Playing War Kathy Beckwith (Author), Lea Lyon (Illustrator) One hot summer day Luke and his friends decide to play their favorite game of war, using sticks for guns and pine cones for bombs and grenades. Sameer, who hasn't lived in their neighborhood for very long, hesitates to join in. When he tells his peers that he has been in a real war, they don't believe him. Then, as Sameer explains what happened to his family, the other children start to see their game in a new light. [Grade Level: 2 - 5]
2.
Say Something Lea Lyon (Illustrator), Peggy Moss (Author) A young narrator describes different examples of bullying that she witnesses at school and on the bus, but remains silent. One day, when her friends are absent, she must sit alone in the cafeteria, and several students make jokes at her expense. In addition to feeling angry about being treated this way, the girl is frustrated with the other kids who look on sympathetically but say nothing. She is then able to empathize with other victims. The next day, she approaches a quiet girl who is often teased and finds a new friend. [Grade Level: K - 3]
