Habibi

Naomi Shihab Nye is one of the kindest writers one could hope to meet, and the proof is all over her writing, which is full of open-hearted curiosity and awareness. Her protagonist, Liyana, may be a half-American, half-Palestinian moving out of America to her father's homeland, but Nye's writing turns the uprooting experience universal. Exploring a new city, meeting new people and family, and struggling with all of the languages and customs of a new country feel like familiar growing pains via Nye's pen, including the ever-present conflict between Jews and Arabs.

Nye treats the topic of Israel/Palestine conflict with a gentle hand, but she's not so nice as to be naive. Families are searched at borders. A couple of acts of police violence show more bring the conflict home to Liyana's family in a way that can't be kumbaya'd away, but that doesn't mean Nye won't leave the door open for hope and friendship where potential exists. Her lyrical prose is like a pen pal letter to your heart.

It also doesn't hurt that the book references the works of William Saroyan and Diane Ackerman, two more authors who made the world a more welcoming place. show less

I really like Liyana and the way Shihab Nye portrays her family's move from Missouri to Jerusalem, but I can't figure out the meaning of the abrupt ending. Is it supposed to be hopeful? Or maybe it's supposed to represent that, regardless of the relationships between individuals in Israel/Palestine, the conflicts have a life of their own?

I read this with my son as part of Level 7 of the Build Your Library homeschool curriculum.

A little slow at the start, but the book grew on me a little once the pace picked up. (The author's style of putting several loosely connected vignettes at the beginning made me think of a mosaic being put together in random order -- it takes a while to look like anything.) Since this is told in third person rather than in first, even though it mostly follows the girl's perspective, the narrative voice could've been more interesting and use more complex sentences. But I did like the little details of life in Palestine, and also appreciate the overriding message about how Arabs and Jews should put aside their anger and start listening to each other.

A nice little story about a young girl's struggle to make a new life for herself when the family moves from America to Israel. Despite the unrest, continual threat of war and the cultural differences between the Arabs, Armenians, Jews and Palestinians, Liyana gradually finds new friends and acceptance in her father's country. At times the plot is a little slow and Liyana is not always believable. However, the book does provide a interesting portrayal of the Arab-Israeli conflict that is occurring in the Middle East.

Well written classic work of nonfiction that holds up. Palestine is described exactly as it is. Through the well-written story, Nye presents a balanced picture of what it's like to live in Palestine/the West Bank by including a Jewish character.

I really enjoyed this book and not going to lie I was at first uneasy with the fact that Israel is referred to as Palestine, but to some that is what that piece of land is. I loved the way the author connected the two cultures and religions and it shows a true dream of what someday maybe the Middle East can accomplish. That specific message I think is one that every child in a Temple, Mosque, or Church should read and learn about; because peace in the Middle East can benefit all three Monotheistic religions.

From School Library Journal
Grade 5-9. An important first novel from a distinguished anthologist and poet. When Liyana's doctor father, a native Palestinian, decides to move his contemporary Arab-American family back to Jerusalem from St. Louis, 14-year-old Liyana is unenthusiastic. Arriving in Jerusalem, the girl and her family are gathered in by their colorful, warmhearted Palestinian relatives and immersed in a culture where only tourists wear shorts and there is a prohibition against boy/girl relationships. When Liyana falls in love with Omer, a Jewish boy, she challenges family, culture, and tradition, but her homesickness fades. Constantly lurking in the background of the novel is violence between Palestinian and Jew. It builds show more from minor bureaucratic annoyances and humiliations, to the surprisingly shocking destruction of grandmother's bathroom by Israeli soldiers, to a bomb set off in a Jewish marketplace by Palestinians. It exacts a reprisal in which Liyana's friend is shot and her father jailed. Nye introduces readers to unforgettable characters. The setting is both sensory and tangible: from the grandmother's village to a Bedouin camp. Above all, there is Jerusalem itself, where ancient tensions seep out of cracks and Liyana explores the streets practicing her Arabic vocabulary. Though the story begins at a leisurely pace, readers will be engaged by the characters, the romance, and the foreshadowed danger. Poetically imaged and leavened with humor, the story renders layered and complex history understandable through character and incident. Habibi succeeds in making the hope for peace compellingly personal and concrete...as long as individual citizens like Liyana's grandmother Sitti can say, "I never lost my peace inside." show less