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Human Trafficking in Space: A Review of The Color of Rain

June 17, 2013
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Human Trafficking in Space: A Review of The Color of Rain

When people think of books for children and teens that address social justice issues, contemporary and historical fiction and nonfiction are the genres that come to mind. Rarely do we think of speculative fiction as inherently political, though dystopian novels like Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games and M.T. Anderson’s Feed serve as warnings of the…

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Believe is a rich tapestry of friendship and integrity in the face of tragic events

June 13, 2013
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Believe is a rich tapestry of friendship and integrity in the face of tragic events

 Believe (Carolrhoda Books) by Sarah Aronson $17.95 Jaime Freeman was only six when she was pulled from the rubble of a synagogue to be the sole survivor of a suicide bombing that killed her parents and dozens of others. As a result of the bombing…

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The S-Word leads to dark secrets revealed

June 10, 2013
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The S-Word leads to dark secrets revealed

      The S-Word (Gallery Books) by Chelsea Pitcher $10.99 Angie seeks revenge against those who labeled her best friend, Lizzie Hart, “Slut.”  But she is also seeking redemption from the guilt that plagues her because Angie let it happen after catching Lizzie with her boyfriend…

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This summer read is layered with substance

June 6, 2013
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This summer read is layered with substance

  The Secret Ingredient (Delacorte Books for Young Readers) by Stewart Lewis, $17.99 As with every good summer read, this novel brings a girl, sixteen-year-old Olivia, together with a gorgeous guy named Theo, who works at her dad’s restaurant, only to have him disappear without…

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About

The Pirate Tree is a collective of children's and young adult writers interested in children's literature and social justice issues. For editorial or administrative issues, or to contact any of the authors whose email addresses are unlisted, please contact J.L. Powers at the address below. If you have a book you'd like to recommend for a review or an interview subject, guest writer, or topic that you'd like to suggest, please contact J.L. Powers.

Ann: aangel [at] aol [dot] com
Nancy: wflood [at]hotmail [dot] com
Varian: vcj [at] varianjohnson [dot] com
E.M.: emkokie [at] gmail [dot] com
Lyn: lynml [at] me [dot] com
Peter: pmarino300 [at] yahoo [dot] com
J.L.: jlpowers [at] evaporites [dot] com

Mission Statement

The writers at The Pirate Tree seek to expose and discuss literature and writers for children and teenagers that delve into themes of social justice and social conscience. The title, “The Pirate Tree,” comes from a picture book that Lyn Miller-Lachmann once wrote about two children whose grandfathers fought on opposite sides of a war. The children were prohibited from going into each others’ yards, but they figured out a way to meet and play pirates together by climbing a tree with limbs and branches above both their yards. Like the story suggested, we are interested in books and writers that question and rebel against the status quo, argue for peace and reconciliation, take the side of the marginalized and powerless, and use creative solutions to overcome obstacles.

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