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Books Pages
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Sharing Our Homeland: Palestinian and Jewish Children at Summer Peace Camp Description Meet Yuval, a Jewish child, and TK, a Palestinian child, and find out how they got to know each other, not as enemies, but as two kids going to camp together, sharing songs and crafts and games, and in the process, learning how to share their homeland of Israel. Excerpt 
Reviews
"Alya, an Israeli Palestinian girl in a Muslim family, chooses to wear a hijab. Yuval, an Israeli Jewish boy,
lives in a moshav farming community. In this picture-book photo-essay, crisp color images show the kids
at home and then having fun at Peace Camp, where they swim, make arts and crafts, and do other universal
summer-camp activities… Marx is frank about the continuing violence and conflict, and a contemporary image shows that
the tall West Bank safety wall is also a divider between cultures. Realistic and upbeat, this moves beyond
stereotypes and notions of the “other.” A glossary, bibliography, and long, personal author’s note
conclude."
"Peace is a relative term in this lengthy photographic essay featuring Alya, an Israeli Palestinian girl, and Yuval, an Israeli Jewish boy. They meet in a summer camp in Israel that’s designed to teach children to replace feelings of fearful hatred with respect through dialogue and a sharing of activities. Commonalities and differences are emphasized by addition of the cultural appreciation of foods and religious traditions to the usual summer-camp fun of swimming, crafts, music and sports. A session on emergency rescue, something both children have experienced due to the prevalence of violent extremism, is meant to offer reassurance that authorities work hard “to keep all the citizens of Israel safe.” Karp’s action-filled color photographs incorporate family scenes with the daily camp doings, giving readers a sense of both Palestinian and Jewish life. The difficult political climate is touched on, but it doesn’t overshadow the admirable efforts of parents and educators to instill a healthy, mutual tolerance, the idea being that the beginning of peace requires separate respectful coexistence. A useful teaching tool and discussion starter for multicultural curricula. (Informational picture book. 8-12)"
"This hopeful book is recommended for all libraries."
"Filled with beautiful color photographs and simple text, "Sharing our Homeland” will make a wonderful addition to libraries."
"Alya, an Israeli Palestinian girl, and Yuval, an Israeli Jewish boy, attend Peace Camp where kids learn respect for one anothers’ cultures. This photo-essay explores the home lives of both children, and follows them through the camp experience. The author provides very basic history and context for the Middle East conflict, always circling back to its effect on Alya’s and Yuval’s lives. She paints a compelling portrait of the camp...The lens of summer camp provides a positive introduction to a troubled region. The book’s hopeful tone may inspire readers to explore the topic further."
"This children's book is a great one for broaching a number of different subjects: tolerance and understanding for those who are different; friendship; going away to camp; and religions... One of the best parts of this book is when the children go on a field trip. They visit a Jewish Kibbutz where they bake Jewish bread (challah) and then they go to an Arab village where they bake bread called taboon. I liked that they did the same activity at both stops, showing how similar the two groups are. That's really what Peace Camp is all about: bringing children together so that they see they aren't really all that different. If more children in Israel and Palestine could experience such a camp perhaps the future of the region has a better chance for peace.""
"This children's book is a great one for broaching a number of different subjects: tolerance and understanding for those who are different; friendship; going away to camp; and religions... One of the best parts of this book is when the children go on a field trip. They visit a Jewish Kibbutz where they bake Jewish bread (challah) and then they go to an Arab village where they bake bread called taboon. I liked that they did the same activity at both stops, showing how similar the two groups are. That's really what Peace Camp is all about: bringing children together so that they see they aren't really all that different. If more children in Israel and Palestine could experience such a camp perhaps the future of the region has a better chance for peace."
"With its extensive narrative and action-packed photographs, this non-fiction children’s book provides an interesting glimpse of a bold experiment that encourages children to work toward peace in a region plagued by long-term conflict. Included in the text are some important lessons about the economic repercussions of conflict, including discrimination and barriers in traveling to work. This unique book will inform readers about the history of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute and encourage them to think about how children’s education can work toward conflict resolution. "
"This polished photo-essay by the creators of Everglades Forever is set at a day camp in Israel where Israeli and Palestinian children come together "not as enemies, but as campers, as children, and maybe, as friends." Marx's direct narrative and Karp's mostly candid, action-filled photos focus on two campers: Alya, an Israeli Palestinian girl and Yuval, an Israeli Jewish boy. After introducing their families and providing a capsule history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Marx offers an upbeat, present-tense description of camp life, which involves standard on-site activities as well as field trips to a kibbutz and an Arab village. Readers learn about each culture as campers visit museums and bake and break traditional breads in both places. Realities of the kids' turbulent homeland also surface: emergency responders giving a presentation demonstrate how a remote-controlled robot can be used to take care of suspicious objects, and Marx notes that the campers "have lived with the possibility of violence their entire lives." It's an informative, uplifting portrait of friendships forged in a peaceful oasis and a commitment to understanding and tolerance. "
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