Children of War

April 1, 2009
Gr 6-9-In the fall of 2007, Ellis visited Jordan in an attempt to bring attention to the plight of adolescent Iraqi refugees. The resulting book is a collection of heartrending entries based on interviews with displaced kids between the ages 8 and 19. Though young in years, these individuals have suffered through more death, destruction, and violence than most people endure in a lifetime. Their voices run the gamut from sad to hopeful to angry to insightful. Most express frustration at living in a land that doesn't necessarily want them, and more than one espouses an anti-American sentiment. But the young people are honest in their desire for an end to the war, peace among nations, a solid education, and a place to finally call home. The introduction offers a clear, concise summary of the events leading up to the 2003 Iraq invasion. Maps of both the Middle East and the world provide readers with an understanding of where this is all taking place, and the photographs accompanying the stories personalize the harrowing plights (though some interviewees declined to have their pictures published for safety reasons) that are hard for those who haven't lived them to comprehend."Kelly McGorray, Glenbard South High School, Glen Ellyn, IL"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.