Youths4Peace Literature

Abbott, Tony. Firegirl.  Little, Brown & Co., 2006.  ISBN:  0316011711.

Tom has just entered seventh grade. But that's not all he's entered into. There's a new girl whose attending his school - very different from all the other girl's in his class. Jessica's in New Haven because of the treatment she can receive from the special burnt unit in the area hospital. Is making friends with someone so badly burnt that difficult? Tom has that opportunity to find out, and it changes his life forever. For grades 7 and up.

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Twisted. Viking Publishing, 2007.  ISBN:  0670061013.

Tyler is a loser...well, not really! He certainly is treated as such because of a decision he made to spray paint the school. Even though he's paid his dues and is trying to move on with his life, other events unfold, pigeonholing him as the culprit. Now falsely accused, he has choices to make. Gr. 9 and up.

Andreae, Giles. Illustrated by Clara Vulliamy.  Keep Love in Your Heart, Little One.  Tiger Tales/ an imprint of ME Media , 2006.  ISBN: 1589250666.

Sometimes it is difficult to find the right words to express everything you wish to say to your little one. With charming illustrations that include all the small details of a child's world, Giles Andreae offers a whole lot of help with this heartwarming and joyful tale of parental love and a child's boundless enthusiasm for life.  Preschool and up.

Atkins, Jeannine. Illustrated by Michael Dooling  Anne Hutchingson's Way  Farrar Straus Giroux, 2007.  ISBN:  0374303655.

With stunning illustrations, this story is a fictionalized episode about a woman who arrived with her family i Massachusetts in 1634, but was soon banished for holding religious meetings and teaching ideas with which Puritan ministers disagreed.  Jeannine Atkins' story about one of American's first heroines and her struggle for religious freedom and to uphold what later became the most precious freedom - that of speech - shows the impact of such bravery not only on the individual but also on the family. Gr. 3 and up.

Baskwill, Jane. Illustrated by Stephanie Carter.  If Peace Is A Promise.  Mondo Publishing, 2003.  ISBN:  2006504283.

A poem about peace wends its way through this book.  The phrase "If Peace is..." is repeated offering compelling metaphors for peace and the readers potential role in bringing peace. "If peace is a garden, I'll tend every seed...." A lovely, simple and compelling invitation to participate in bringing peace.

Bondoux, Anne-Laure. The Killer's Tears. Delacorte Press, 2003.  ISBN:  0385732937.

Winner of the prestigious French Prix Sorcières Book Award, ALA Notable Children's Book, and Mildred L. Batchelder Award, Anne-Laure Bondoux spins a tale as well described on the inside cover of the book - "a magnificent exploration of innocence, guilt, and the redemptive power of love."  Finely woven, the plot is filled with thought provoking cliffhangers. Readers will have a difficult time putting this short novel down! Gr. 7 and up.

Chimera, Donna.  Illustrations by Gregg Lauer. WolfStar.  WolfStar Press, 1996. ISBN:  0965642283.

WolfStar is a messenger from the Ancient Ones of the Star Nation who are concerned about the path Snowdeer's people are taking. A powerful and loving guide, he accompanies her on an exciting journey of self-discovery and teaches her to embrace a destiny that will affect future generations of her people.

Coville, Bruce and Katherine.  The Foolish Giant.  Lippincott, 1978.  ISBN:  0397318006.

The adventures of a not very bright but friendly giant named Harry, who at the end, helps the townspeople.

DePaola, Tomie.  I’m Still SCARED:  The War Years.  G.P. Putnum & Sons, 2006.  ISBN:  0399245022.

This is a very poignant and sympathetic account of a little boy’s first experience of war. War and violence is confusing, especially to the young, and children will be reassured to see that it takes Tomie time understand what is happening to his world. It is all right to ask questions and it is very important for grownups to recognize that children need reassurance and explanations at such times. Young readers will enjoy reading Tomie’s diary entries which give a picture of what Tomie’s life during the war years is like. This is the sixth book in the “26 Fairmount Avenue” series.  Gr. 2-4.

DiCamillo, Kate.  Great Joy.  Illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline.  Candlewick Press, 2007.  ISBN: 0763629205.

Set during World War II, a little girl wonders where an old organ grinder man and his monkey sleep at night as she observes them from her apartment window. While practicing her line for the Christmas pageant at church, she can't stop thinking about them. Filled with compassion, she shares the perfect words just at the right time.  Grade 1 and up.

Elelman, Marian Wright. Illustrated by Barry Moser.  I Can Make A Difference: A Treasury To Inspire Our Children.  Amistad, 2005.  ISBN: 0060280514.

Edelman has compiled inspiring quotations, stories, poems and songs related to values of compassion, peace, and justice.  She has organized the book according to principles, which she illuminates with introductions and quotations.  Each selection illustrates how to make a difference "by loving myself and others as God loves us," " by being courageous," "by caring and serving," "by being honest and telling the truth," "by being grateful for the gift and wonders of life," "by being nonviolent and working for peace," or "by being faithful and struggling for what I believe."  The stories and quotations are many-layered, metaphorical and rich.

Fleischman, Sid. The Entertainer and the Dybbuk.  Greenwillow Books, 2008.  ISBN: 0061344459.

In this brilliantly creative story, a struggling American ventriloquist in post-World War II Europe is possessed by a dybbuk, a Jewish spirit, but in this case a young Jewish boy who was killed during the Holocaust. Using the Great Freddie's stage acts, he exposes the terrible fate of a million and a half Jewish children. Grade 5 and up.

Gantschev, Ivan. Translated from the German by Karen M. Klockner.  Otto the bear. Little, Brown, 1985. ISBN:  0316303488.

An unfriendly woodcutter decides to live in harmony with the forest animals after being rescued by a bear.

Gantschev, Ivan.  TwoIslands .  Picture Book Studio USA, 1985.  ISBN:  0887080030.

One of the islands is rural and idyllic, while the other will soon become overdeveloped.

Literature

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