When Elephants Fight: The Lives of Children in Conflict in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Sri Lanka, Sudan and Uganda cover

When Elephants Fight: The Lives of Children in Conflict in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Sri Lanka, Sudan and Uganda

Author: Walters, Eric

Reading Metrics

Grade Level Middle Grades Plus (MG+ 6 and up)
Book Level 8.2
Points 5.0
Fiction/Nonfiction Nonfiction
Word Count 29734
Points per Word 0.000168

Description

This book presents the true stories of five children Annu from Sri Lanka, Jimmy from Uganda, Nadja from Bosnia, Farooq from Afghanistan, and Toma from Sudan living in regions affected by war. It explores the historical conflicts in each country and examines how violence and displacement have shaped the daily lives of these children. The title refers to the Kikuyu proverb "when elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers," illustrating how innocent civilians, particularly children, are most affected when powerful forces clash.

Quick Summary

This eye-opening book drops readers right into the true stories of five kids their own age living through real wars in Sri Lanka, Uganda, Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Sudan, showing how children find ways to play, dream, and survive even when everything around them is falling apart. Kids will be hooked by the raw, honest perspective that lets them see war through a peer's eyes, discovering that these children are brave, funny, smart, and just plain human despite the unimaginable things they've endured. If You Give an Author a Pencilr kid loves "Refugee" by Alan Gratz or "I Am Malala," they'll be completely absorbed by these real-life stories that prove kids can be heroes even when no one is watching. Perfect for curious readers ages 10 to 14 in grades 5 through 8 who want to understand how kids just like them live on the front lines of history.