Children of War http://www.fishpond.com.au/Books/Children-of-War-Deborah-Ellis/9780888999078

Five years have passed since the U.S. and its allies invaded Iraq, and true democracy has yet to come. Four million Iraqis have been displaced; half are living in desolate tent camps, the others mostly stuck in Jordan and Syrian. All face uncertain futures. In this book, Deborah Ellis turns her attention to the war's most tragic victims -- Iraqi children. She interviews more than 20 young Iraqis, mostly refugees living in Jordan, but also a few trying to build new lives in North America. Some families left Iraq with money; others are penniless, ill, or disabled. Most of the parents are working illegally or not at all, and the fear of deportation is a constant threat. The children speak for themselves, with little editorial comment, and their stories are frank, harrowing, and often reveal a surprising resilience in surviving the consequences of a war in which they played no part.

Reviews

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 Reed Business Information.