The Peace Bell

Although fictionalized, this picture book tells the story of the Peace Bell that is now located in Isumi City, Japan (formerly known as Ohara). 

During World War II, many Japanese temple bells were donated to the war effort, to be melted down into materials needed for the war.  This bell was discovered intact in a shipyard after the war, by crewmen from the USS Duluth. They presented the bell to Duluth, Minnesota, where it was displayed in City Hall until 1954, when it was returned to the city of Ohara, and renamed the American-Japanese Friendship Peace Bell.  In 1991, Ohara presented Duluth with a replica of the bell, and the two cities became sister cities. 

Written by Margi Preus, illustrated by Hideko Takahashi, this might be a resource for elementary social studies classes.