In effect, the book explores three different ways in which NGOs can help children get back to school. First, they can set up alternative education facilities as CREDA has done in areas of Mirzapur district where mainstream schools are non-existent or non-functional. Second is "mainstreaming" or enabling out-of-school children to join mainstream schools via bridge courses and other means, an approach pioneered by the MV Foundation in Andhra Pradesh. Third is to forge partnerships with the mainstream system, as Pratham has done in Mumbai. The book has several inspiring examples of the potential effectiveness of each approach. At the same time, the editor stresses that these efforts are intended to supplement rather than displace state intervention in the field.

The book is written in an engaging style (with plenty of insightful testimonies and case studies), ably edited and elegantly produced — a living example of the possibility of "joyful learning".