From: Susanna Reich <reichgolio>
Date: Tue, 13 May 2008 10:05:28 -0400

Some of my favorite books about the Middle East are by Suzanne Fisher Staple. I especially liked Shabanu, Daughter of the Wind. Before she wrote for kids, Staples was chief of United Press International's South Asia bureau, reporting from Pakistan and Afghanistan, among other countires. Her books combine an intimate knowledge of the region with a wonderful gift for storytelling.

Another well-wrought YA novel set in the region is Real Time, by Pnina Kass, an American who's lived in Israel for several decades. It's about a suicide bombing and its effect on both Palestinians and Israelis, and manages to present a politically-charged topic from many angles.

And, don't forget books by poet and novelist Naomi Shihab Nye, a Palestinian-American who lived in Ramallah, Jordan, as a teenager and now calls San Antonio home. Susanna

Susanna Reich Children's Book Author www.susannareich.com coming in July: Painting the Wild Frontier: The Art and Adventures of George Catlin
(Clarion)
Received on Tue 13 May 2008 09:05:28 AM CDT