Freefall

January 1, 2009
Gr 8-10-Abigail Jacobs is preparing for high school graduation and compulsory service in the Israel Defense Forces. While her friend Shira is trying out for the entertainment troupe, Abigail has her sights set on the elite women's combat unit. Although she is discouraged by her family, she gains much-needed confidence and inner strength from Shira's older brother, Noah, a combat soldier himself. She survives a physically and mentally grueling boot camp and is inspired to help rescue stranded animals as bombs fall in northern Israel. When Noah is wounded and Aggie encounters him in the hospital, their relationship intensifies. Unlike Levine's "Running on Eggs" (Front St., 1999), this book is nearly devoid of politics, and the story could easily take place in any war-torn country where military service is a way of life for young people. A realistic narrative and a romance give the novel universal appeal. Recommend it to fans of Lisa Ann Sandell's "The Weight of the Sky" (Viking, 2006); readers can also turn to Valérie Zenatti's "When I Was a Soldier" (2005) and "A Bottle in the Gaza Sea" (2008, both Bloomsbury) for stories that focus more on the current conflict."Rachel Kamin, North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, Highland Park, IL"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2008
Grades 7-12 At 18, Aggie has to do her compulsory national service in the Israeli army, and she is determined not to get stuck in an office. Against her parents wishes, she wants to be a soldier, just like Noah, the hot brother of her best friend. She bonds with a group of nine girls as they go through grueling boot camp in the desert with a tough, angrycommander, and she wonders if she will make it into a combat unit. Then Noah is deployed to Lebanon, and Aggie drives north to help her friend Lily, whose home has been hit by a rocket attack. Levine lives in Israel and has two sons in the Israeli army, andshe writes withimmediate, vivid detail. There is no talk of politics or enemies or peace in this stirring novel. Aggies first-person, present-tense narrative is aboutcosmetics and kissing, as well as courage and conflict. Pair this with Cathryn Clintons A Stone in My Hand (2002) and other books that tell the story of Palestinian families in wartime.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)