Shooting Kabul

Senzai, N.H. (2010). Shooting Kabul. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster Book for Young Readers.

Interest Level:  Grades 5-8

Reading Level: 5+

It's pre-September 11th in Afghanistan and twelve-year old Fadi's family are fleeing the country illegally, heading for the United States. Fadi's family had previously lived there while his father Habib received his PhD in Agriculture and had returned- despite his mother's feeling that they should stay in America- so that he could help the people of Afghanistan. Now the political environment grows more tense with Taliban control of the country. After a recent Taliban visit to the family's house to recruit Habib into Taliban leadership, he decides that it's time for him to move his family to safety. The night has come that they are to flee to Afghanistan, hidden in the back of a cargo truck with many other families leaving illegally. Fadi is responsible for getting his little sister on to the truck, but looses his grip on her hand when she drops her beloved doll and she wiggles free of him to retrieve it. With the Taliban closing in on them the truck driver drives away, leaving Miriam behind. The family makes it to Fremont, CA to stay with family, hopeful that they will see Miriam again. Fadi feels particularly responsible for her and devises many schemes, including winning a photography contest which would allow him to return to the Pakistan/Afghanistan border in the hopes of finding her.

Senzai's first novel is a well written book that makes the confusing topic of the events of September 11th more approachable for young readers. The age group that it's written for has knowledge of 9/11 and has been raised with the policies enacted as a reaction to the terrorist attacks and subsequent war, but they probably are not aware of the details of the time. This novel puts a human face on Middle Eastern families, showing that not all are extremists or terrorists. Readers will empathize with Fadi as he tries to find a way to get his sister back to the family and as he deals with bullying and racism at school. The timing of this novel's release make it a particularly good addition to any collection. 

The lions of Little Rock

The lions of Little Rock

By Kristin Levine

Interest level: Grades 5-8

It's 1958 in Little Rock Arkansas. This is the summer the governor has decided to ignore integration orders and to instead close Little Rock's high schools. Tensions are high and people, including those in the same family, do not always stand on the same side of the issues. Twelve-year old Marlee Nesbitt has one of those families. Her parents are both teachers- her dad at a junior high and her mom at a high school. Marlee prefers not to talk. It's not that she doesn't have plenty to say, it's that she prefers not to say them out loud. Then she meets Liz, the new girl at school who always seems to know the right thing to say at the right time. Liz decides she's going to help Marlee find her words, but then it comes out that Liz is a colored girl passing for white so that she can go to Marlee's all-white junior high.

The rest of the story follows not only the history and politics of the time, but also Marlee's growth as a person as she learns to fight for what she believes in. This story clearly and accurately portrays the struggles present in our nation at this painful time in history. Levine's characters on both sides of the segregation issue are well developed and believable.  Pair with Through my eyes by Ruby Bridges.

This advance copy was received from the publisher for review with no compensation. Publication date Jan. 2012.

Levine, K. (2012). The lions of Little Rock. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons.

How I found the Strong

How I found the Strong  by Margaret McMullan

Interest Level: Grades 5-8

Reading Level: 4+

Ten-year old "Shanks" Russell is a Southerner, living in Mississippi at the start of the Civil War. His given name is Frank, but his he was given this nickname which he despises by his Pa because of his small skinny legs. Shanks wants nothing more than to be like his Pa and to have the closeness Pa shares with Henry, Shanks older brother. When the war is declared, Pa and Henry take up arms against the North leaving Shanks behind with Ma, Grandma, Grandpa, and Buck- their slave.

The story that follows is one of hard times, death both in the battlefield and at home, the unexpected birth of a baby sister, and hunger as livestock is taken to fuel the war. When Pa returns it's minus an arm, some toes and Henry. He finds his family has no money and is down to their last ham bone, no corn, and only the peels from potatoes to make him a homecoming feast. He also finds that other Confederates are intent on taking their anger at slowly losing the war out on the slaves that remain and Buck is now a target. This novel is based on a family memoir found by the author and is a powerful reminder of the brutality of war, particularly our nation's Civil War. 

McMullan, M. (2004). How I found the Strong. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.

Birmingham Sunday

Birmingham Sunday

by Larry Dane Brimner

IL: Grades 6 and up

RL: 8+

Birmingham Sunday tells the story of segregation and the impact it had on blacks in the South. The book begins with the account of the horrific day in 1963 when sticks of dynamite were placed under Birmingham's Sixteenth Street Baptist Church's stairs and detonated during services, killing four young girls. Brinmer then proceeds to provide the back story of the events that lead up to the attack. Birmingham Sunday is highly factual, providing details on the Jim Crow laws of the time, leaders on both sides of the Civil Rights movements, groups like the KKK and NAACP, Brown v. the Board of Education, and the Freedom Rides to name a few. The book is full of photos of the events of the time, allowing the reader to experience the emotions of those involved in the events. There are numerous sidebars which flesh out the story. The pages often contain large quotes that highlight the more detailed accounts given in the paragraphs. The final pages provide biographical information about the four killed as well as information on the men that carried out the attacks.

This book is incredibly powerful. Its treatment of this tumultuous time in American history is stunning. Some of the photographs are very graphic, but they are not used gratuitously, but are there to illustrate the violence that was a daily part of the Civil Rights Movement. The lack of an index make this somewhat difficult to use for specific reports on the Civil Rights Movement, but events at the time were so intertwined that even if a student were doing a report on a specific aspect they could use this for supporting material. Source notes are well detailed and there is a bibliography for further reading. This is an excellent resource for the classroom or for anyone wanting a detailed account of the time period.

Brimner, L.D. (2010). Birmingham Sunday. Honesdale, PA: Calkins Creek.