yeny and the children for peace 

 * A starred selection in the Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s Best Books for Kids and Teens 2009, and recommended by the National Chapter of Canada IODE

Yeny and her friends decide to fight against the violence in Colombia. Their weapon? A vote for peace!

Yeny’s family has escaped from the violence in their mountain village in Colombia to live with cousins in the city. Yeny knows all too well that Colombia is one of the most dangerous countries in the world. Determined to make a change, she and her friends decide to promote peace by organizing carnivals, parades, and parties for kids in the city. Before long, the peace movement has attracted children from right across the country, and when children gather together to celebrate peace, who knows what might happen?

On October 25, 1996 millions of children throughout Colombia held a vote for peace that resulted in one full day with no bombs, shootings or kidnappings. The Colombian Children’s Peace Movement has been nominated every year for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Historical fiction for ages 7 +

Reviews

“Inspired by a children’s peace movement, this book is a must-read for young people everywhere … Yeny and the Children for Peace is highly readable in style, authentic in detail and tough to put down. The fiction-based-on-fact approach, which uses a lively young character to whom preteens will easily relate, is a perfect way to engage interest and initiate discussion.”

- CM Magazine

“Yeny and the Children for Peace is a moving story that will motivate children, highly recommended.”

- Children’s Bookwatch

“The story is captivating … The book is suitable for grades 3 to 6 and would fit well into discussions about peace, justice, and the global village.”

- ETFO (Elementary Teacher’s Federation of Ontario) Voice

“Yeny is a very real and likeable character and children will be able to relate to her experiences of moving to a new place, starting a new school and missing her old home and friends … To read about the Colombian Children’s Movement for Peace, and what the children involved were able to accomplish, is truly inspiring.”

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