Family literacies as peacemaking: Representations in Children's literature.

This article analyzes how family-centered peacemaking and associated literacy practices are represented in children's literature, specifically through a study of 26 award-winning books from the Jane Addams Children's Book Award (JACBA) collection (2015–2021). It identifies ten pathways of peacemaking within families—such as resisting war, environmental activism, fighting for women's and labor rights, reforming immigration policies, desegregating education, affirming BIPOC and queer identities, and protecting voting rights—demonstrating how these social practices unfold across textual, ideational, and interpersonal dimensions. The study highlights children's active agency in peacemaking and the multimodal literacies families employ, including storytelling, letter writing, organizing, and oral traditions, which connect local family experiences to broader historical and global contexts. The findings suggest that children's literature offers valuable insights into diverse family literacies as dynamic, socially conscious practices that contribute to peacebuilding across generations and communities.