Why Do We Fight?: Conflict, War, and Peace

by Niki Walker

Overview

Battles, protests, standoffs, strikes. We hear about them all the time. On the surface, a battle and a protest don‘t seem to have much in common, but they‘re really just two ways of handling a dispute. Both are conflicts.

Using real-world examples, Why Do We Fight? teaches kids to recognize the structures, factors, and complex histories that go into creating conflicts, whether personal or global—as well as the similarities between both. From culture clashes and trade disputes to disagreements about how to govern, Why Do We Fight? insists that the key to peace lies in how we choose to deal with conflict. It provides tools to help readers seek out information, make informed opinions, and learn to respect that others may think differently.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781771473545
Publisher:	OWLKIDS BOOKS
Publication date:	03/15/2019
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	80
Product dimensions:	9.25(w) x 7.25(h) x (d)
Lexile:	990L (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

NIKI WALKER is curious about what’s happening in the world and why, so writing and editing children’s non-fiction books isn’t just her profession; it’s her passion. She’s authored over 20 titles and edited more than 100, including Moto and Me and Off to Class. Niki has contributed to projects for Owlkids, CBC, Oxford UniversityPress, McGraw-Hill Ryerson, and more. She lives in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.

Table of Contents

Introduction: What Is Conflict? 7

Chapter 1 Why Do Conflicts Come Up? 11

Every conflict has a beginning-these are the factors that get things started.

Chapter 2 Dividing Lines 23

There are at least two sides in every disagreement. Here are the ways they get split.

Chapter 3 Cooperation or Combat? 39

To fight or not to fight? How and why conflicts can become wars.

Chapter 4 Making Peace 57

Building and keeping the peace…it's a full-time job.

Chapter 5 Making Sense of Conflicts 65

The best answers are rarely the easiest ones. But they're out there to be found!

Conclusion: What Do You Think? 74

Sources 76

Index 78

Acknowledgments and Note from the Author 80

Editorial Reviews

Conflicts, “whether they involve two people or two million,” are the focus of Walker’s exemplary study of the reasons disagreements arise and how they can be addressed. Using real-world examples, such as the 1979 peace deal between Egypt and Israel or the history of Afghanistan over multiple centuries, Walker offers clear, concise explanations of power and resource inequities, cultural divisions, the global role of the United Nations, bias, prejudice, and more. Simple black and yellow graphics help visualize key concepts (a trio of Pac-Man–like circles demonstrate the difference between mediation and arbitration, for example) as Walker gives readers the tools to understand and analyze the kinds of clashes, wars, and disagreements that they regularly hear about in the news. Ages 10–14. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

"So how can we even start to understand global conflicts and how they get resolved? By breaking them down into their basic parts."
— from the book


IRA Notable Book for a Global Society, 2014
A Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Book of 2013 (ages 9-12)
Shortlisted for the ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Award, Juvenile Non-fiction category, 2013
One of New York Public Library's 10 Nonfiction Titles You May Have Missed: Fall 2013 (YA)

"[An] exemplary study of the reasons disagreements arise and how they can be addressed."
Publishers Weekly, starred review, July 15, 2013

"Walker offers clear, concise explanations of power and resource inequities, cultural divisions, the global role of the United Nations, bias, prejudice, and more...[she] gives readers the tools to understand anda analyze the kinds of clashes, wars, and disagreements that they regularly hear about in the news."
Publishers Weekly, September 1, 2013

"...provides a much needs social studies gap filler... [while] encouraging the reader to think independently; it isn't what you think, but HOW you think. The writing is clear and appropriate for the audience; in one section, she uses the analogy of high school to explain the social, economic, and political interaction of countries."
Ingram Content, September 1, 2013

"Walker does an excellent job of breaking down the basics of conflict...[this] will have a longer shelf life than other informational texts as it won't go out of date quickly. Teachers could build seminars and lessons around each chapters, and interested students will find much to think about."
School Library Journal, September 1, 2013

"...an important source for children expressing an early interest in politics and social justice."
Foreword Reviews, September 1, 2013

"An engaging and accessible overview to peace and conflict studies. ... It would be a welcome addition to school libraries, middle school classrooms, and home collections."
– International Journal on World Peace, September 2014

"Recently, we here at Annie Wright Schools discovered Niki Walker's fantastic Why Do We Fight?. Our fifth grade teachers were so impressed by the selection that they immediately ordered 20 copies to serve as class texts for their unit on Peace and Conflict. Since we use the Primary Years Program through International Baccalaureate, we love any text that starts with concepts and then encourages students to search out real-world instances of those conflicts through research and observation. Why Do We Fight? is perfect for this."
– Joe Romano, Library Media Specialist, Annie Wright Schools, Tacoma, WA

From the Publisher

09/01/2013
Gr 5–9—Walker does an excellent job of breaking down the basics of conflict. The book is clearly organized, with easily identifiable sections and chapters defining conflict and explaining it around ethnic, religious, and resource lines. Maps in black and yellow highlight areas under discussion. Graphic organizers fit nicely with Common Core State Standards organizational structures. While using age-appropriate vocabulary and concrete examples, Walker never talks down to her audience. Instead, she simplifies conflict so that students can understand the basics, like the time line of events in Afghanistan and the concept of genocide, and leaves room for a development of knowledge as students mature. The examples of conflicts in the Middle East are timely. Why Do We Fight? has a longer shelf life than other informational texts as it won't go out of date quickly. Teachers could build seminars and lessons around each chapter, and interested students will find much to think about.—Sarah Knutson, American Canyon Middle School, CA

School Library Journal

2013-09-01
A penetrating look into the roots of global conflict, the many ways it can begin and possible resolutions. Attempting to answer the question "Why do we fight?" is ambitious from the start. Following a natural arc by explaining different types of conflict and then contemplating ways conflict can escalate, Walker touches on topics that could each have their own book. However, she keeps the pace lively and the flow of information smooth. Preteen readers may anticipate finding solutions to conflicts in their everyday life, but instead, the focus is on global issues: fighting over natural resources, culture clashes, religious beliefs, etc. Underlying parallels to personal practice can certainly be drawn, but it is not the ultimate purpose of this work. Designed in a visual, infographic style with bold headlines and a sharp yellow, black and white color scheme, the sunny layout provides structure and bounce to a dense topic. In a concluding chapter entitled "What do YOU think?" Walker encourages readers to use their newfound knowledge and tolerance to become global activists. A laudable goal, but directions to getting involved with organizations such as UNICEF's Voices of Youth or Amnesty International would have been appreciated. As an overview of global conflict, it's concise and accessible--remarkably so--but as a call to individual action, it's less successful. (sources, index, author's note) (Nonfiction. 11-14)

Kirkus Reviews