The Mysterious Guests: A Sukkot Story

The Mysterious Guests: A Sukkot Story

Written by: Eric A. Kimmel
Illustrated by: Katya Krenina

Elementary Grades

"During the Jewish festival of Sukkot, in ancient times, families traditionally built a sukkah (a booth) in the fields where they harvested crops. The legend is that Abraham, Issac, and Jacob visit each sukkah disguised as guests and bestow a blessing when welcomed, or a lesson when spurned. This tale follows two brothers in ancient Israel: wealthy Eben, who is selfish and unwelcoming to his poor guests, and Ezra, a poor but generous man whose sukkah always has room and plenty of food for all. They are each visited by the three other wordly guests disguised as poor travelers, who then dole out appropriate punishments and blessings. The story is purposeful but elegantly told, and is matched well by Krenina’s decorative acrylics that look like details from an ancient tapestry. Deeply hued swatches of the land’s bounty surround pensive faces, conveying the somewhat somber, reflective mood of the tale. An author’s note further explains the traditions of a holiday that emphasizes kindness and hospitality."

Booklist Review

Online Resources:
http://ericakimmel.com/teachers-guides/

A Little Piece of Ground

A Little Piece of Ground

Written by: Elizabeth Laird

Junior High and High School Grades

"Written by Elizabeth Laird, one of Great Britain's best-known young adult authors, A Little Piece Of Ground explores the human cost of the occupation of Palestinian lands through the eyes of a young boy.

Twelve-year-old Karim Aboudi and his family are trapped in their Ramallah home by a strict curfew. In response to a Palestinian suicide bombing, the Israeli military subjects the West Bank town to a virtual siege. Meanwhile, Karim, trapped at home with his teenage brother and fearful parents, longs to play football with his friends. When the curfew ends, he and his friend discover an unused patch of ground that's the perfect site for a football pitch. Nearby, an old car hidden intact under bulldozed building makes a brilliant den. But in this city there's constant danger, even for schoolboys. And when Israeli soldiers find Karim outside during the next curfew, it seems impossible that he will survive."

Publishers Synopsis

Web Resources:
www.haymarketbooks.org/laird_teaching_guide.pdf

http://www.haymarketbooks.org/product_info.php?products_id=1576

Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak

Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak

Written by: Deborah Ellis

Junior High and High School Grades

"This collection of accounts from young people between the ages of 8 and 18 portrays the sapping toll of war on their lives. Instead of looking toward their futures, these kids are watching their backs. Instead of playing games of pick-up ball in the street, they're lobbing rocks at soldier's and dodging tear gas and bullets. Israeli students are pressed into military service. In Palestine, the scanty settlements are overcrowded and unsafe. Each narrative is prefaced with a short historical or personal background description providing a point of reference for the sentiments expressed. Ellis effectively remains absent, serving as chronicler for these ordinary kids in traumatic circumstances who are tinged by varying degrees of anger and despair."

School Library Journal Review

Web Resources:
http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/authors/experts/dellis.asp

Habibi

Habibi

Written by: Naomi Shaihab Nye

Junior High and High School Grades

"When fourteen-year-old Liyanne Abboud, her younger brother, and her parents move from St. Louis to a new home between Jerusalem and the Palestinian village where her father was born, they face many changes and must deal with the tensions between Jews and Palestinians."

Publishers Synopsis

Online Resources:
http://litplans.com/authors/Naomi_Shihab_Nye.html