7 true (or true-ish) stories about people who chose to act peacefully

The picture book version of Sadako, illustrated by Ed Young, is particularly beautiful and touching. It's the story of Sadako, a young girl who was a baby living in Hiroshima at the time of the atomic bomb. 

She's diagnosed with leukemia as a result of the radiation and the tenderness in the way Sadako, her family and her community react makes this a story that changes lives for the better.  Ages child to adult.

This is the story now known as The Christmas Truce: the remarkable Christmas when soldiers across the trenches in World War 1 stopped fighting and started singing carols together, and eventually playing soccer together. 

An especially lovely way to spend Christmas Eve with older children. The very best part is this: the soldiers had to be transferred before the war could begin again since they refused to fight each other. Ages pre-teen to adult.

Devastatingly large scale tragedy can be overwhelming, but sometimes simply doing what we can because we know that real people are suffering can provide remarkable solace. 

This is the story of a small African village that decides to send the best support they can to the suffering people in America following the September 11 terrorist attacks. They send 14 cows, an incredibly generous gift financially but also a symbol of solidarity and an indication of their capacity to see the real people behind the numbers. Ages child to adult.

As the author notes, this is a ‘what if’ story.  It seems that the story itself is a legend – but what if it were true?

What if we stood in solidarity instead of division when injustice occurs?
What if the powerful cared for the disenfranchised?
What if we took risks for another’s safety?  

Ages child to adult. (Names: Christian)
 

Fiction inspired by the life of Zhu Xiao-Mei, renowned pianist, this is a wonderful reminder of the potentially life saving power of beauty—in this case the beauty of music.

It's quite intense, set during the Cultural Revolution in China, and there are anxious moments that alert us to the amazing capacity that some people find to continue seeking for good.

A humbling story. Ages pre-teen to adult.

These are also wonderful and of the same ilk . . .

The Librarian of Basra by Jeanette Winter - see the full review here.

Peaceful Heroes by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Sean Addy - see the full review here.