A bunch of people asked me for the results of my request for
recommendations on books on Israel for 8th graders and for background
for a teacher teaching Israel to 8th graders. Here are the compiled
results. Thanks so much to everyone who responded to my
request! Janice Levine The Epstein School Atlanta
RECENT INFORMATIONAL BOOKS ON ISRAEL FOR MIDDLE SCHOOLERS (AND FOR
TEACHERS AS RESOURCE MATERIALS:
1. THE ACCIDENTAL EMPIRE: ISRAEL AND THE BIRTH OF THE SETTLEMENTS
1966-1977 by, Gershom Gorenberg
Pbk $17 ISBN-13: 978-0805082418
"Crucial to understanding the birth of settlements
and Palestinian conflict" (from Glenn Dynner)
2. For Ages 11-14 (from a 2005 Bibliography) (from Andrea Rapp)
Israel, by Adam Garfinkle. Philadelphia: Mason Crest Publishers,
©2004. Series: Modern Middle East Nations and Their Strategic Place
in the World Written by a Ph.D. in International Relations from
University of Pennsylvania, this straightforward work focuses on
Israeli life from a political, historical, and foreign affairs
perspective. ISBN-13: 978-1590845523 $25.95 (positive review in
the AJL Valuesfinder database)
Israel, by Jill Du Bois and Mair Rosh. New York: Benchmark Books,
©2004. Series: Cultures of the World. DuBois' book emphasizes Israeli
cultural aspects:
the various religions, languages, arts, leisure activities, foods,
holidays, ethnic groups and more.
Israel in Pictures, by Margaret J. Goldstein. Minneapolis: Lerner
Publishing, ©2004. Series: Visual Geography. Despite the title, this
is not a "picture book" for young children, but an accurate and
affirmative book on Israel's history, culture, and geography for grades 5-8.
Israel, by Louise Chipley Slavicek. Philadelphia: Chelsea House,
©2003. Series: Creation of the Modern Middle East. This excellent,
fair, and solid history of the State of Israel into the 21st century
is marred only by Professor Akbar Ahmed's well-meaning but misleading
introduction, which rehashes the old line that Arabs "cannot be
anti-Semitic" because they are Semites, and "cannot be anti-Judaic"
because Islam is respectful of "people of the Book."
Ilan Ramon: Jewish Star, by Devra Newberger Speregen. Jewish
Publication Society, ©2004. This tribute to the Israeli pilot and
astronaut conveys the spirit of Israel as it details the career and
courage of Ilan Ramon.
3.Rachel Kamin: I just read Tasting the Sky: A
Palestinian Childhood by Ibtisam Barakat.
"It is a beautiful account of a Palestinian family before, during,
and after the 6 day war which surprisingly doesn't deal with politics
in any way and portrays both sides as human beings."
4. You might want to take a look at a graphic history, Homeland, by Marv
Wolfman.
5. Michael Oren - The Six days of War is an absolute must (for adults)
6. Bard, Mitchell The Complete Idiot's Guide to Middle East
Conflict. 3RD Ed. 2005
7. You can look on the Learn Israel web site: www.learnisrael.org We
have several lesson plans and are posting more daily. There are also
good weblinks. (from Suzi Dubin)
8. I highly recommend The Israelis: Ordinary People in An
Extraordinary Land by Donna Rosenthal (Free Press/Simon and
Schuster). It's read in Jewish high schools all over the country.
It's in paperback
see www.DonnaRosenthal.com (from Bami Greene)
FROM THE AJL Jewish VALUESFINDER (Janice Levine's choices)
See the website www.ajljewishvalues.org
for more details on these books. All are for children, ages 11 and up.
Prices are list prices
1. Israel (Modern World Nation Series) by, Donald J.
Ziegler Chelsea House, 2007 ISBN 0791092100 $30
2. A Promise Fulfilled: Theodor Herzl, Chaim Weitzmann, David
Ben-Gurion and the Creation of the State of Israel
By, Howard Greenfield HarperCollins, Greenwillow, 2005
ISBN 006051504X $19.89
3. Israel by, Martin Hintz Rev.ed. Children's Press, 2006
ISBN 0516248545 $27.75
4. Israel in the News: Past, Present, and Future
MyReportLinks.com/Enslow, 2006 ISBN 787694584 $24.95
Useful because it has internet sites, which are supposedly updated
Online
5. Understanding the Holy Land: Answering Questions about
the Israel-Palestinian Conflict by, Mitch Frank
Viking, 2005 $17.99
Two new ones-need to wait for reviews, but sounded interesting:
Teens in Israel by, Michael Burgan Compass Point Books, 2007 For
Grades 5-8 $23.95
Welcome to Israel by, Elma Schemenauer The Child's World, 2007 For
Grades 3-6 $18.95
Due out 8/5/07
Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author
and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL)
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