Children of War

April 1, 2009
Gr 6-9-In the fall of 2007, Ellis visited Jordan in an attempt to bring attention to the plight of adolescent Iraqi refugees. The resulting book is a collection of heartrending entries based on interviews with displaced kids between the ages 8 and 19. Though young in years, these individuals have suffered through more death, destruction, and violence than most people endure in a lifetime. Their voices run the gamut from sad to hopeful to angry to insightful. Most express frustration at living in a land that doesn't necessarily want them, and more than one espouses an anti-American sentiment. But the young people are honest in their desire for an end to the war, peace among nations, a solid education, and a place to finally call home. The introduction offers a clear, concise summary of the events leading up to the 2003 Iraq invasion. Maps of both the Middle East and the world provide readers with an understanding of where this is all taking place, and the photographs accompanying the stories personalize the harrowing plights (though some interviewees declined to have their pictures published for safety reasons) that are hard for those who haven't lived them to comprehend."Kelly McGorray, Glenbard South High School, Glen Ellyn, IL"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from March 1, 2009
Grades 7-12 *Starred Review* As in Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak (2004), Ellis gets behind the news images and lets the most vulnerable civilians bear witness to what todays wars are doing to their lives. With the help of interpreters, she interviews child refugees from Iraq, now living in Jordan, and a few who have made it to Canada. A brief general introduction talks about the contemporary politics and the ethnic and religious diversity, and Ellis is clear about the brutality of Saddam, his fall, the role of oil in the conflict, the U.S. invasion, and bombing. Accompanying each of the following interviews with young people is a brief introduction and a photo, although a few children didnt want to be identified. Some have strong opinions for and against Saddam and the U.S.; most do not. What is haunting are their graphic recent memories of what they witnessed, including school bombings, violence against their families, arrests, and displacement. One hates the invaders; another bonds with an American soldier who comes to search for weapons. Many live in a foreign country that does not want them. An important, current title that will have lasting significance.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2009
In this look at young lives shattered by the Iraq War, Iraqi refugees (most living in Jordan) ranging in age from eight to nineteen tell their stories of displacement. The narratives are clear-eyed and wrenching, underscoring the damage that war inflicts on its most innocent victims, the children. A cogent introduction and a map provide context for readers. Websites. Glos.

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)