On the Horizon

Reach for this book when your child begins to ask about the human cost of global conflicts or struggles to reconcile how people can be both heroes and victims. It is an essential bridge for children moving from black and white views of history into the nuanced gray areas of empathy and shared humanity. Through a series of poignant poems, Lois Lowry connects her own childhood memories of living in Hawaii before the Pearl Harbor attack with the lives of the sailors on the USS Arizona and the children in Hiroshima. It handles themes of grief, regret, and the passage of time with a gentle but honest hand. This memoir is perfectly suited for middle schoolers, offering a meditative way to process the heaviness of war without being overwhelmed by graphic details. You might choose it to help your child develop a global perspective on justice and the importance of remembering those who came before us.