Mini-reviews of Middle Eastern Reads

 I recently read a slew of Middle Eastern books on a variety of topics. I like how this reading challenge pushes me to read about countries that are beyond the U.S. and Europe. I hope to continue to read from a broader spectrum next year. 

Description: Samir, a Palestinian boy, is sent for surgery to an Israeli hospital where he has two otherworldly experiences, making friends with an Israeli boy, Yonatan, and playing a computer game together about a trip to Mars, during which Samir finds peace about his brother's death in the war.

Review: Samir and Yonatan is a compelling read. It is written by an Israeli author who writes about the budding friendship between two boys, a Palestinian and an Israeli. There are no definite sides of right and wrong given to the Palestianian-Israeli conflict. In fact most of the plot takes place in a some what neutral territory of a hospital in Israel. The author strives and succeeds in showing how not all people from both sides of the border are evil and that tolerance can be achieved. Though not the best written book, I really enjoyed the message and recommend it for younger readers.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There are some war disturbing images as well as scenes where tweens are experimenting with cigarettes. Recommended for Grades 5 and up.

If you like this book try: A Bottle in the Gaza Sea by Valérie Zenatti, Enemy Territory by Sharon E. McKay

Description: Living in the midst of civil war in Beirut, Lebanon, Zeina and her brother face an evening of apprehension when their parents do not return from a visit to the other side of the city.

Review: Game for Swallows gives us a look into one ordinary day of war torn Lebanon in the 1980s. Zeina and her little brother are waiting in the foyer of their apartment for their parents to return from visiting their grandmother in West Beirut. Bombings and sniper fire intensify in their neighborhood, and their neighbors huddle with them in what is the safest location of their building. As the neighbors arrive, Zeina gives us back stories of her neighbors and how the war has touched their lives. As the shootings and bombings continue, many neighbors are planning contingency plans if their country's condition doesn't improve. While the drawings may remind some readers of Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (which I highly recommend reading if you haven't already done so), I felt wanting more from the graphic novel. I would have liked more historical information in order to really feel all the emotions that the characters feel throughout the story. I also wanted to know more about these people too.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Words of Caution: There are some war disturbing images. Recommended for Grades 9 and up.

If you like this book try: Waltz with Bashir by Ari Folman and David Polonsky
 

Description: Set in the aftermath of Iran's fraudulent elections of 2009, Zahra's Paradise is the fictional story of the search for Mehdi, a young protestor who has vanished into an extrajudicial twilight zone. What's keeping his memory from being obliterated is not the law. It is the grit and guts of his mother, who refuses to surrender her son to fate, and the tenacity of his brother, a blogger, who fuses tradition and technology to explore and explode the void in which Mehdi has vanished.

Review: Zahra's Paradise was an eye opening reading experience. Part political criticism on the lack of citizen's rights to assemble and freedom of speech and part a harrowing struggle of a finding a loved one in the midst of chaos and riots of 2009. The artwork on these pages is stunning, showing the machinations of the corrupt government as well as traces of the beauty and poetry of Iranian life. An array of diverse and carefully drawn characters help and hinder the search for young Mehdi, everyone from a taxi driver to the daughter of a former disgraced general, a print shop owner to shady government officials. Small acts of heroism bring hope to this family, but they also bring consequences. I was really surprised to find out that this story is fictional and not nonfiction, which I had expected it to be.I would recommend this graphic novel to those interested in Iran and the Middle East.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is language, nudity, sex, and scenes of implied rape. Recommended for mature teens and adults only.

If you like this book try: Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, Students for a Democratic Society by Harvey Pekar

Picture Book Reviews: Middle East Edition Part 2

  I'm having a great time reading and discoveirng new picture books for my picture book challenge, which is hosted by Jennifer over at An Abundance of Books. I wanted to read some children literature that take place in the Middle East. It was difficult to find some that were fiction and not slanted in a political opinion, but I did manage to find some. I will be reviewing: Tunjur! Tunjur! Tunjur! by Margaret Read Macdonald, Mystery Bottle by Kristin Balouch, Silent Music by James Rumford, and Joha Makes a Wish by Eric Kimmel.


Description: A childless woman's prayers are answered by the arrival of a talking pot, but the new mother knows that Little Pot must learn right from wrong just like any child.

Review: Based on a Palestinian tale, a woman wishes for a child to love, even if it is nothing more than a cooking pot. Her wish comes true, and red Little Pot appears. The two spend some quality time indoors, but the Little Pot grows restless and years to explore the outside world. Reluctantly, the mother lets her pot outdoors, and Little Pots adventures and troubles begin. For the most part, I really enjoyed this book. There's plenty of repetitive phrases and lots of action to keep an audience's attention. The vibrant illustrations with clear influence on Islamic art fill the pages; however, I found myself a bit lost on the cultural detail in the story. There are also some heavy messages of right and wrong behavior, but overall I enjoyed it. I think it would be interesting to pair this one with multicultuarl variations of the Gingerbread Man stories.
Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades Preschool to Grade 2.

If you like this book try: The Man With Bad Manners by Idries Shah,

Description: What happens when a boy and his grandfather are separated from each other by borders, politics, and distance? The mystery bottle unites the two through an extraordinary gift. The bond of their love.

Review: I loved the concept behind Balouch's Mystery Bottle. The first intriguing image is found on the book jacket, which features a picture of a bottle with a rolled map plugging the opening. We know we are going on a journey with the boy on the cover. The bottle arrives in a package; when the boy removes the map, wind blows out of the bottle, whisking him across the sea and through the city where his grandfather, Baba Bazorg, now resides. Together they spend time and the grandfather explains that can still have a relationship even though they are thousands of miles away. I would have liked a bit more clarification and exploration of the country which the boy travels to and from (according to the book's blurb it's Iran). have tea, and the grandfather explains how, whenever the boy wants a cup of tea, he can open the bottle and be carried back to him. I'm not entirely sure if kids would grasp the deeper meaning behind this book, but I think it would make a good discussion. The artwork, which can be a bit crowded, is striking and unique. It combines simple, cut-paper shapes, collage, and stamp art, set against maps charting the boy's adventures.
Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades K- Grades 3.

If you like this book try: Landed by Milly Lee


Description: As bombs and missiles fall on Baghdad in 2003, a young boy uses the art of calligraphy to distance himself from the horror of war.

Review: Silent Music is a beautiful book that brings hope and light behind the back drops of war torn Iraq. Ali is a simple boy who loves soccer, music, and above all calligraphy-forming the elegant Arabic letters, pen that move along to the silent music he hears in his head. Ali tells us that his secret hero is the famous artist Yakut, a renowned 13th-century calligrapher who is said to have fled to a high tower to shut out the violence by the Mongol invasion at Baghdad in 1258. Like his hero, Ali also escapes from war and seeks solace from the missles and bombs that falls on Baghdad in 2003. The effects of war on Ali is sublte yet profound. The Arabic word for war, Harb, comes easily to his pen, while he struggles to perfect Salam, the word for peace.
I absolutely loved the art work in this book. The jewel-toned illustrations are made with pencil, charcoal, and computer art programs. Ali and his family are depicted with warmth and personality, and their interactions add intimacy to the story, much like our own. Elaborately detailed designs appear throughout the book. It's clear that the illustrator is well aware of Islamic art from intricate tile arrangements, delicate floral motifs, and colorfully patterned clothing. Like the text, there are subtle images of war (army vehicles, helicopters, etc) that are striking with dark colors. I also loved how the the Arabic language adorns the pages as well as teaches the reader some new words. I highly recommend picking this up book.

Rating: 5 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades 2 to 6.

If you like this book try: The Librarian of Basra by Jeanette Winters, The Color of Home by Mary Hoffman

Description: An original story, based on the Joha tales of the Arabic-speaking world, in which a hapless man finds a wishing stick that brings him nothing but bad luck. Includes an author's note about the history of Joha tales.

Review: Joha Makes a Wish is a laugh out funny folk tale from the Middle East. Kimmel recasts a Jewish tale from Yemen, and borrows story elements from widespread Middle Eastern folklore featuring the foolish wise man, aka Nasreddin Hodja. Kimmel's introductory note which gives us a little background to the story doesn't really explain his choice of using a lesser known name of Joha for his story, but that doesn't detract anything from the delightful story.
One day Joha finds a wishing stick. Everything he wishes for gets reversed. For example, he wishes for a new pair of shows, but instead his shoes disappear entirely. In spite of Joha's angry efforts to rid himself of the troublesome stick, it tightly adheres to his hand, causing much worse trouble when he encounters the sultan in the streets of Baghdad. Kimmel's well-paced text smoothly builds events and dialogue, leaving the character interpretation to the comic portrayals in Rayyan's energetic watercolor drawings. The character's physical features are exaggerated for comic effecct. Joha is a small man with large hands and feet and a long, thin expressive face beneath a generous turban. His frayed sandals and patched trousers contrast with the splendor of the robust sultan and his armored guards. I don't know for sure if Joha's misadventures in this book are true to the original folklore or cultural roots, but I do know that this book will promise a great read along as the underdog outsmarts those who are powerful.
Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: Recommended for Grades 1 to 6.

If you like this book try: The King's Taster by Kenneth Oppel, The Queen's Feet by Sarah Ellis