Michael’s grandfather has a secret—a secret that’s almost too strange to share . . . When Michael moves to Israel, he leaves loneliness behind and steps into the light of his grandfather’s magic. Like a sorcerer’s apprentice, Michael learns how to blur the lines between dreams and reality when his grandfather hands down the most precious of gifts—a gift that allows Michael passage into his grandfather’s dreams. Written with a quiet simplicity that wins the reader over at once Uri Orlev writes in a style so sure and yet so unassuming that it is certain to linger in reader’s minds long after turning the last page.
Intermediate (ages 9-14)
Material appropriate for intermediate age groups
The Arabian Nights
Sheherezade, daughter of King Shahryar’s advisor, tells her husband a different story every night to keep the king from killing her.
Mecca (Holy Cities)
Charts the development of Mecca as the most holy city for the world’s community of Muslims, and explains clearly the history of Islam itself; shows how Mecca symbolizes the richness of Islam through its traditions, its religious festivals, and powerful art and architecture.
Sharing Our Homeland: Palestinian and Jewish Children at Summer Peace Camp
Photo-essay focusing on two Israeli children, one Jewish and one Palestinian, who, in spite of their differences and the longstanding conflicts in the region, learn to play, work, and share ideas together at Summer Peace Camp, a day camp located in Israel.
Arabian Nights
A retelling of three tales from the “Arabian Nights” including “Aladdin,” “The Queen of the Serpents,” and “The Lost city of Ubar.”
O, Jerusalem: Voices Of A Sacred City
A poetic tribute to Jerusalem, in honor of the 3000th anniversary of its founding, celebrating its history as a holy city for three major religions.
Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak
Deborah Ellis’s enormously popular Breadwinner trilogy recounted the experiences of children living in Afghanistan; now Ellis turns her attention to the young people of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. After visiting the region to conduct interviews, she presents their stories here in their own words. Twelve-year-old Nora, eleven-year-old Mohammad, and many others speak directly about their lives – which prove to be both ordinary and extraordinary: They argue with their siblings. They hate spinach. They have wishes for the future. Yet they have also seen their homes destroyed and families killed, and live amidst constant upheaval and violence.This simple, telling book allows young readers everywhere to see that the children caught in this conflict are just like them – but living far more difficult and dangerous lives. Without taking sides, it presents an unblinking portrait of children victimized by the endless struggle around them.
Conflict In The Middle East (Conflicts)
Describes the history of the Middle East, the root of the tensions involved among the countries there, and the current situation and its impact on the rest of the world.
Kurds (Threatened Cultures)
Tucked into a mountainous region straddling the borders of Iraq, Iran, and Turkey, Kurdistan is at the center of one of the most volatile regions in the world–and home to more than 22 million Kurds. This book tells their story, their traditional beliefs and values, and the difficluties of keeping an identity that is under constant threat from other cultures.
The Hunt For The Miracle Herb
An idyllic holiday for Ajay, Rina and Gelti at Uncle Raj’s farm in the Kumaon hills, becomes an eventful one when Ajay stumbles upon a herb which can cure a dreaded disease.