Peace & Equality Book Collection

Peace & Equality Book Collection

10 Teams. 4 Weeks. 2 Words.

1 Incredible book collection.

The Peace & Equality Book Collection brought together diverse writers and illustrators from the United States to create 10 books in just four weeks. The books, aimed at children ages 3-8, explore themes related to creating a more peaceful and just world, with the goal of recognizing the work we must continue to do as a society to create social, political, economic, and cultural systems grounded in peace and equality.

Moving forward, Room to Read will continue to encourage innovative models of publishing and to support diversity in creative talent, to challenge established models of creation, distribution, and representation.

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Peace & Equality Book Collection:

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Across the City

Two children stuck in quarantine because of the COVID-19 pandemic struggle with distance learning. A pen pal assignment leads them to write a story together by sending each other letters and drawings through physical mail, ultimately using their imaginations to transcend their situations.

Author: Jessica Martinez

Illustrator: Emily Rosenthal

Editor: Kate Jacobs

Art Director: Elizabeth Gómez

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Building Peace

How do we build peace? Letter by letter! See how four young activists find ways to stand up for others and for the planet—and how we can, too.

Author: Regina Santiago

Illustrator: Haiwa Wu

Editor: Carol Burrell

Art Director: Bárbara Astrini

 

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My Elastical Fantastical Bubble

Hong-Yee loves her bubble. Most of the time she likes to be in her bubble with just her. But what will happen if she changes her bubble? Will it pop? Can she still be herself?

Author: Krystal Song

Illustrator: Katherine Ahmed

Editor: Archaa Shrivastav

Art Director: Elizabeth Gómez

 

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Stand Up and Be Counted

Young Nia learns a lesson from her Aunt Geneva about the importance of the U.S. Census. She is reminded of the importance of the values of her community. Her aunt teaches her that being counted is a key way to make the community values of justice, freedom, and equality come alive.

Author: Dr. Artika Tyner

Illustrator: Kris Duran

Editor: Amy Maranville

Art Director: Kristine Brogno

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The Golden Acorn Tree

Follow a friendly squirrel as she explores a charming forest and gathers acorns for her neighbors. Young children will delight in this sweet tale of friends with tails and how they help, and accept, every animal in their forest community.

Author: Jocelyn Argueta

Illustrator: Peili Huang

Editor: Sally Little

Art Director: Semadar Megged

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The Invitation

Izzy is eccentric and stands out from her classmates. Kofi is new to school and wants to fit in. When he gets an invitation to Izzy’s party, he’s not so sure he should go.

Author: Jennifer Phillips

Illustrator: Ruthie Lafond

Editor: Erum Khan

Art Director: Indya McGuffin

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The Scoop on Inventors

Dré is sad that he didn’t learn about any African American inventors during a lesson on inventions at school. But when he and Daddy prepare for Mommy’s birthday party, Daddy shows him all the helpful, everyday items African Americans invented.

Author: Mon Trice

Illustrator: Samantha Jo

Editor: Catherine Karp

Art Director: Semadar Megged

 

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Two Homes in Omar's Heart

Omar, an immigrant Palestinian child who grew up in Jericho and just arrived in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, U.S., makes his first wonderful friendship, and discovers that he does not have to lose a home to have a new home.

Author: Ibtisam Barakat

Illustrator: Melquea Smith

Editor: Stephanie Seales

Art Director: Kristine Brogno

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What Is Peace?

Explore the concept of peace through lyrical text and warm, whimsical illustrations. Readers are invited to look at peace from various perspectives, to consider the different facets of peace, and to reflect on what peace means to them.

Author: John Lasack

Illustrator: Kat Yao

Editor: Danielle Sunshine

Art Director: Christy Hale

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Yă’s Backyard Jungle

Yă’s Backyard Jungle is a story about a young second-generation Montagnard-American girl who lives with her younger sister, her hard-working parents, and her grandparents who take care of her and her sister while her parents work. When their grandparents suddenly move into a house of their own, the girls have to adjust to a life without seeing them every day.

Author: H'Abigail Mlo

Illustrator: Jesse White

Editor: Natasha Yglesias

Art Director: Kate Apostolou

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Literacy Cloud

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The Peace & Equality Book Collection is Room to Read’s first endeavor in developing children’s books within the United States. Our learnings and successes through this project have sparked an exploration of independent publishing in the U.S. as we aim to deliver physical copies of these books to young readers in communities who need them most.

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