(3) YA The authors visited schools and community centers, interviewing young Palestinians about their lives under Israeli occupation. Children, teens, and twenty-somethings speak candidly about daily life; interests; and difficulties of living with checkpoints, security walls, and poor living conditions. Some context about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is provided, but this book concentrates on the Palestinian point of view. Small color photographs appear throughout. Reading list, timeline, websites.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) 4-6 In this fable-esque narrative, a spoiled American bully is reincarnated as a cat in the West Bank where she witnesses a conflict that unfolds when two Israeli soldiers occupy a presumed-empty Palestinian house in which a little boy hides. Flashbacks to the cat's human life distract from the compelling, provocative central plot. The thoughtful exploration of an untenable situation provides ample discussion fodder.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(2) 4-6 Hayaat's Muslim family lives in a small apartment in Israeli-occupied Bethlehem. When her grandmother, Sitti Zeynab, falls ill, Hayaat embarks on a mission to bring back a jar of earth from her homeland. The long journey to Jerusalem through numerous checkpoints is vividly depicted, along with the trials of occupation and the extreme fortitude of the people living under it.

Reviewer: Lauren Adams | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2011

(4) 4-6 Major World Nations series. Published spring 1998. This formulaic study provides basic information about these regions' history, government, people, and culture. While undeniably informative, the encyclopedia-style prose and bland black-and-white photos will relegate this volume mainly to report-writing students. The book contains an insert of postcard-quality color plates, a fact sheet, and a map. There are fifteen other titles in this series. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta