Deborah Ellis presents the stories of children of the war-torn Middle
East, based on interviews with Israeli and Palestinian children.
In a rehabilitation center for disabled children, twelve-year-old Nora
says she loves the color pink and chewing gum and explains that the
wheels of her wheelchair are like her legs. Eleven-year-old Mohammad
describes how his house was demolished by soldiers. And we meet
twelve-year-old Salam, whose older sister walked into a store in
Jerusalem and blew herself up, killing herself and two people, and
injuring twenty others. All these children live both ordinary and
extraordinary lives. They argue with their siblings. They dream about
their wishes for the future. They have also seen their homes destroyed,
their families killed, and they live in the midst of constant upheaval
and violence.
This simple and telling book allows children everywhere to see those
caught in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as children just like
themselves, but who are living far more difficult, dangerous lives.
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language
Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.6
Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting important
similarities and differences in the point of view they represent.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.3
Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced,
illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g., through examples or
anecdotes).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.6
Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and explain how
it is conveyed in the text.
