Give Peace a Chance
RSSVicki Reutter, Curriculum Connections -- School Library Journal, 09/01/2009
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The idealistic lyrics of John Lennon’s, “Give Peace a Chance,” reflected one generation’s poetic response to world events, but today’s students have joined a global community that is effecting change on a much broader scope. Contemporary peaceful activism may involve collecting and distributing clean water containers in India, advocating for HIV testing in sub-Saharan Africa, or petitioning for gun amnesty programs in the United States. Local efforts are multiplying as well, with teachers and students actively participating.
If your community would like to get involved, start by observing a day to promote peace and nonviolence on September 21st, International Day of Peace. And throughout the school year consider sharing titles that offer options for teaching peace concepts that are vital to character education. Books can explore subjects such as compassion and fairness, and inspire readers and listeners with stories about Nobel Laureates and global youth movements.
NO! (McPhail) © 2009 by author
Picture books that encourage conversations about peace include David McPhail’s NO! (Roaring Book, 2009; K-Gr 5), which illustrates the power of one word to effect change. When soldiers, tanks, explosions, and a bully threaten a small boy’s trip to the mailbox to send the President a letter about the rules he has learned (“NO PUSHING” “NO PUNCHING”), he stands tall and shouts, “NO!” causing both the bully and the tanks to retreat, the soldiers to disarm, and nonviolent images to appear. The nearly wordless story, illustrated in the author’s characteristically delicate watercolor and pencil artwork, makes a connection between personal conviction and universal strife.
The Enemy: A Book about Peace (Random, 2009; Gr 4-8), written by Davide Cali and illustrated by Serge Bloch, also employs an image of war, the foxhole, for a story about two men on opposite sides of a battle. Alone in their trenches, the men confront their fears, ponder the pointlessness of war, and come to the realization that they are alike in their humanity. The book ends with their simultaneous peaceful gestures. Simple pen drawings of the characters dressed in combat green against a white background, with touches of red, underscore the book’s powerful message.
Realistic paintings by Zachary Pullen contribute Kathy-Jo Wargin’s Alfred Nobel: The Man Behind the Peace Prize (Sleeping Bear, 2009; Gr 3-6), a thoughtful portrait of the peace-loving man who, ironically, made his name from the invention of dynamite. Pullen’s oil paintings exude compassion and are wonderful examples of mood-conveying art. A list of Nobel Peace Prize recipients is appended to this picture-book biography.
As elementary students begin to seek activities in which they can participate, they'll be inspired by Janet Wilson’s, One Peace: True Stories of Young Activists (Orca, 2008; Gr 4-8). Wilson profiles children ages 8 to 15, past and present, who have become symbols of peace. Stories about Sadako Sasaki, Zlata Filipovic, and others, alternate with facts, poems, artwork, Web sites, and current information on organizations needing help. Ivan Suvanjieff and Dawn Gifford Engle's PeaceJam: A Billion Simple Acts of Peace (Puffin, 2008; Gr 5 Up), ratchets the call to action up a notch, with multimedia options for young adults. An accompanying DVD and designated Web site allow individuals and groups to plan and carry out small- and large-scale projects to end poverty, restore the environment, promote human rights, and more.
Lest teens forget the forefathers (and mothers!) of nonviolent change, Anne Sibley O’Brien and Perry Edmond O’Brien’s After Gandhi: One Hundred Years of Nonviolent Resistance (Charlesbridge, 2009; Gr 6-10), reminds middle and secondary school readers about the struggles of the student activists of Tiananmen Square, Desmond Tutu, Cesar Chavez, and other groups and individuals. Charcoal portraits and large color-blocked pull quotes add power and immediacy to the profiles and stories of protests across the globe.
The above books represent some of the latest offerings that address peaceful activism and nonviolent change. Supplement these inspirational and proactive titles with those featured in Joy Fleishhacker's “Paths to Peace: Building an Understanding with Books." If, after reading these titles, your pupils aren't convinced that "One Person Can Make a Difference," share some of the books recommended by Wendy Lukehart in her article of that title.
The opposite side of peace is, of course, war. Teachers approaching the subject of peace through the experience of war, on the frontline and homefront, can find a reading list of recent young adult fiction and nonfiction titles in Joyce Adams Burner's “A Personal War.”
