Monday, November 6, 2017

Sami and the Time of the Troubles


Sami and the Time of the Troubles

Written by: Florence Parry Heide & Judith Heide Gilliland
Illustrated by: Ted Lewin
Genre: Historical Fiction
Grades: 3-5
Awards: None

This story follows 10 year old Sami that is experiencing the Lebanon Civil War of 1975. Him and his family live in the basement of his uncle's house, so they can be kept safe as guns and bombs go off, especially at night time. Sami reminisce the times when they used to have quiet days. Like one day, his grandfather took him, his sister, and their mother to the beach for a picnic. The grandfather said that this is what it used to be, but the mother disagreed because her husband is gone due to a bomb placed in the market. Back to the present, Sami says it is not a good day because they are currently in the basement due to gunfire in the streets. During the violence going on outside, Sami sister sings a song that their father used to sing. Whenever Sami hears his father's song, it reminds him of his father's peach trees and how if his trees are still alive due to the war. The morning comes and the radio says it is now safe to go outside. Sami goes outside and enjoys the blue sky and the patches of green in the city. Sami and his friend Amir clean the streets a bit, and now it is bustling with people working, talking, buying, and selling. Sami sees a wedding occurring and he wonders if his parents wedding was like this before. Amir and Sami discuss that when they are older, they hope that don't have to use real guns as adults, because they hope that the fighting will stop. The city streets then soon filled with children marching and carrying banners, flags, and signs that say "Stop. Stop the fighting." Sami returns to the basement to talk with his grandfather. Sami realizes that him and the rest of the children are the future of their country and have a voice to stop this war.

I really enjoyed reading this book and would love to have this in my own classroom library. This book would be good for third to fifth graders. I would use this book over a unit about different civil wars occurring in different countries. I would also have my students write about what they would feel during a civil war in their country and what would they do to make a difference as a child. 

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