Hoping for Peace in Sudan

Hoping for Peace in Sudan: Divided by Conflict, Wishing for Peace
by Jim Pipe
Gareth Stevens, 2013. 48 pgs. Nonfiction

This volume in the Peace Pen Pals series provides an excellent overview of the causes of conflict in Sudan, and the eventual division of the country. The story is framed by the exchange of letters between two imaginary girls: a black African girl from the south and an Arab girl from Khartoum in the north. The letters are the weakest device in this text because they are obviously contrived: are both girls writing in Arabic? Manute, the black girl, seems to have had little or no opportunity for education and yet she writes at the same level of literacy as her friend Sittina, who has had every advantage. Manute shuttles from refugee camp to refugee camp, some without even the most basic services, and yet her mail gets reliably through. But still--one comes away from this book with a greater knowledge of the disastrous circumstances that have plagued Sudan for many years, and which seem unlikely to be fully resolved in the forseeable future. Excellent pictures and sidebar information add to the narrative, one likely to help children understand how hard things may be for kids in other lands.

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Painting for Peace in Ferguson

Painting for Peace in Ferguson By Carol Swartout Klein Treehouse Publishing Group, 2015. Nonfiction. When the city of Ferguson was overrun with so much hate and despair that homes and businesses had to be boarded up to protect property, citizens of the community decided to bring a message of hope by painting the boarded windows. Klein’s rhyming text supports the photographs of the hundreds of artists and volunteers and their artwork as they bring the messages of peace, hope, love, and that by being united they can make a difference. A great book to show children how a community rallied to make a positive change and that even a small gesture can make a huge difference. A great discussion opener on how we should treat each other.

Dragon Run

Dragon Run by Patrick Matthews Scholastic, 2013. 336 pgs. Fantasy Al Pilgrommor is excited for Testing Day, when he will receive his rank, a tattooed number on the back of his neck, and a path forward to his future occupation and life. He feels confident because his parents were fours on a scale of seven, but he is worried for his friend Wisp who doesn't have much of a chance of scoring above a two at best. But when Al is scored a zero, he not only has no prospects, he may lose his life as the dreaded Cullers are unleashed to kill him and his family to purify the land's bloodlines. Al's world is ruled by dragons--the lords and supposed creators of humankind--so he thinks that even if he survives, he will have to make his living as a beggar or thief. But when Al sticks up for his Earther friend in front of Magister Ludi, he is drawn into the struggle of a secret organization hoping to destroy the Cullers, and perhaps the dragons them...

Review: Growing Home

Growing Home Written by Beth Ferry Illustrated by The Fan Brothers New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2025. Fiction. 261 pages. This book has some entertaining characters! We get to read about Toasty, the goldfish who loves to eat cheese puffs, Ivy, a plant with magical powers, and Arthur, the spider who ends up with a broken leg. Jillian is the main human character in the book. She loves Toasty and Ivy, and would probably love Arthur, too, but she doesn't know about him....yet. Her parents own an antique shop, but they are facing some economic hardship. This charming story is about magic, teamwork, and friendship. I loved that there were all kinds of shenanigans happening. While we are on a journey where the fish, the plant, the spider, and the girl are working to solve one mystery after another, the author beautifully guides us to the realization that words are powerful, friendships can heal hearts, and books have their own magic power to help in all kinds ...

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