Persian Gulf War, 1991 -- Juvenile fiction. |
Families -- Iraq -- Juvenile fiction. |
Iraq -- History -- 20th century -- Juvenile fiction. |
Hussein, Saddam, 1937-2006 -- Juvenile fiction. |
Ḥusayn, Ṣaddām, 1937-2006 |
Tikrītī, Ṣaddām Ḥusayn, 1937-2006 |
Takrītī, Ṣaddām Ḥusayn, 1937-2006 |
Hussain, Saddam, 1937-2006 |
Husain, Saddam, 1937-2006 |
Ḥusayn, Ṣadām, 1937-2006 |
Husein, Sadam, 1937-2006 |
Ḣu̇sei̐n, Săddam, 1937-2006 |
Khuseĭn, Saddam, 1937-2006 |
Husain, Sadam, 1937-2006 |
Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti, Saddam Ḥussein, 1937-2006 |
Saddam Hussein, 1937-2006 |
חוסין, צדאם |
حسين، صدام |
حسين، صدام، 1937- |
حسين، صدام، 1937-2006 |
حسين، صدام، 2006-1937 |
صدام حسين |
Desert Storm, Operation, 1991 |
Gulf War, 1991 |
Operation Desert Storm, 1991 |
War in the Gulf, 1991 |
Family |
Families -- Social aspects |
Families -- Social conditions |
Family life |
Family relationships |
Family structure |
Relationships, Family |
Structure, Family |
Available:
Library | Shelf Number | Shelf Location | Status |
---|---|---|---|
Searching... Beckwith Middle School | FIC ROY | HISTORICAL FICTION | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Easton - Ames Free Library | JUV FIC ROY | CHILDREN FICTION | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... New Bedford Free Public Library | J FIC ROY | CHILDREN FICTION | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Norton Public Library | J ROY | CHILDREN FICTION | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Plainville Public Library | J ROY | CHILDREN FICTION | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Rehoboth - Blanding Free PL | J FIC ROY, J. | CHILDREN FICTION | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Seekonk - Hurley Middle School | ROY | FICTION | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
At the start of 1991, eleven-year-old Ali Fadhil was consumed by his love for soccer, video games, and American television shows. Then, on January 17, Iraq's dictator Saddam Hussein went to war with thirty-four nations led by the United States.
Over the next forty-three days, Ali and his family survived bombings, food shortages, and constant fear. Ali and his brothers played soccer on the abandoned streets of their Basra neighborhood, wondering when or if their medic father would return from the war front. Cinematic, accessible, and timely, this is the story of one ordinary kid's view of life during war.
Reviews (5)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Fadhil's childhood in Iraq forms the basis of this dramatic fictionalized account of life during Operation Desert Storm, the 43-day war that followed Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1991, which conveys both the horrors and banality of war. Eleven-year-old Ali loves reading Superman comics, playing soccer, and watching American television, from which he has learned English. He hates Saddam Hussein and anguishes that "soon, America-the land that I love-is going to try to kill me." Ali's narrative voice captures the tension of a boy who is young enough to cry when his mother burns a comic book to cook their rice and old enough to comprehend the absurdity of Americans dubbing the nightly bombing "the video game war." Ali's experiences include being forced to watch a public execution, fearing his father has been killed, and being irritated that he can't play outside. Roy (Jars of Hope) and Fadhil, an interpreter during Hussein's trial, offer a window into what Ali calls "the true Iraq" and a disturbing but accessible portrait of a civilian child's perspective on war. Ages 10-12. Agent: Alyssa Eisner Henkin, Trident Media Group. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Eleven-year-old Ali lives with his Christian-Kurdish family in Basra, Iraq, during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Entranced with American television, comics, and video games, Ali is dismayed to be considered the "enemy"; why can't they just kill Saddam Hussein and leave Ali and his countrymen alone? Young Ali's engaging voice and perspective add appeal to this story based on contributor Fadhil's childhood in war-ravaged Iraq. (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
In my lifetime, we have barely had any peace, says 11-year-old Ali Fadhil as he braces for the impact of 1991's Operation Desert Storm, the second war he's weathered in his short life. Ali loves the West and it's many offerings: comic books, TV shows, and video games. He doesn't love Saddam, Saddam's war, or having to put life on hold while coalition forces strike Basra, Ali's beloved, ancient hometown. Of course, Ali knows better than to criticize the dictator publicly or risk his family's harm. Armed with a brisk first-person narrative, Roy (Yellow Star, 2006) captures Fadhil's real-life recollections of the Gulf War. What strikes are the mundane aspects of the brief war: going out to play and explore a familiar but ruined neighborhood, the boredom and fear of awaiting scheduled airstrikes, living with uncertainty about loved ones returning home. Still, there's room for optimism and humor despite Fadhil's harrowing experience. Roy ends with Fadhil's third war, and his role in bringing Saddam to justice is the poetic finale of a personal fight.--Jones, Courtney Copyright 2017 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-7-An adaptation of Fadhil's true story of life in Iraq during the Gulf War. Eleven-year-old Ali lives in Basra with his father, mother, two brothers, and sister. Ali thinks he was born with a "silver spoon" as his parents' employment (his father is a dentist and his mother is a math professor) affords them certain luxuries including a home in a nice neighborhood, access to American television, video games, and Superman comic books. Things begin to change in 1991 when the U.S. invades Iraq at the start of the Gulf War. Ali's father leaves to provide medical care to soldiers, and the family is left to worry about his safety. Bombings destroy bridges and buildings, and they go without power and with very little food. The book follows Ali through this scary and uncertain time. This blending of biography, historical fiction, and realistic fiction paints a vivid portrait of daily family life in Iraq and the trials many faced. The writing is straightforward and accessible. VERDICT This book could be used to facilitate discussion of history, culture, politics, or geography with young readers. A good choice for most middle grade shelves.-Tiffany Davis, Mount Saint Mary College, Newburgh, NY © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Ali's hometown of Basra, Iraq, is near the border with Kuwait, which makes it a dangerous place to live in 1991, during Operation Desert Storm.Eleven-year-old Ali Fadhil is a fan of American television and Superman comic books. He loves English class and playing football (soccer) with his friends. His Christian, Kurdish family's affluent lifestyle is interrupted when a coalition of countries initiates military action to stop Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait. Because of the war, Ali's father is away, bombs fall daily, and Ali sleeps in "the safe room" with his mother and siblings. The food supply is cut off, so the family depends on government rations once their own stores run out. When his older brother, Shirzad, is appointed head of the family in his father's absence and his mother begins burning his precious comic collection for heat, Ali has nearly all he can handle. Based on co-author Fadhil's own childhood, the novel reads somewhat like a journal, detailing scenes in the neighborhood and changes to daily life, but as is often the case with real life, it lacks a solid climax and resolution. While Ali's voice and emotional life lack the vitality that would draw readers in to the story, the snapshot of his society at war is strong, and there are very few children's books in English with Kurdish protagonists.A well-researched piece of historical fiction, just a bit flat as a novel. (Historical fiction. 8-13) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.