Playing War [Hardcover]

Kathy Beckwith (Author), Lea Lyon (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

"In these times, when violence and war are constantly in the news, children need our help sorting out the fantasy of war play from the painful realities of

war. By bringing up the impact of war on one child, who gets upset when his friends engage in war play, and showing us his friends’ caring responses,

Playing War does what no other children’s book before it has done. It provides the forum adults and children need to feel safe talking about the real

human impact of war." --Diane Levin, Ph.D., Professor of Education and author of Teaching Young Children in Violent Times and The War Play

Dilemma 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 Luke and Jen and Jeff and Danny that he has

been in a real war, they don’t believe him.

"No way! You haven’t told us anything about that! A real war? Did they let kids be soldiers? Did you have an M-16?"

Then, as Sameer explains what happened to his family, the other children start to see their game in a new light.

While Playing War is a book about understanding what war can be like for families, and that it’s not a game, it’s also a sensitive story about the power

of friendship and how children can learn from one another.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-5–It's too hot for basketball, so Luke and his friends decide to play war. As the sides separate to prepare for battle, newcomer Sameer is reluctant to play and leaves the game. The following day, he explains that he was in a real war before he moved to the United States. His house was blown up and his family was killed. The children, saddened by his story, go back to basketball. Beckwith's mission–to show children that war is bad and hurts people–overpowers the story. The strength here is Lyon's watercolor illustrations in summer greens, golden yellows, and coppery browns that evoke the heat of warm days spent with friends. A supplemental purchase.–Rebecca Sheridan, Easttown Library & Information Center, Berwyn, PA
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Review

"... good conversation starter for parents who want to talk about war and violence with their children." -- New Pages Children and Young Adult Book Reviews, May 20, 2006

"... handled gently ... with sensitivity...in these times childhood is not too early... learn about the impact of war..." -- Bangor Daily News, December 12, 2005

"...Here's a timely look at war in a thoughtful format accessible to youngsters." -- Yellow Brick Road Newsletter, September/October 2005

"...excellent book ...start a discussion...about the Peace Testimony...illustrations are lovely and support the story beautifully." -- Friends Journal, July 2006

"...thoughtful and sensitive...show children that war is not a game...considerate understanding can build strong friendships." -- Central Maine Newspapers, May 14, 2006

"2006 Skipping Stones Honor Award" -- Skipping Stones Multicultural Magazine, April 22, 2006

"With new awareness, friendship and kindness will prevail. Beautifully done." -- Maine Sunday Telegram, February 26, 2006

Children's "Pick of the List" title -- New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association, Oct. 2005

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Tilbury House Publishers (July 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0884482677
• ISBN-13: 978-0884482673
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 9.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,560,051 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Handles subject sensitively, November 16, 2011

By 

Kathleen M Shissler - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Playing War (Hardcover)

I bought this book for my son as he is reaching the age when kids start playing these kinds of games (we are Quaker and pacifist). It handles the subject very directly, but sensitively. He asked me to purchase a copy for his school library.

5.0 out of 5 stars Helps Children Talk about Peace and War, December 5, 2009

By 

Jyotsna Sreenivasan "Gender Equality Bookstore" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Playing War (Hardcover)

A group of five children (four boys and a girl) decide, one summer day, to play "war" with pine cones for bombs, and sticks for guns. One boy, who has recently come to the United States from another (unnamed) country, starts to play but decides to go home when his friend Luke declares, "I'm going to blow their heads off."

The next day, Luke suggests playing war again, and wishes he could be in a real war. Sameer reveals that, in his home country, he lived in the middle of a war, during which a bomb destroyed his house and killed his parents and brother. The friends are shocked at Sameer's story of the tragedy of war. Luke decides that they ought to play basketball instead.

This picture book reveals the horrors of war in a gentle, sympathetic way. It would be a good book to get elementary-school kids talking about issues of war and peace.

I have included this book in my online Gender Equality Bookstore.

4.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Mother Daughter Book Club.com, January 28, 2009

By 

Cynthia Hudson (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Playing War (Hardcover)

When I was young, I often played war in the back yard with my cousins. We made forts out of cardboard and collected hard, pea-sized berries from the Chinaball tree in our yard. Each side pelted the other until our supply of berries ran out. Then we called a truce, collected the ammunition that had fallen between forts, and started again.

I was reminded of my old pastime when I read Playing War, written by Kathy Beckwith and illustrated by Lea Lyon. It's summer and the children in the book are bored with playing basketball, lobbing water balloons and riding bikes. They decide to play war and divide into soldiers and enemies, then collect pinecones and sticks to use for ammunition.

But their game changes when one of the friends, Sameer, talks about the real war that kids find in his homeland, and how it affects their lives. Playing War is a picture book intended for elementary school readers. It exposes young readers to current events in an age-appropriate way, and it provides an entrée to talk about some of the issues going on in many parts of the world where children are enlisted as soldiers, or their families are affected by fighting. Playing War is a good read-aloud book appropriate for younger girls in mother-daughter book clubs.