false 329278 2448697 1599902001 9781599902005 18 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1256018039m/2448697.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1256018039s/2448697.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2448697.A_Bottle_in_the_Gaza_Sea 3.94 52 Bottle in the Gaza Sea should be THE novel for teens on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. When teen Tal Levine witnesses a bombing in Tel Aviv, she becomes despondent. Like so many people, she wants Israel and Palestine to live in peace. One day she puts her hopes into a letter, places the letter into a bottle, and gives it to her brother, asking him to toss it into the Gaza Sea. A young man in Gaza finds the bottle, and responds. He is critical, angry, annoyed at first, but eventually they both participate in a friendship that ultimately opens their eyes.</div></div>]]> 329278 3.75 114 37 2008 607264 1599900599 9781599900599 16 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1176247590m/607264.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1176247590s/607264.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/607264.When_I_Was_a_Soldier 3.65 49
At a time when Israel is in the news every day and politics in the Middle East are as complex as ever before, this story of one girl's experience in the Israeli national army is both topical and fascinating. Valerie begins her story as she finishes her exams, breaks up with her boyfriend, and leaves for service with the Israeli army. Nothing has prepared her for the strict routines, grueling marches, poor food, lack of sleep and privacy, or crushing of initiative that she now faces. But this harsh life has excitement, too, such as working in a spy center near Jerusalem and listening in on Jordanian pilots. Offering a glimpse into the life of a typical Israeli teen, even as it lays bare the relentless nature of war, Valerie's story is one young readers will have a hard time forgetting.</div></div>]]> 329278 3.75 114 37 2005