The Jane Addams Book Award A Presentation for High School English Students

What is this award for? “The Jane Addams Children's Book Awards are given annually to the children's books published the preceding year that effectively promote the cause of peace, social justice, world community, and the equality of the sexes and all races as well as meeting conventional standards for excellence.” From: http://www.janeaddamspeace.org/jacba/history.shtml

History & Significance Given annually since 1953 by the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) and the Jane Addams Peace Association. In 1993 a Picture Book category was added, and there can be a winner in each category (older & younger children’s books) each year. Authors and artists receive certificates and cash prizes. Awards were originally given on Jane Addams’ birthday in September, now given on April 28th to celebrate the founding of the WILPF.

About the Organizations JAPA: Jane Addams Peace Association 501(c)3 educational affiliate of WILFP Founded in 1915 with Jane Addams as its first president. Headquarters are in NYC. WILFP: Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom Oldest and largest women’s peace organization in the world. First organized in Europe to help the civilians in the midst of WWI. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. Works towards ending war an cultivating a lasting peace throughout the world.

Criteria for Selection Must have a social justice theme and answer a significant conflict-resolution question. Can be fiction, non-fiction, or poetry. Books must be for ages 2 – 12. Any length is acceptable. Writing and illustrations (if there are any) must be high-quality.

Criteria for Selection Possible Themes: Solving problems courageously and non-violently Overcoming prejudice Breaking cycles of fear Approaching life with self-confidence and strength Understanding human needs with compassion Broadening outlook to appreciate a variety of cultures Accepting responsibility for the future of all peoples. Significant Questions: How can we begin to think more creatively and humanely about injustice and conflict, past or present, real or fictionalized? How can young people participate in creative solutions to the problems of war, social injustice, racism, sexism, homophobia, ageism, and the concerns of the physically challenged? Does the book promote an understanding of the role of women in society, gender roles, the need to overcome gender stereotypes, e.g. role models of both genders?

Past Winners: 2010 Winner of Books for Younger Children Nasreen’s Secret School:  A True Story from Afghanistan. Nasreen’s parents are gone, her father taken one night by soldiers, her mother lost on her search to find him.  Now living with only her grandmother, Nasreen stays inside herself, silent with trauma.  Whispers about a forbidden school reach her grandmother who, with stealth, bravery and hope, brings Nasreen to the secret school hidden in the home of an equally-brave woman, a teacher of girls. Framed stylized paintings in hues that symbolically reflect the path of Nasreen’s healing extend the story told in the plain, heartfelt voice of her grandmother. The power of education and resistance stand out in this all-too-true contemporary tale of the human toll exacted by war and the oppression of women.

Past Winners: 2010 Winner of Books for Older Children Marching for Freedom:  Walk Together, Children, and Don’t You Grow Weary is a breathtaking tribute to the courageous, passionate African-American children who demanded voting rights through nonviolent action in the historic 1963 March from Selma to Montgomery. Riveting chronology, stunning photographs, and telling details from oral history interviews recreate the children’s anger, terror, solidarity and purpose moment-by-moment. This palpable sense of immediacy crystallizes the commitment of young people who acted on behalf of human rights when they were most frightened and “the end” was unclear and out of sight. Vital and forceful, this testament to the power of youth and collective nonviolent action inspires activism by delving deeply into the heart of a pivotal moment in the history of youth and civil rights in the United States.

Other Past Winners 2007 Younger Book Winner by Amy-Lee Tai for the tale of Japanese-American child growing up in an American Internment Camp. 2006 Winner for Older Children by Karen Blumenthal about Title IX, a 1971 bill which ensures that girls get an equal education. Click Here for an Annotated List of 2004-2010 Winners!

Your Assignment Browse through the list of the Jane Addams Book Award Winners in our library and pay close attention to some of the themes present. Imagine that there were a Jane Addams Adult Book Award. Then, choose a high-school or adult-level book (Ages 12 and up) that you feel would meet the theme and significant question requirements to win the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award if it were given to high-school level books. Write a persuasive essay expressing why your chosen title should win the Jane Addams Adult Book Award, how it shows demonstrates a social justice theme and answers a significant question.

References Jane Addams Peace Association. (October 2010). Retrieved from http://www.janeaddamspeace.org/jacba/history.shtml