Customer Reviews

Sami and the Time of the Troubles

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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.

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.

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.

A great source for teaching multicultural literature. I think it's a good read-aloud because it facilitates discussion.