2022 Great Reads from Great Places Wisconsin Selections
With the inclusion of both youth and adult selections, the Wisconsin Center for the Book is delighted to announce the following titles chosen to represent Wisconsin for the 2022 Great Reads from Great Places at the National Book Festival. Hear the Great Reads from Great Places authors discuss their work in the 2022 Author Videos.
“A picture book inviting young readers and listeners to consider the concept of “peace” features a rhyming narrative with statements as welcome as they are sometimes surprising (e.g, “Peace is pronouncing your friend’s name correctly … Peace comes from giving far more than you take. / It’s something we work toward, it’s something we make”). The idea that peace is created by intention gives agency to the book’s audience, providing concrete examples of actions that can matter, whether seemingly simple (a smile, a hug, an apology) or the consideration of big ideas (what is a courageous act, what does it mean to choose peace?), in examples that range from the concrete to metaphorical. In a note, the authors talk about the impact of global conflict on animals in addition to humans, explaining that the animals featured along with children in the lush, cozy, comforting illustrations include those that are cultural symbols of peace from countries around the world.”
©2021 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
©2021 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
From the Authors
“Our book, Peace, is the result of intersectionality in our lives, so we’re glad to see it releasing in three languages (English, Spanish, German). We both grew up hearing the word “peace” in songs, stories, or sayings from our elders. During our childhoods, we each enjoyed moments of great peace, but we also endured the breakdown or shattering of that peace. As we grew up, we both navigated toward being initiators, implementing small and big ideas to solve a problem, restore relationships, or work for justice. Our hope is that this book offers children a comforting road map when they feel unsettled. Peace is not a concept too big or complex for young minds to think about. We encourage readers to look for signs of peace in any setting. Peace can be a choice. Small acts can bring a sense of calm, and lead us toward a better world. We recognize that the conversations sparked by our book will be different in every household. Readers will bring their own experience to our gentle treatise of this philosophical subject. Estelí Meza’s soothing art encourages imagination, too. Her images create a dream-like harmony with animals and our planet. And while Peace appears incredibly simple on a first read, we encourage repeat views to discover how the art and the text beg for reflection and how thoughts can grow and evolve, sparking action.” |
Teacher Resources
Complete PEACE Teacher Guide – this multi-page kit includes close reading questions, vocabulary, activities, and discussion guides that accompany the book PEACE by Miranda Paul and Baptiste Paul. Also includes a treaty-writing lesson. Geared for students in grades K-4. Link to guide: Peace Coloring Page PEACE coloring page – from illustrator Estelí Meza, a black and white outline of the “Peace” gatefold offers a coloring page activity to soothe and calm listeners little and big. The Peace Tree The Peace Tree – this graphic, from the endpapers of Peace, features leaves that hold the words for Peace as translated in dozens of languages around the world. Art by Estelí Meza. Book Trailers Multi-language book trailers – View the book trailer videos for PAZ (Spanish), PEACE (English) and FRIEDEN (German) to hear snippets of the book in three languages. |
"As a five-year-old boy, Pao Lor joined thousands of Hmong who fled for their lives through the jungles of Laos in the aftermath of war. After a difficult and perilous journey that neither of his parents survived, he reached the safety of Thailand, but the young refugee boy’s challenges were only just beginning. Born in a small farming village, Pao was destined to be a Hmong clan leader, wedding negotiator, or shaman. But the
course of his life changed dramatically in the 1970s, when the Hmong faced persecution for their role in helping US forces fighting communism in the region.
After more than two years in Thai refugee camps, Pao and his surviving family members boarded the belly of an “iron eagle” bound for the United States, where he pictured a new life of comfort and happiness. Instead, Pao found himself navigating a frightening and unfamiliar world, adjusting to a string of new schools and living situations while struggling to fulfill the hopes his parents had once held for his future. Now in Modern Jungles, Pao Lor shares his inspiring coming-of-age tale about perseverance, grit, and hope."
-Wisconsin Historical Society Press
course of his life changed dramatically in the 1970s, when the Hmong faced persecution for their role in helping US forces fighting communism in the region.
After more than two years in Thai refugee camps, Pao and his surviving family members boarded the belly of an “iron eagle” bound for the United States, where he pictured a new life of comfort and happiness. Instead, Pao found himself navigating a frightening and unfamiliar world, adjusting to a string of new schools and living situations while struggling to fulfill the hopes his parents had once held for his future. Now in Modern Jungles, Pao Lor shares his inspiring coming-of-age tale about perseverance, grit, and hope."
-Wisconsin Historical Society Press
About the Author
Pao Lor joined thousands of Hmong who fled for their lives through the jungles of Laos in the aftermath of war as a five-year-old boy. After more than two years in Thai refugee camps, Pao and his surviving family members journeyed to the United States, eventually settling in Green Bay. His memoir Modern Jungles: A Hmong Refugee's Childhood Story of Survival recounts the challenges he faced navigating a frightening and unfamiliar new world while struggling to fulfill the hopes his parents had once held for his future. Today, Pao Lor holds the Patricia Wood Baer Professorship in Education at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay, where he also chairs the Professional Program in Education. |
Education Materials
Education materials for use with the book Modern Jungles | Wisconsin Historical Society Watch Join Pao Lor as he shares part of his own story, told in his Wisconsin Historical Society Press memoir "Modern Jungles: A Hmong Refugee's Childhood Story of Survival", which recounts his journey as a five-year-old orphan fleeing war-torn Laos, surviving in refugee camps, and making his way to resettlement in Wisconsin. Watch here. |
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