Tag Archives: Palestine

Review: We Are Palestinian by Reem Kassis and Noha Eilouti

Book Review and Content, Middle Grade 8-12, Nonfiction, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , ,
We Are Palestinian: A Celebration of Culture and Tradition by Reem Kassis

We Are Palestinian: A Celebration of Culture and Tradition
Reem Kassis
Illustrated by Noha Eilouti
Crocodile Books
Published September 19, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About We Are Palestinian: A Celebration of Culture and Tradition

A stunning non-fiction children’s book celebrating everything Palestinian!

From culture and food, to music and literature, We Are Palestinian is a celebration of Palestinian heritage. Brought to life by award-winning writer Reem Kassis, every spread is filled with wonderful anecdotes, fascinating facts, and memorable quotes. It is beautifully illustrated by Noha Eilouti, an emerging Palestinian-Canadian illustrator.

Discover ALL about the history of iconic Palestinian symbols like tatreez embroidery, or the inspiration behind Mahmoud Darwish’s poetry. As you turn every page, you’ll find yourself lost in the world of Dabke (the folk dance of Palestine) and amazed by its famous old cities; you’ll try traditional food like knafeh, explore the different religions, and find out much more. Each spread of We Are Palestinian is accessible, richly inspiring, and visually stunning.

Young readers are going to love discovering more about Palestine. This is the perfect book for parents, educators, and caregivers wishing to explore new worlds of culture and custom with children!

My Review

This is such a cool book. Because of what’s happening in that part of the world, Palestine is in the news so much right now. I love that there’s a celebratory, informative book that kids can read so they have a better understanding of who Palestinian people are and what their lives look like.

I remember just reaching the age when I paid more attention to the news and wanting to know more about the places that reporters were talking about. It’s great that we have resources that allow us to celebrate the rich culture and history of Palestinians without asking kids to weigh in on complex political issues.

The book covers a range of topics, from exploring significant cities in the area to cultural symbols like dress, the flag, and national anthem to celebrated artists, writers, athletes, and entertainers. Because I’m Italian and speak the language of the love of food, I also really enjoyed the parts of the book that focus on the different kinds of food that Palestinians eat. Yum! (Side note: the author also wrote a cookbook of Palestinian food. I am definitely going to check it out.)

I learned a lot from reading this book. As you read, the author might use a word like the name of a dish and a parenthetical reference beside it will note where you can read more about that food. I think it would have strengthened the comprehension if the book included a vocabulary section in the back. Sometimes I felt like the definitions within the text were a little vague.

On the whole, though, I think this is a great book and very timely.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 9 up.

Representation
As you can guess from the title, the book focuses on the life experiences of Palestinians. One section highlights famous Palestinian people from artists to activists to athletes.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Reference to clothing worn for weddings.

Spiritual Content
References Islam, Christianity, and Judaism and discusses how and why certain cities are important to members of all three faiths.

Violent Content
Brief reference to warfare in the region and the lives of Palestinians as refugees.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of WE ARE PALESTINIAN in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.

Review: The Lemon Tree by Sandy Tolan

Book Review and Content, Nonfiction, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , ,

The Lemon Tree (Young Reader’s Edition)
Sandy Tolan
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published November 3, 2020

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About The Lemon Tree

In 1967, a twenty-five-year-old refugee named Bashir Khairi traveled from the Palestinian hill town of Ramallah to Ramla, Israel, with a goal: to see the beloved stone house with the lemon tree in its backyard that he and his family had been forced to leave nineteen years earlier. When he arrived, he was greeted by one of its new residents: Dalia Eshkenazi Landau, a nineteen-year-old Israeli college student whose family had fled Europe following the Holocaust. She had lived in that house since she was eleven months old.

On the stoop of this shared house, Dalia and Bashir began a surprising friendship, forged in the aftermath of war and later tested as political tensions ran high and Israelis and Palestinians each asserted their own right to live on this land. Adapted from the award-winning adult book and based on Sandy Tolan’s extensive research and reporting, The Lemon Tree is a deeply personal story of two people seeking hope, transformation, and home.

My Review

It took me a few chapters to really get hooked on this book. I’m not very familiar with the history of Israel, so I had to read some parts more than once to keep things straight in my head.

Once I started to get to know Dalia and Bashir, I really began to invest in the story. I love that the book follows both of their lives and often lets them tell the story themselves. There are some really moving and hopeful moments, but there are some really tragic and heartbreaking moments, too.

I wish there had been some photos or maps or timelines or other visuals in the book. It’s all narrative, and well-written. I think visuals would have made it easier for me to understand some of what was happening, and I would have loved to have seen photos of Dalia and Bashir and the house.

On the whole, I really enjoyed THE LEMON TREE, and I’m so glad I read it. I hope to share this book with others, too. I think it really showed the differences in perspective between Dalia and Bashir and the struggle to be and remain friends in spite and because of their differences and their connections. I feel like we could all use this kind of hopeful story right now.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Dalia’s family are Sephardic Jews from Bulgaria. Bashir’s family are Palestinians.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to marriages.

Spiritual Content
References to Muslims, Jews and Christians living in Israel and Palestine.

Violent Content
Some journalistic descriptions of military action, bombings, and assassinations.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of THE LEMON TREE in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog.