Peace is a Chain Reaction

Home » Peace is a Chain Reaction

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Peace is a Chain Reaction

How World War II Japanese Balloon Bombs Brought People of Two Nations Together

September 2022 (Candlewick)

Adults wage war, while children are unwitting victims, pulled into a maelstrom of fear and hate without any choice. This is a story about two groups of teenagers on opposite sides of the world forever connected by an act of war. It is a story about the adults some of those teens became, forever connected by acts of forgiveness, understanding, and peace. And it is a story about one remarkable man, whose heart belonged both to America and Japan, who put that peace and understanding in motion.

Panning the camera wide, Stone lays the global groundwork for the story’s context, before zeroing in on the lives of the people involved, providing an intimate look at how their changing perspectives impact their actions. Through meticulous research, interviews, and archival photo curation, Stone skillfully weaves all of these stories together, illuminating how, despite the devastating pain and destruction caused by war, peace can be a chain reaction.

Listen to an audio sample:

Share with Others:

Published by Candlewick

September 2022

Ages 12 and up

PRAISE

An inspiring story of peace, forgiveness, and human connection, and how one man–my father, Yuzuru John Takeshita–made it all possible.

Junko Takeshita

A remarkable story of war and healing and the immense power of small acts–a power we all have.

Steve Sheinkin, New York Times best-selling author of Fallout

Reading this story will inspire youth facing discrimination, no matter the form. We need to break through preconceived notions of people instead of perpetuating stereostypes.

Laura Takeshita

This is an intensively researched account about the tragedy of making assumptions about others and the resolution that comes with knowing the reality of the past. Ultimately, it’s the story of visionary Yuzuru John Takeshita, a victim of countries at war and initially only on the periphery of this historical event, who made healing with peace possible.

Ken Mochizuki, author of Baseball Saved Us

AWARDS

Junior Library Guild Premiere Selection

School Library Journal Best Books of 2022

Chicago Public Library Best Books of 2022

Reviews

School Library Journal Starred Review: This book describes events from the perspective of the victims and survivors of the balloon bomb in Oregon, the schoolgirls who made the bombs in Japan, and a young Japanese American’s experience in an internment camp. . . . A wonderful selection for nonfiction shelves, this is a compelling narrative of peace and war—but most importantly, redemption.

Booklist Starred Review: This nuanced account of major events in the war between the U.S. and Japan during WWII is one of the few offerings that covers the period from beginning to end. . . This full-circle account is applicable across content areas.

Kirkus Reviews: An extraordinary story that brings a new perspective to the human toll of war and the capacity for healing.

The Horn Book: This complicated story includes a large cast of characters, multiple settings, and several shifts in time. It’s a credit to Stone that she fashions them into a cohesive, compelling narrative.

The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books: An under-explored corner of World War II literature that will earn its place in many collections.