Sami and the Time of the Troubles [Hardcover]

Florence Parry Heide (Author), Judith Heide Gilliland (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

A ten-year-old Lebanese boy balances his life in a war-torn city.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

With a child's frankness, Sami tells of life in war-torn Beirut--an existence spent between the relative safety of Grandfather's cellar hearing gunshots and falling bombs, and brief sojourns into the city's rubble to experience life above ground. Sami's poignant and appealing narrative is imbued with a wisdom far beyond his years. Left fatherless by a bomb blast, he has boyish yearnings to play at soldiers and build a sandcastle, but these are tempered by ever-present reality. He understands that the future depends on his generation, and the text picks up moments of relaxation--the discovery of a luscious peach on sale, memories of a day at the beach. Lewin's brooding watercolors dramatically depict the contrast between cellar-bound days and rare moments of eye-squinting sunshine. And while his studies do not portray the worst horrors of living in a war zone, they exude a brave optimism. This uncommon picture book, valuable for its portrait of children caught in modern-day conflicts, is sure to lead to thought-provoking discussions. Ages 5-9.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 3 Up-- Ten-year-old Sami lives in Beirut, Lebanon. Because of gunfire and bombing in the streets, he and his family spend much of their time in the basement of an uncle's house. There they listen to the radio or stare at the carpets Sami's mother insisted on bringing along as reminders of a normal life. When there is a lull in the fighting, the boy enjoys a day at the beach or meets with a friend to make a fort and play at war. ```When we are older, we will have real guns,''' says Amir. Sami disagrees. ```The fighting will be over then. It cannot last forever.''' At the story's end, Sami and his family are back underground listening as the ``noises of the night'' begin. As in The Day of Ahmed's Secret (Lothrop, 1990), three marvelously talented collaborators offer a powerful, poignant book. Heide and Gilliland's lyrically written, haunting story makes clear that war threatens not only physical existence but affects the human spirit as well. Lewin's watercolor illustrations capture contemporary Beirut with stunning clarity and drama. A bridal party walks through the rubble of a bombed-out street, old men drink coffee and smoke water-pipes, a blue sky startles with its brilliance. And Sami--surrounded by the carpets whose muted colors suggest a glimmering of hope--waits in the black cave of a basement. Unforgettable. --Ellen D. Warwick, Robbins Library, Arlington, MA
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books (April 20, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395559642
• ISBN-13: 978-0395559642
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 10.6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,381,246 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Touchable, June 2, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Sami and the Time of the Troubles (Hardcover)

This book will help children put themselves into Sami's war ravaged world. They will feel the angst of civil war and worry about Sami's safety in a book that makes readers feel as if they could reach out and touch the rubble in the streets of Lebanon. The book portrays the intermittent bombing and roller coaster of emotions faced by those who lived through the civil war. A wonderful mix of history and fiction which must be read.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book of hope........, July 30, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Sami and the Time of the Troubles (Paperback)

My boyfriend lived in Lebanon during the time frame of this book. This book was close to the life he knew then. I bought the book for my sister's Arab American child. It is often difficult to find children's books with an Arabic theme. This is a wonderful one.

5.0 out of 5 stars An AWAIR Pick!!!, May 18, 2011

By 

AWAIR Reviews (Berkeley, US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sami and the Time of the Troubles (Paperback)

Ted Lewin has again lavishly illustrated a work by the same authors as The Day of Ahmed's Secret. Ten-year-old Sami lives with his family in Beirut. This poetic and beautiful book tells of the family's strength and of Sami's determined optimism in the face of war's devastation. This is a young children's picture storybook,so there are no politics here, no war's history, no taking of sides. . . except the side of children who want not to be in shelter, who want families whole, who want to play outside.

Teachers/Librarians - for Kindergarten - 6th grade. This special book speaks to the hearts of so many of our children in our classrooms, who come from war-torn communities everywhere. . . and one does not have to be an immigrant refugee to have had these experiences.