The villagers’ plan to create a splendid garden for their emperor gets bogged down in jealous arguments, happily resolved when the emperor himself comes to visit.
Conflict
My Childhood Under Fire: A Sarajevo Diary
Offers the story of one young girl who grew into a young woman during the siege of Sarajevo by surviving the constant bombings, sniper attacks, and a critical lack of basic supplies for three long years.
See the review at WOW Review, Volume 3, Issue 2
Where the Streets Had a Name
Thirteen year old Hayaat is on a mission. She believes a handful of soil from her grandmother’s ancestral home in Jerusalem will save her beloved Sitti Zeynab’s life. The only problem is that Hayaat and her family live behind the impenetrable wall that divides the West Bank, and they’re on the wrong side of check points, curfews, and the travel permit system. Plus, Hayaat’s best friend Samy always manages to attract trouble. But luck is on the pair’s side as they undertake the journey to Jerusalem from the Palestinian Territories when Hayaat and Samy have a curfew-free day to travel. But while their journey may only be a few kilometers long, it could take a lifetime to complete. Deals with the Israel-Palestinian conflict with sensitivity and grace.
Paradise Red
Master storyteller K. M. Grant brings the dramatic saga of young love and religious conflict to a satisfying end in the final book of the Perfect Fire trilogy. As winter falls upon the Occitan, Raimon must find a way to recover the Blue Flame from the hands of the evil White Wolf. But his plan could lead him back to the pyre—and he might not be so lucky to escape from it again. Meanwhile, Yolanda—unwillingly married to Sir Hugh des Arcis—is threatened by her husband’s desire for a son. As Sir Hugh sets off on a mission to claim the Occitain for France, she makes her own journey through the blizzard to find Raimon, a journey that could end in disaster. As the flames rise one last time, Raimon and Yolanda’s fates, like the fates of the Flame and the Occitan itself, hang by a smoky thread.
Walking to School
When the path to eight-year-old Allison’s Catholic school goes through hostile Protestant territory in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Allison finds she is not alone in her loathing of the situation.
This book has been included in WOW’s Kids Taking Action Booklist. For our current list, visit our Boolist page under Resources in the green navigation bar.
A Distant Enemy
Joseph just wants to continue the traditions of the Yup’ik people. So when outside officials restrict fishing in his Alaskan village, he commits an anonymous act of vandalism in protest. But his new teacher finds out his secret. To make things worse, Joseph’s father, who left years ago, wants to see him again. Joseph isn’t sure who he can trust, but if he doesn’t trust someone, he’s headed for disaster. “Vanasse creates a vivid portrait of modern Eskimo lifestyles, conflicts and fears while rendering a sensitive account of one teenager’s coming of age.” — Publishers Weekly
Colombia
“Discusses Colombia, its history, conflicts, and the reasons why it is currently in the news”–Provided by publisher.
Out Of War: True Stories From The Front Lines Of The Children’s Movement For Peace In Colombia
Through nine intimate first-person narratives, Out of War tells the story of the Children’s Movement for Peace, a network of organizations struggling against the forty-year civil war in Colombia. Readers will meet young people like Juan Elias, who decided he could best avenge his father’s murder by fighting to end the war; Maritza, who found refuge in the peace movement after her family and friends abandoned her in the communas of Medellin; and Beto, who works for the peace he never had in his abusive home. The voices of these children are raw and real, and their stories are nothing short of inspirational. In 1996, the Children’s Movement for Peace helped organize the Children’s Mandate, a referendum on children’s rights in Colombia. Two million children turned out to vote for their right to peace, sending the Colombian government a powerful message about its inability to control the violence within its borders. Since then, the Movement has worked to help children cope with loss, displacement, poverty, and other effects of the war. It has also taught children how to resolve conflict without fighting. The movement’s work is impressive, yet Out of War is really about the individual children who lead the group. Through them, readers will learn not only about the tenuous life of children in Colombia, but about what it means to give back to your community and face adversity with true courage and hope.
Sisters / Hermanas
Compares the lives of two fourteen-year-olds–an illegal immigrant who sells herself on the streets and a suburban princess obsessed with becoming head cheerleader–both trapped in worlds where beauty and youth are pricey commodities.
Smoky Night
When the Los Angeles riots break out in the streets of their neighborhood, a young boy and his mother learn the values of getting along with others no matter what their background or nationality.