PeaceJam: A Billion Simple Acts of Peace

by Ivan Suvanjieff, Dawn Gifford Engle

The Dalai Lama, the Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Costa Rican president Oscar Arias and political rights activist Aung San Suu Kyi are just some of the Nobel Peace Laureates who have joined the PeaceJam Foundation in their Global Call to Action. This book profiles all of these laureates and their work with teens around the world as they combine forces to help stop the spread of disease, promote women?s rights, provide equitable access to food and water, and more. Combining profiles of the laureates? including personal bios?heartwarming tales of the youth and their projects, and tips on how readers can get involved, this is a comprehensive guide to the PeaceJam Foundation. Both humbling and inspiring, A Billion Simple Acts of Peace is sure to excite anyone who picks it up to think about simple ways to help make our world a better place.

Genres: Middle Grade

208 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2008

Reviews

[Ariel]

I love the concept and design of the this book, and had been so excited about it since it came out maybe a year back. I've hand sold it several times. I finally bought a copy and read it through (with a little skimming here and there), and I have to say I was disappointed in it.
The writing was not all that strong. I don't really blame the writers- they are the founders of this incredible program, not writers. I think it should have been the editor's job to shape the text so that it was clear and effective, which it often wasn't. I also found a typo.
The authors were constantly using the second person. I understand that they were trying to bring the narrative to life, but it felt like sloppy nonfiction. They would start each chapter by setting the scene and would try to place the reader in their shoes by saying things like "when you get off the plane"(65). But then they would also lapse into the second person in places that were completely inappropriate. For example, when the Nobel Prize winner is talking to the teen at the end of the fourth chapter, they pretend as if the Nobel Prize winner is talking to the reader by saying "he tells you"(75).
There are no captions underneath the images!!! I love that the book is visually inviting and accessible, and I love the photography, but I was often left wondering what I was looking at. For two pages I wondered why there was an image of the Dublin Castle in a chapter that took place in Iran and South Africa before I found my answer. But what I missed most was knowing which people were connected with which names in the narrative.
The second and third chapters of the book featured stories in which the PeaceJam teenager or teenagers didn't act in an exemplary manner. So they were complicated stories, and complicated is okay, but I thought those stories needed more discussion than they got.
I still haven't watched the DVD, so I'm curious about that.
Again, great concept and design. I think it could be inspiring and educational for many teens. But it was not at all as good as it could have been.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This colourful book introduces those nobel laureates that contribute to the Peace Jam program, highlighting their work and encouraging young people to take action to change the world. This book is really encouraging because it illustrates how small acts can make a big difference.

[holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read book of total inspiration for this world. Young people changing the world hand in hand with Nobel Peace Prize winners.

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the stories of the makers of peace from the grassroots level.