I’m reading the last book of the Divergent trilogy, in which we learn about the war that is hinted at earlier, and how factions came to be. And in the news, Russia’s activities in the Ukraine are reminiscent of how more than one conflict in history began. With all this in the ether, seems like a good time to have a book that helps middle grade children and tweens understand conflict and war, and helps us explain it to them.
Why Do We Fight?, by Niki Walker
OwlKids, ISBN: 978 1 92697 386 9
This non-fiction book about “conflict, war, and peace” (according to the subtitle) addresses its topic thoroughly, without getting graphic or going into specific examples. instead, it talks more generally about why conflicts occur, how two sides of an argument get divided, and how conflict can escalate to war – or how it can be resolved. Chapters on peace and making sense of conflict round out the book, and a conclusion encourages kids to do their own thinking on the topic, as well. Quotations, sidebar information, definitions, and occasion use of graphics help enliven the topic and give reader a bit more depth.
This is a great approach to the topic, keeping it general so that it is accessible to all and not clouded by history’s conflicts being rehashed and putting any group on the defensive. The bold book design helps keep it visually stimulating, and the information is broken up expertly into manageable chunks – OwlKids knows their way around creating readable non-fiction for kids, and they succeed well here, even for a topic that could be heavy. Instead, the effect is hopeful, thoughtful, and balanced, a perfect way to get kids thinking and talking about something that can be applied to both small scale conflict (classroom troubles) or larger scale global issues equally. A great one for anyone wanting to explore conflict and peace with children.
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