War & Peace

Virginia A. Walter is Professor and Chair, Department of Information Studies, Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, University of California, Los Angeles. She is also the author of a number of books on children's literature and services.

"Almost all adults have a hard time talking with children not only about the facts of life but also about violence, death, racism, and war. They will find much that is helpful in this book, which provides more than 300 one-paragraph summaries and critical analyses of books and examples of new media. Walter produced a truly remarkable book not only for 9-14-year-olds, but also (as a reference work) for adults, teachers, parents, and others who care for children. Part 2 is its core, featuring lists of the results of war, the horrors of war, and peace and alternatives to war, as well as two case studies, the Trojan War and the attacks of 9/11. The introductions to each resource section help conceptualize its contents. They contain mainly works published between 1991 and 2004. Part 3 is basically a collection of resources for adults about children's books and media materials on war and peace. The author draws connections to other forms of racism and persecution, and provides a list of recommended books for middle grades. Walter's book will be extremely useful not only for teachers of grades 4-8 but also for parents, teachers, and libraries. Highly recommended. General readers, upper-division undergraduates through practitioners." - Choice