What is it like to be a young person in the Arab world today? This engaging collection of eight short stories about Arab teenagers living in Iraq, Tunisia, Egypt, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and a Palestinian refugee camp depicts teens' experiences growing up in the Middle East. The characters, drawn from urban and rural settings and from different socioeconomic classes, confront situations involving friends, family, teachers, and society at large. Along with some specifically Middle Eastern issues, such as strife in Iraq, the hardships of life in a Palestinian refugee camp, and honor crimes, the young people deal with more familiar concerns such as loyalty to friends, overcoming personal insecurities, dreams of a future career, and coping with divorcing parents. Coming of age in a complicated world, they meet life with courage, determination, and, not least of all, humor. With accompanying notes that provide contextual information, Santa Claus in Baghdad brings a fresh perspective to youth literature about the Arab world. Book jacket. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Gr 7 10 Eight short stories illuminate the experiences of adolescents in modern-day Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt, Tunisia, and Jordan, yet many of their conflicts and concerns are universal in nature. In the title story, 13-year-old Amal learns some lessons about honor, gifts, and the act of giving when her seven-year-old brother confuses their wealthy uncle with Santa Claus. Suhayl cooks a homemade meal to bring joy into the life of his divorced mother in "Faces." Other situations are unique to the Middle East. For example, Mujahhid defends a Palestinian olive grove against the occupying Israeli military in "The Olive Grove." In the stellar "Honor," a beautiful young woman faces a possible "honor killing" at the hands of her disgraced family after she is seen in public with a man. "The Plan," in which a young Palestinian refugee in Lebanon orchestrates a meeting between his older brother and his charismatic art teacher, is utterly charming. Touches of suspense, romance, and humor keep the pages turning in this fine collection. Themes of faith, loyalty, and coming-of-age are sensitively handled and compellingly depicted. Notes explain each story's historical, political, and social context. This collection is an expanded version of Figs and Fate (Braziller, 2005). It will be popular with fans of Deborah Ellis and Suzanne Fisher Staples, and will also be an excellent supplemental reading choice for world-cultures curricula. Amy Pickett, Ridley High School, Folsom, PA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Elsa Marston is the author of many works of fiction and nonfiction. Her books include Women in the Middle East: Tradition and Change; The Cliffs of Cairo; and Muhammad of Mecca, Prophet of Islam Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Preface	ix
Acknowledgments	xi
1 Santa Claus in Baghdad: A story from Iraq (2000) Do the best gifts always have to come at a high price?	1
2 Faces: A story from Syria How can you try to make someone else happy when your own world is coming apart?	31
3 The Hand of Fatima: A story from Lebanon Which comes first-loyalty to others or faith in your own dreams?	49
4 The Olive Grove: A story from Palestine Just how do you choose your battles?	69
5 In Line: A story from Egypt Will a city girl ever feel quite at home in a farming village?	91
6 Scenes in a Roman Theater: A story from Tunisia Do you have to wait for the story of your life to change-or can you help to tell it yourself?	113
7 Honor: A story from Jordan Whose honor is at stake when a girl breaks the rules?	129
8 The Plan: A story from a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon Can the spring flowers bloom-and love blossom-where hope is so scarce?	161
Notes	183

Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.