Gr 7 Up- number of Palestinian kids and teens discuss their hopes and dreams and what it is like living in an occupied country. An introductory chapter explains the Occupied Territories, provides an overview of the history of the Palestinian land, and explores the impact of occupation on subjects such as human rights, citizenship, education, housing, land ownership, and the economy. The authors visited or held video conferences with participants from nine Palestinian cities and villages. Their meetings took place in schools, community centers, libraries, and homes. Robinson and Young devote a chapter to each city or village. Each chapter briefly examines the area's geographic makeup, history, and location, then provides a transcript of the conversation. The kids speak about school, aspirations, family life, safety, and the difficulties of living in the Occupied Territories. Many answers are typical of young people anywhere, but most touch on the experience of living under occupation. In addition, excerpts from some of the young people's writing are included. Photographs, maps, and art are interspersed throughout, enhancing the text. Beyond the initial information in each chapter, there is very little commentary from Robinson and Young; the voices of the Palestinian youths are what drive and shape this work. A time line of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is appended, as are references for films, websites, and books. VERDICT A straightforward, compelling, and eye-opening look at life in Palestine for all nonfiction collections.Amanda MacGregor, formerly at Great River Regional Library, Saint Cloud, MN

There is no shortage of information published about the conflicts in the Middle East, but this book offers an uncommon perspective on Israeli-Palestinian relations. It tells the story of several Palestinian children living in the West Bank. The introduction explains the loss of Palestinian land in 1948, focusing especially on the Oslo Peace Accords of 1993 that continue to leave the final status of the West Bank in limbo. Poverty, lack of access to education, demolition and seizure of property, and abuses of civil rights by Israeli troops are just some of the broad themes discussed in interviews conducted with young people in nine different towns throughout Palestinian lands. Readers may be surprised at some of the mundane similarities between themselves and the subjects of the book, but the harsh realities of a place where military checkpoints and separation walls are everywhere are undeniable. Robinson and Young assert that if the problems of the Middle East are ever to be fully grasped, empathy and understanding must start with young people.

Children, teens, and 20-somethings, from all over Gaza Strip and the West Bank, speak in their own voices about their daily experiences of living under occupation. After explaining what the occupation is and how it affects those living under it, the authors organize the book into chapters by the places they visited: Ramallah, Jenin, Nablus, Qattana, Sebastiya, Gaza, Beit Ur, and Hebron. In each, following some background information, the young people interviewed speak for themselves. Children from Ramallah express their fear of Israeli settlers who sometimes fire bullets at them. A common sentiment is expressed by 20-year-old Muath: "It's not normal to be a prisoner in your country." Mohammed, 17, says: "I hate seeing the Wall. It's wrong; it shouldn't be there." Checkpoints and walls are a constant in the lives of Palestinian youth. A 10-year-old in Nablus is one of many who expresses the fear he feels at the sight of an Israeli soldier. What readers will discover is that these young Palestinians want the same things young people want everywhere: a stable family life, the freedom to move about their country, and a safe and secure space in which to grow up. This is these young Palestinians' story; readers interested in the Israeli perspective will need to look elsewhere. A poignant, powerful, and insightful collection of voices seldom heard. (photos, maps, timeline, references) (Nonfiction. 12-18)