Let There Be Peace on Earth: And Let It Begin with Me by Jill Jackson and Sy Miller
Tricycle Press - September 2009
All ages
Cautions: None

Kiwi Magazine Review:
It’s hard to believe that this lovely song about peace all started at a high school retreat in 1955 and has since spread throughout the world as an anthem for peace, love and understanding. Brilliantly and beautifully illustrated, this is a perfect introduction to the concept of peace for young children or a reminder to ourselves how important peace is. This book comes with a 12-song CD with the title’s classic song.

Description:
Sy Miller and Jill Jackson were a husband and wife songwriting team. In 1955 they wrote a song about their dream of peace for the world and how they believed each one of us could help create it.

They first introduced the song to a group of teenagers selected from their high schools to attend a weeklong retreat in California. The young people were purposefully from different religious, racial, cultural and economic backgrounds, brought together to experiment with creating understanding and friendship through education, discussion groups, and living and working together in a camp situation. Sy Miller wrote in his own words what happened:

“One summer evening in 1955, a group of 180 teenagers of all races and religions, meeting at a workshop high in the California mountains locked arms, formed a circle and sang a song of peace. They felt that singing the song, with its simple basic sentiment - ‘Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me,’ helped to create a climate for world peace and understanding.

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Comment contest!  Enter a comment in this post and you can win this title.  Enter no later than July 4.  Posting a comment means you read all of our contest guidelines on Kiwi’s contest page.

Watch Me Grow! By Lauryn Silverhardt
Blue Plants a Seed / Little Green Nickelodeon (Part of Blue’s Clues)
Illustrated by: Karen Craig
Simon Spotlight/Nickelodeon, January 2009
Ages 3-6
Cautions: None

Kiwi Magazine Review:
Blue goes green! With Miss Marigold and all of her friends, Blue learns that patience pays off when her seed finally sprouts. This book is printed on 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper with soy-ink.

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Comment contest!  Enter a comment in this post and you can win this title.  Enter no later than July 4.  Posting a comment means you read all of our contest guidelines on Kiwi’s contest page.

Save the Tree! Little Green Nickelodeon (Part of Wonder Pets!)
Adapted by: Kermit Frazier / Illustrated by: Little Airplane Productions and Amy Marie Stadelmann
Simon Spotlight/Nickelodeon, January 2009
Ages 3-6
Cautions: None

Kiwi Magazine Review:
Those three Wonder Pets do wonders for all of the animals in the world, so they’re turning their attention to saving a poor little tree. A great message for the wee ones about everyone-der pet being able to make a differnce, even if it’s in a small way. Printed on 100% recycled paper with soy-ink!

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Comment contest!  Enter a comment in this post and you can win this title.  Enter no later than July 4.  Posting a comment means you read all of our contest guidelines on Kiwi’s contest page

SpongeBob Goes Green!
An Earth-Friendly Adventure / Little Green Nickelodeon (Part of SpongeBob SquarePants)
By Molly Reisner
Illustrated by: Stephen Reed
Ages 4-8
Cautions: None

Kiwi Magazine Review:
What’s not to love about that yellow sponge, especially when he turns green? Leave it to SpongeBob Squarepants to save the day and save the earth with some carbon-sparing ideas for Bikini Bottom. And, the best part of all? This book is all about being green and is printed on 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper with soy ink. The paper is FSC certified. FSC certified paper is paper that’s certified by the Forest Stewardship Council

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Stick It!: 99 DIY Duct Tape Projects (Spiral-bound) by T.L. Bonaddio
Running Press Kids- June 9, 2009
Ages: 12+
Cautions: Very addictive

Kiwi Magazine Review:
Now that duct (or duck) tape comes in so many cool colors, you can explore the plethora of crafts, accessories and accents you can make with this sticky fun on a roll. The ideas in the book are definitely unique and will have all of the other kids experiencing creation emulation. Great gift book!

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I So Don’t Do Spooky by Barrie Summy
Ages: Young Adult
Cautions: Ghosts and stepmothers
Delacorte Books for Young Readers - December 8, 2009

Kiwi Magazine Review:
Sherry has a typical family life — father is a workaholic, stepmother is an overly health-conscious middle school math teacher and mom is a ghost. Oh, and so is grandfather. Meeting in the back room of the Dairy Queen, which is a ghost portal, she becomes part of a team to solve a mystery of who is trying to harm her stepmom. Although the book seems like it is trying too hard to cram many concepts and twists into the book, Sherry is entertaining and humorous, all while dealing with stalkers, ghosts and a boyfriend stealing 8th grader.

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Amiri And Odette - A Love Story by Walter Dean Myers
Javaka Steptoe
Scholastic - 2009
Age: Young adult (12+)
Cautions: Gang violence

Kiwi Magazine Review:
A modern-day Swan Lake set in the mean streets brings a new perspective and breathes new life into this classic love story. Amiri and Odette find love but find it hard to sustain when the world around them is so cold and frightening. The text twists, turns and soars while conveying today’s take on Swan Lake.

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Tsunami! by Kimiko Kajikawa
Ed Young (Illustrator)
Philomel - February 5, 2009
Ages 4-8
Cautions: Scary parts; tsunami wipes out the village

Kiwi Magazine Review:
By the title alone, you know where this story is going but you’ve never heard a story of a tsunami told in quite this way before. The author’s tale of a rich man who lives high above the village sacrificing his rice farm to save the villagers is beautifully told and deeply meaningful. And Ed Young captures the tone and tempo of the book perfectly with his stormy illustrations created in a mixed media collage.  It’s a wonderful combination of words and image to teach young children about the power of nature and empowering oneself to help others in a time of need.

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Hook by Ed Young
Roaring Brook Press - April 28, 2009
Ages 2-6
Cautions: None

Kiwi Magazine Review:
Ed Young’s rich illustrations make this book more of a work of art than a child’s picture book. The text does not disappoint, either. The story of the eagle egg which a young boy finds and places with the chicken is a wonderful metaphor for children — you have all of the skills and power within yourself to achieve your goals.

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The Forever Dog by Bill Cochran
Dan Andreasen - Illustrator
Ages 4-8
Cautions: The dog dies
HarperCollins - April 3, 2007

Kiwi Magazine Review:
Dealing with the death of a pet is never easy, especially for children. This book puts a loving touch on the subject matter so a child can accept the inevitable and find a way to keep their beloved pet in their hearts forever. A difficult subject is handled very deftly.

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