A Little Piece of Ground -- Elizabeth Laird, Paperback

A Little Piece Of Ground will help young readers understand more about one of the worst conflicts afflicting our world today.

Written by Elizabeth Laird, one of Great Britain's best-known young adult authors, A Little Piece Of Ground explores the human cost of the occupation of Palestinian lands through the eyes of a young boy.

Twelve-year-old Karim Aboudi and his family are trapped in their Ramallah home by a strict curfew. In response to a Palestinian suicide bombing, the Israeli military subjects the West Bank town to a virtual siege. Meanwhile, Karim, trapped at home with his teenage brother and fearful parents, longs to play football with his friends. When the curfew ends, he and his friend discover an unused patch of ground that's the perfect site for a football pitch. Nearby, an old car hidden intact under bulldozed building makes a brilliant den. But in this city there's constant danger, even for schoolboys. And when Israeli soldiers find Karim outside during the next curfew, it seems impossible that he will survive.

This powerful book fills a substantial gap in existing young adult literature on the Middle East. With 23,000 copies already sold in the United Kingdom and Canada, this book is sure to find a wide audience among young adult readers in the United States.

Author: Elizabeth Laird
Publisher: Haymarket Books
Published: 10/01/2006
Pages: 240
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.52lbs
Size: 7.70h x 5.40w x 0.70d
ISBN: 9781931859387
Audience: Ages 9-12

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 5.1
Point Value: 9
Interest Level: Middle Grade Plus
Quiz #/Name: 110896 / Little Piece of Ground

Award: Middle East Book Awards - Winner

Review Citation(s):
Booklist 10/15/2006 pg. 40
School Library Journal 12/01/2006 pg. 148
Kliatt 01/01/2007 pg. 24
Multicultural Review 05/01/2007 pg. 95

About the Author
Multiple award-winning novelist Elizabeth Laird is the author of numerous children's books based on themes of social inequality. She lives in Surrey, England. Sonia Nimr is a lecturer at Bir Zeit University in Palestine.