Walking to School [Hardcover]

For Allison, a Catholic girl living in Belfast, Northern Ireland, walking to school is scary. Tensions between Protestants and Catholics are high, and the only route to her school is through a Protestant neighborhood. The taunts and threats of the adults from both groups upset her. But could it be that there are Protestant kids who hate this fighting just as much as she does? Inspired by a real incident that occurred in Belfast several years ago this story reflects the fears and hopes of children worldwide who are caught up in the violence of centuries-old religious and cultural conflicts. As a Protestant living in Ireland during "the Troubles," Eve bunting experienced such prejudice firsthand. She says "Walking to School" could just as easily have been about a Protestant child walking through a Catholic area-sadly, there was more than enough intolerance to go around. Once again, Eve Bunting has found a way to explore a complicated contemporary situation in easy-to-understand terms, revealing powerful universal themes. And she shows that, sometimes, a ray of kindness can cut through the violence.

"I write about what moves me, and I am moved by things in society, sad things...I grew up in Ireland and have realized that if there's ever going to be a true world or national community, people have to reach out to each other--to know other people who are different, people who aren't like you, and people who you think don't like you. My message in "Walking to School" is one of comng together and tolerance for other people." (Eve Bunting )

EVE BUNTING has written over two hundred books for children, including the Caldecott Medal-winning Smoky Night, illustrated by David Diaz. She lives in Southern California. 

Michael Dooling has illustrated many picture books, including "The Amazing Life of Benjamin Franklin" by James Cross Giblin. He lives in Audubon, New Jersey.