A Little Piece of Ground

From School Library Journal Grade 6-10–Karim, a 12-year-old Palestinian boy, works with two friends to transform an abandoned lot in Ramallah–the little piece of ground–into a soccer field and a getaway from the trials of both family and life under occupation. Hopper, a new friend who had until recently lived in a refugee camp and whose older brother is in the custody of the Israelis, and Joni, a Christian boy whose family has always been close to Karim's, represent in some ways the opposite poles that Karim yo-yos between. Hopper is somewhat suspect, simply because he was a refugee. Furthermore, his actions are brash and defiant; he stands up to an Israeli tank, brandishing an eggplant like a grenade and swinging from its gun. The town is put under Israeli curfew, and first Hopper and later Karim are shot at by soldiers and wounded, Karim seriously enough to require hospitalization. Throughout this powerful narrative, the authors remain true to Karim's character and reactions. He is a typical self-centered adolescent who longs to hang out with his friends, go to school, and play sports. His parents and relatives provide some of the necessary background information and commentary about the occupation. At the book's end, Karim is allowed to spend time outside for the first time since his wound, and is reunited with Hopper. The boys attend a celebration and are chillingly greeted as heroes. As notable in its way as James D. Forman's historical novels of the late '60s and '70s, A Little Piece of Ground

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1931859388

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