Fitzhenry & Whiteside Limited

Major Selling Points - Presents a positive model for friendship and cooperation among those with deep-seated ethnic and religious differences. - Child-centered story in a familiar camp setting makes the content accessible to young readers. - Focuses on an area of the world that is constantly in the news. - Introduces the history of the Holy Land, the surrounding area, and their conflicts in the context of a story that young readers can understand and relate to. - Offers an objective look at both sides of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and how living amid this situation affects the everyday lives of children in the region. - Peace Camp is operated by Givat Haviva, an internationally-known peace organization. It won the UNESCO Prize for Peace Education in 2001, has close connections to the United Nations, and has support and offices around the world, including the United States, Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands. The author and photographer attended Peace Camp and worked closely with Givat Haviva in developing the book. The organization has expressed support for the project, which could translate into international exposure for the book. - Ties in with numerous strands of the Social Studies Curriculum Standards, including "Culture," "Time, Continuity, and Change," "People, Places, and Environments," "Individual Development and Identity," "Power, Authority, and Governance," and "Global Connections." (source: NCSS Standards) - Features captivating color photographs by noted photojournalist Cindy Karp, plus a map, glossary/pronunciation guide, and recommended Web sites and books for further exploration of the themes and issues covered in the book. Comparative Books The following books deal with aspects of Israeli/Palestinian relationships among children or teenagers, although none focuses on the experiences of younger children in a peace-inducing setting. - Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood by Itbisam Barakat (FSG, 2007, $16.00, ISBN 978-0374357337). A memoir of a Palestinian woman's childhood experiences during the Six-Day War and its aftermath. - Understanding the Holy Land: Answering Questions About the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict by Mitch Frank (Viking, 2005, $17.99, ISBN 978-06700603200). The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is explored by answering questions such as "What is intifada?" and "Why is peace so hard?" - Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak by Deborah Ellis (Groundwood, 2004, $16.96, ISBN 978-0888995544). A collection of accounts from young people between the ages of eight and eighteen in which they talk about their fears and hopes for the future. - We Just Want to Live Here: A Palestinian Teenager, an Israeli Teenager-an Unlikely Friendship by Amal Rifa'i, Odelia Ainbinder, and Sylke Tempel (St. Martin's Griffin, 2003, $11.95 paperback, ISBN 978-0312318949). The letters between two eighteen-year-olds, an Arab and a Jew, explore the feelings and emotions on both sides of the conflict. - Samir and Yonatan by Daniella Carmi (Scholastic/Blue Sky, 2002, $4.99 paperback, ISBN 978-0439135238). A novel in which a Palestinian boy comes to terms with his younger brother's death by an Israeli soldier. - Turbulent Times/Prophetic Dreams: Art from Israeli and Palestinian Children by Harold S. Koplewicz, Gail Furman, and Robin F. Goodman (Pitspopany Press, 2000, $18.95, ISBN 978-1930143098). Drawings of nine- to fourteen-year-old Israeli and Palestinian children along with comments in which the children reveal the tensions and hopes that are part of their everyday lives. - The Enemy Has A Face: The Seeds of Peace Experience by John Wallach, Michael Wallach, and James Luloski (United States Institute of Peace Press, 2000, $12.95, ISBN 978-1878379962). Describes the Seeds of Peace program, in existence since 1993, in which hundreds of Arab and Israeli teenagers live in the woods of Maine for three weeks to meet "their enemies" face to face.