IraqiGirl

July 6, 2009
In 2004 in Mosul (the third largest city in Iraq), a 15-year-old girl started a blog detailing her life in the midst of the Iraq War. Her journal encompasses the day-to-day trauma the American invasion has caused her city, her family and friends. “Today is like every day in Iraq. No electricity, no fun, and no peace,” writes Hadiya (all Iraqi names in the book are pseudonyms). Her struggle against helplessness is agonizing, though her view modulates somewhat over time (her blog is still active, but the book covers her writings only through 2007). “I sense that my country is still beautiful in spite of everything that has happened to it,” she says during a hopeful moment. Poems and photographs accompany her thoughts on her academic struggles, Islam and growing up in a war zone; comments from her blog are interspersed, and Hadiya responds to others in several entries (“Another anonymous said, 'You certainly don't deserve this life.' I want to ask you something—is this really a life?”). Hadiya's authentically teenage voice, emotional struggles and concerns make her story all the more resonant. Ages 12–up.

November 1, 2009
Gr 7 Up-This is a compilation of blog entries that span from 2004 to 2007; the book concludes with a recent interview with "Hadiya" in which she explains that she blogs in English because most of her visitors are English speakers. (An editor's note informs readers that only pseudonyms are used but that Hadiya is a real teen living in Mosul.) In the book, she describes her schooling and how it is affected by bombs, missiles, and gunfire. She writes at length about her relationships with her family and friends and how they are tested by the horror surrounding them, and of the lack of ordinary conveniences such as telephones and power. Readers learn that Hadiya, her family, and many other Iraqi citizens do not welcome the American soldiers. They hate the war and what it has done to their lives. Photos are scattered throughout; some enhance the text greatly, while others seem random and unnecessary. While the editors wanted to stay true to the blog, some editing for consistency would have been helpful. Sometimes Hadiya offers English equivalents, e.g., the Arabic grade level as compared to the English grade level; other times, however, she does not. Minor issues aside, the book is eye-opening and important. Hadiya's vivid descriptions of her feelings about the war are heartbreaking as she worries about dying in a war she doesn't believe in."Sarah K. Allen, Elko Middle School, Sandston, VA"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2009
Grades 7-12 I heard the sound of bombing and bullets and I couldnt concentrate. Despite all the news coverage about the war in Iraq, very little is reported about how it affects the daily lives of ordinary citizens. A high-schooler in the city of Mosul fills in the gap with this compilation of her blog posts, illustrated with photos, about living under U.S. occupation. She writes in English because she wants to reach Americans, and in stark specifics, she records the terrifying dangers of car bombs on her street and American warplanes overhead, as well as her everyday struggles to concentrate on homework when there is no water and electricity at home. Her tone is balanced: she does not hate Americans, and although she never supported Saddam Hussein, she wonders why he was executed. There are some repetitive passages, but readers will appreciate the details about family, friends, school, and reading Harry Potter, as well as the ever-present big issues for which there are no simple answers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)