Playing War Kathy Beckwith Illustrated by Lea Lyon Hardcover, $16.95, ISBN 978-0-88448-267-3 9 x 10, 32 pages, color illustrations Chldren / Character Education; Grades 3-6

"Beginning with the setting of one summer day, author Beckwith successfully takes a simple story and weaves in an underlying thread of complexity. This tale, which hinges on the friendship of five neighborhood children, gently shows how war can touch close to the heart, even for youngsters.... No elementary classroom should be without this book! It masterfully accomplishes Tilbury's mission to 'empower children, build empathy, and spark curiosity' "
—Nancy Garhan Attebury, Children's Literature

One hot summer day Luke and his friends decide to play their favorite game of war, using sticks for guns and pine cones for bombs and grenades. When a new child in the neighborhood hesitates to join in and then tells them he has been in a real war in the country where he used to live, the other children start to see their game in a new light.

Lea Lyon's fluid, expressive watercolors capture the action and the emotion of this story, where friendship and kindness prevail.

Kathy Beckwith trains student mediators, volunteers as a mediation coach at schools, and works as a mediator in her community. She lives with her family on a country road in western Oregon.

Lea Lyon juggles her work in the business world with her love of painting. She illustrated Say Something for Tilbury House and enjoys involving local school children in her illustration projects. She lives in Richmond, California. For more about Lea: www.lealyon.com

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