80 Days of News, 80 Collages & One Truth I've Learned about People & Cultures in Collision

Another Mother's Grief (8.11.14)

Reconciliation Can Happen Between Equals (8.12.14)

From May 25, 2014 to August 12, 2014 I read The New York Times each morning and then created a collage based on some aspect of the news.  (You can see all 80 here and in the slideshow below). It has been a difficult time in the world with wars and coups happening in Iraq, Gaza, Israel, Thailand, and the Ukraine. At home (USA) issues related to economy, immigration, governance, women's rights, rape, and racial and gender injustices have been raised, argued, ignored, pitied and repeated.

Across these somewhat disparate situations, matters of power can be discerned regardless of the topic. Economic injustice rests beneath all of these concerns. There can be no peace without economic justice. Until we not only see other as worthy, but also know other as economic equal--we will continue to be mired in local and global contention. We must become (other)wise.

It was Edward Said who in writing about Palestine and Israel told us:

"I sincerely believe in reconciliation between peoples and cultures in collision, and have made it my life’s work to try to further that end. But true reconciliation cannot be imposed; neither can it occur between cultures and societies that are enormously uneven in power. The kind of reconciliation that can bring real peace can only occur between equals, between partners whose independence, strength of purpose, and inner cohesion allows them fully to understand and share with the other."

To make peace in the world, economic justice is
critical.  We must ensure that all become equal partners, not people colonized who are juxtaposed to one another across vast distances where servitude is insisted upon.

We can do better.

We must.






Cited:

Said, Edward W. (2012-10-24). Peace And Its Discontents: Essays on Palestine in the Middle East Peace Process . New York: Vintage.

Children's Books about the Middle East

Biography & Informational PK-3
Abouraya, Karen Leggett. (2012). Hands Around the Library: Protecting Egypt's Treasured Books. Illustrated by  Susan L. Roth. New York: Dial.
Aliki. (1985). Mummies Made in Egypt. New York: HarperCollins.
Khan, Hena. (2012). Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns: A Muslim Book of Colors. Illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.
Demi. (2013). Tutankhamen. Tarrytown, NY: Two Lions.
Milton, Joyce. (2000). Hieroglyphs. Illustrated by Charles Micucci. New York: Grosset & Dunlap.
Navarro, Dominique & Richard Hoath. (2013). Egypt's Flora and Fauna: An AUC Press Nature Foldout. Cairo: American University in Cairo.
Navarro, Dominique & Matthew Lammana. (2013). Egypt's Prehistoric Fauna: An AUC Press Nature Foldout. Cairo: American University in Cairo.
Navarro, Dominique &John Wyatt. (2013). Birds of the Nile Valley: An AUC Press Nature Foldout. Cairo: American University in Cairo.
Navarro, Dominique & Salima Ikram. (2013). Ancient Egypt's Wildlife: An AUC Press Nature Foldout. Cairo: American University in Cairo.

Sabuda, Robert (1997). Tutankhamen's Gift.  New York: Aladdin.

Winter, Jeanette. (2005). The Librarian of Basra. Orlando, FL: Harcourt.

Biography & Informational Grade 4+
Ellis, Deborah. (2010). Children of War: Voices of Iraqi Refugees. Toronto, ON: Groundwood Books.
Ellis, Deborah. (2006). Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak. Toronto, ON: Groundwood Books.
Filipovic, Zlata. (2006). Stolen Voices: Young People's War Diaries, from World War I to Iraq. New York: Penguin Books.
Hart, Georgia. (2008).  DK: Eyewitness Books: Ancient Egypt. New York: DK Publishing.
Maydell, Natalie and Sep Riahi. (2007). Extraordinary Women from the Muslim World. Paintings by Heba Amin. Lancaster, PA: Global Content Ventures.
Macaulay, David. (1982). Pyramid. New York: HMH Books for Young Readers.
Stanley, Diane. (2002). Saladin: Noble Prince of Islam. New York: HarperCollins.
Stanley, Diane. (1997). Cleopatra. Illustrated by Peter Vennema. New York: HarperCollins.
Steele, Philip. (2007). DK: Eyewitness Books: Mesopotamia. New York: DK Publishing.
Wilkes, Sybella. (2010). Out of Iraq: Refugees' Stories in Words, Paintings and Music. Foreword by Angelina Jolie. London, UK: Evans Brothers.

Morteza Zahedi's illustration from Good Night, Commander

Myths, Traditional Tales, Poetry, and Stories: K-6

Akbarpor, Ahmad. (2005). Good Night, Commander. Illustrated by Morteza Zahedi. Toronto, ON: Groundwood. (Although a picture book, I would recommend it for older children & teens.)
Alrawi, Karim. (2000). The Girl Who Lost Her Smile. Illustrated by Stefan Czernecki. Vancouver, BC: Tradewinds.
Azzoubi, Rana. (2007).  Through a Mud Wall. Rana Azzoubi
Climo, Shirley. (1992). The Egyptian Cinderella. Illustrated by Ruth Heller. New York: HarperCollins.
Foster, Karen.  (1999). City of Rainbows: A Tale from Ancient Sumer. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Museum.
Heide, Florence Parry  and Judith Heide Gilliland. (1995). Day of Ahmed's Secret. Illustrated by Ted Lewin. New York: HarperCollins.
Heide, Florence Parry  and Judith Heide Gilliland. (1992). Sami and the Time of the Troubles. Illustrated by Ted Lewin. New York: Clarion.
Henderson, Kathy. (2006). Lugalbanda: The Boy Who Got Caught Up in a War: An Epic Tale From Ancient Iraq.  Illustrated byJane Ray. Somerville, MA: Candlewick. 
Hickox, Rebecca. (1998). The Golden Sandal: A Middle Eastern Cinderella Story. New York: Greenwillow.
Hughes, Vi. (2001). Aziz the Storyteller.  Illustrated by Stefan Czernecki. Vancouver, BC: Tradewinds.
Khan, Hena. (2008). Night of the Moon: A Muslim Holiday Story. Illustrated by Julie Paschkis. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.
Khan, Rukhsana. (2001). Muslim Child. Illustrated by Patty Gallagher. Toronto, ON: Napoleon Publishing.

from Shahnameh.

Laird, Elizabeth. (2014). Shahnameh. Illustrated by Shrin Adl.  London, UK: Frances Lincoln. (Stories and myths from Iran).
Laird, Elizabeth. (2008). A Fistful of Pearls and Other Tales from Iraq (Folktales from Around the World). Illustrated by Shelley Fowles. London, UK: Frances Lincoln.
Laird, Elizabeth. (2008). Kiss the Dust. New York: MacMillan.
Logan, Claudia. (2002). The 5,000-Year-Old Puzzle: Solving a Mystery of Ancient Egypt. Illustrated by Melissa Sweet. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Lumbard, Alexis York. (2012). The Conference of the Birds. Illustrated by Demi. Bloomington, IN: Wisdom Tales.

MacDonald, Read.(2012). Tunjur! Tunjur! Tunjur!: A Palestinian Tale. Illustrated by Alik Arzoumanian. Las Vegas, NV: Two Lions.

McCaughrean, Geraldine. (2003). Gilgamesh, The Hero. Illustrated by David Parkins. Grand Rapids, MN: Eerdmans.

McDermont, Mustafa Yusuf. (2009). Muslim Nursery Rhymes. Leicestershire, UK: The Islamic Foundation.

Nye, Naomi Shihab. (2002). The Flag of Childhood: Poems From the Middle East. New York: Aladdin.

Nye, Naomi Shihab. (1997). Sitti's Secrets. Illustrated by Nancy Carpenter. New York: Aladdin.

Robert, Na'ima. (2009). Ramadan Moon. Illustrated by Shirin Adl. London: Frances Lincoln.

Rumford, James. (2004). Traveling Man: The Journey of Ibn Battuta 1325-1354. New York: HMH Books.
Rumford, James. (2003). Seeker of Knowledge: The Man Who Deciphered Egyptian Hieroglyphics. New York: HMH Books. 
Sands, Emily & Duglad Steer. (2004). Egyptology: Search for the Tomb of Osiris. Illustrated by Nijk Harris and Helen Ward. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.
Tarnowska, Wafa’. (2000). The Seven Wise Princesses: A Medieval Persian Epic. Illustrated by Nilesh Mistry. Barefoot.
Wharnsby, Dawud. (2014). A Whisper of Peace. Illustrated by Shireen Adams. Leicestershire, UK: The Islamic Foundation.
Wharnsby, Dawud. (2013). Colours of Islam. Illustrated by Shireen Adams. Leicestershire, UK: The Islamic Foundation.
Wharnsby, Dawud. (2011). A Picnic of Poems: In Allah's Green Garden. Illustrated by Shireen Adams.  Leicestershire, UK: The Islamic Foundation.Williams, Marcia. (2013). Ancient Egypt: Tales of Gods and Pharaohs. Somerville, MA: Candlewick.

Zeman, Ludmila. (1998). Gilgamesh the King (The Gilgamesh Trilogy).  Toronto, ON: Tundra Books.

Zeman, Ludmila. (1998). The Revenge of Ishtar (The Gilgamesh Trilogy). Toronto, ON: Tundra Books.
Zeman, Ludmila. (1998). The Last Quest of Gilgamesh (The Gilgamesh Trilogy). Toronto, ON: Tundra Books.

Poetry/Memoir/Novels (Grades 7-12)

Abdel-fattah, Randa. (2010). Where The Streets Had A Name. New York: Scholastic.
Alareer, Refaat (ed). (2014). Gaza Writes Back: Short Stories from Young Writers in Gaza, Palestine. Charlottesville, VA: Just World Books. (Teens/Adults)

Barakat, Ibtisam. (2007). Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Carmi, Daniella. (2000). Samir and Yonatan. Translated by Yael Lotan. New York: Arthur A. Levine.
Clinton, Cathryn. (2010). A Stone in My Hand. Somerville, MA: Candlewick.
Hicyilmaz, Gaye. (1992). Against the Storm. New York: Little, Brown.
Laird, Elizabeth. (2008). Oranges in No Man's Land. London, UK: Haymarket Books.
Laird, Elizabeth. (2006). A Little Piece of Ground. London, UK: Haymarket Books.
Levine, Ana. (2009). Freefall. New York: Greenwillow.
Marsden, Carolyn. (2012). The White Zone. Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda Books
Nye, Naomi Shihab. (2008). Habibi. New York: Simon Pulse.
Nye, Naomi Shihab. (2002). 19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East. New York: Greenwillow.
Nye, Naomi Shihab. (1998). The Space Between Our Footsteps: Poems and Paintings from the Middle East.  New York: Simon & Schuster.
Powers, Kevin. (2012). The Yellow Birds: A Novel. New York: Little, Brown and Company.
Satrapi, Marjane. (2007). The Complete Persepolis. New York: Parthenon.
Stamaty, Mark Alan. (2012). Alia's Mission. New York: Dragonfly Books.
Zenatti, Valerie. (2008). A Bottle in the Gaza Sea. New York: Bloomsbury.
Zenatti, Valerie. (2007). When I was a Soldier. New York: Bloomsbury.

Graphic Novels/Texts (Late High School/Adult)

Delise, Guy. (2012). Jerusalem: Chronicles from the Holy City. Translated by Helge Dascher. Montreal, QC: Drawn and Quarterly.
Guibert, Emmanuel. The Photographer: Into War-torn Afghanistan with Doctors Without Borders. New York: First Second.
Pekar,Harvey. (2012). Not the Israel My Parents Promised Me. Illustrated by J.T. Waldman. Epilogue by Joyce Brabner. New York: Hill and Wang.
Sacco, Joe. (2010). Footnotes in Gaza: A Graphic Novel. New York: Metropolitan.

Sacco, Joe. (2001). Palestine. Introduction by Edward Said. Seattle, WA: Fantagraphics.