the Child is another play on the word underground, this time looking at the underground children of London. This is the story of children who have been abandoned, run away or left to their own devices in the care of barely functioning adults. Abuse is rife, whether it be drugs, sexual or physical. These kids have to fend for themselves from a young age and often go hungry or turn to gangs, drug running or prostitution to live.

Camila Batmanghelidjh, the CEO of Kids Company at the time, discusses how the brains of these children are different and how care, love and a supportive environment can assist. I found the neuropsychiatry interesting, but it was the stories told by the kids themselves that have the most power. These stories are brutally honest, sometimes horrifying at the things they need to do to survive. Sometimes the system isn’t fair either. The story of one young man who wanted to work with computers and enrolled in a college course, only to be told that his government assistance would decrease to the point where he couldn’t afford rent, was exceptionally sad. He was told to drop his course, which he did and he now runs drugs, making much more money but without realising his dream.

I looked up Kids Company after reading this, as it seemed like a great charity, only to find that it is no more after financial and other issues. This shouldn’t detract away from the book though, as the stories told are heartbreaking.

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Penguin published a series of small books linked to each of the London Underground train lines. This book is representing the Victoria Line, and the author has linked the train line and its movement through London to the lives of children living in London who are neglected, abused or uncared for by their parents. The 'underground' nature of these kids' lives is that they are unseen by policy makers, social services and by a lot of society.

Camila Batmanghelidjh's role within charity the Kids Company gives her a window into lives that she would have never seen otherwise. Drug addicts who have children they cannot provide for, abusive parents, alcoholics. Kids who end up on the streets grow up knowing no love, only hunger and fear. It makes for very sad reading. But this is a book which should be read because it lets you in on what is really happening for a generation of people growing up with no plans for themselves but survival on the streets of London.

The author does not excuse the anti social behaviour of these youths, but does go a long way in explaining it. And if you want something changed, knowing about it is a good place to start. It seems fairly obvious to me that seriously attempting to curb drug and alcohol addictions would be the key to breaking the abuse and neglect cycle. One thing almost all the kids featured in the book have in common, is addicted parents. ( )