Starred Review Sokolower, a white, Jewish high-school social studies teacher from California, visited Palestine to try to understand the ongoing conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians. In a number of visits between 2012 and 2019, she interviewed children and teenagers from Silwan, a Palestinian village south of the Old City in Jerusalem, about their lives there. She honestly tells young readers that her reporting isn't "even-handed' about what was happening in Silwan." She "felt strongly that the Palestinians were fighting against a clear injustice." The harrowing and heartbreaking true stories told by the Palestinian children reveal the obvious parallels between the treatment of Indigenous people by the U.S. government in the past and the current racial injustices, especially toward Black people, prevalent in the U.S. now: one Palestinian boy discusses how his friend was arrested because the Israelis assumed his broken ruler was a weapon. Despite their struggles, these Palestinian youth are resilient and determined to fight to stay in Silwan. Their stories will elicit empathy and outrage at the unfairness of their treatment. Supplementary matter includes an introduction by Nick Estes, who is Lower Brule Sioux, as well as black-and-white photos, maps, and footnotes that contain definitions of Islamic sayings. Necessary reading that is highly recommended.

Through the personal stories of Palestinians, Sokolower lays bare daily realities of segregation and displacement.Sokolower, a Jewish social studies teacher from California, never intended to make multiple visits over the course of 7 years to Silwan, near Jerusalem, documenting the injustices Palestinian youth face under Israel's military occupation. But after learning about U.S. military funding to Israel and the many parallels between the lives of Palestinians and the experiences of Black Americans facing police brutality, she couldn't remain silent. An introduction by professor Nick Estes (Lower Brule Sioux) draws a powerful parallel between settler colonialism and the plights of Palestinians and Native Americans. Each chapter in this clear, evocative, moving work shows how Palestinians are routinely harassed, dehumanized, and detained. The author presents stories such as that of Sahar Abbasi, who works with youth suffering from PTSD after being interrogated and threatened by Israelis soldiers and settlers. Bayan Abbasi (no relation to Sahar) lives less than 20 miles from her university, but with checkpoints and the apartheid wall, the journey takes hours each way. Whenever Sokolower returned, she saw the devastating impact of Israeli expansion into Silwan. The narratives and background information vividly show readers how Israel's occupation affects mental health, education, employment, and everyday familial life, but they also paint a beautiful picture of resistance in the face of harrowing despair. Maps and photographs enhance and clarify the text.An urgent book about the impact of Israel's occupation on Palestinian youth. (glossary) (Nonfiction. 12-adult)

Through the personal stories of Palestinians, Sokolower lays bare daily realities of segregation and displacement.Sokolower, a Jewish social studies teacher from California, never intended to make multiple visits over the course of 7 years to Silwan, near Jerusalem, documenting the injustices Palestinian youth face under Israel's military occupation. But after learning about U.S. military funding to Israel and the many parallels between the lives of Palestinians and the experiences of Black Americans facing police brutality, she couldn't remain silent. An introduction by professor Nick Estes (Lower Brule Sioux) draws a powerful parallel between settler colonialism and the plights of Palestinians and Native Americans. Each chapter in this clear, evocative, moving work shows how Palestinians are routinely harassed, dehumanized, and detained. The author presents stories such as that of Sahar Abbasi, who works with youth suffering from PTSD after being interrogated and threatened by Israelis soldiers and settlers. Bayan Abbasi (no relation to Sahar) lives less than 20 miles from her university, but with checkpoints and the apartheid wall, the journey takes hours each way. Whenever Sokolower returned, she saw the devastating impact of Israeli expansion into Silwan. The narratives and background information vividly show readers how Israel's occupation affects mental health, education, employment, and everyday familial life, but they also paint a beautiful picture of resistance in the face of harrowing despair. Maps and photographs enhance and clarify the text.An urgent book about the impact of Israel's occupation on Palestinian youth. (glossary) (Nonfiction. 12-adult)

In this absorbing nonfiction account that draws parallels between the lives of Palestinian and U.S. youth, Sokolower, a white Jewish high school teacher who traveled to East Jerusalem to document the lives of young people in Silwan, writes, -Being in Palestine made me think differently about the United States.- Sara, 16, one Silwan student, fears being teargassed or shot at Israeli checkpoints; eight years ago, Israeli authorities bulldozed her family home. As Sara tells Sokolower, -For a long time, I felt afraid. But I am not afraid anymore.- Sokolower quotes her own students in Berkeley discussing similar fears, and details how her Latinx immigrant neighbors in San Francisco face raids, evictions, and arrest. Alongside numerous interviews with Palestinian youth, who demonstrate resilience and resistance through their engagement with Palestinian hip-hop and dance, Sokolower profiles people such as Corrina Gould, cofounder and lead organizer of Indian People Organizing for Change in California. Sokolower powerfully juxtaposes personal experiences in Silwan alongside examples of racism, structural injustice, and settler colonialism in the U.S., showing how racialized young people in both locations face daily fears of police brutality and housing insecurity while reliving past traumas of displacement and violence. A comprehensive, eye-opening primer, augmented by affecting b&w photos. Ages 12-up. (May)