Beni's War

by Tammar Stein

In this sequel to The Six-Day Hero, by Tammar Stein, Beni is unhappy when his family moves from bustling Jerusalem to a remote moshav, a collective farm. There Beni makes a new friend, Sara, and new adversaries, Ori and Yoni. Beni's older brother Motti, a soldier in the Israeli army, can back him up in a fight, but Beni knows that sometimes Motti must be away to fight for Israel.

Everything changes as the quiet of the holy day of Yom Kippur is shattered with hundreds of artillery shells falling on the moshav. Egypt and Syria have attacked, and war has come to Israel once again. Motti must return to his unit, and Beni's nemesis, Yoni, moves in with Beni's family when his baby brother is injured. As the war continues and worries mount about the fates of Motti as well as Sara's brother Yuval, Beni learns the importance of friendship, and being brave enough to act when the time comes.

Genres: Middle Grade, Historical Fiction, Jewish, Young Adult, Fiction

280 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2020

About the author

Tammar Stein is the award-winning author of the YA novel, Light Years, a Virginia Reader's Choice book and an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, 2006. Her second novel, High Dive, was nominated for an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, 2009. Kindred, her third novel and the first in a series, was nominated for Teen Choice Best Book Award and received a starred review on Publishers Weekly. Spoils, a companion to Kindred, will be released on December, 2013. Debts, free e-novella will be released in the Fall, 2013.

She recently moved to Virginia where she lives with her family and bilingual dog.

Reviews

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this aloud to my now 11yo, and we didn’t always read this book together! Good story; we each made different predictions. One issue was there were places that were meant to be Beni’s thoughts and there was no way a kid his age was analyzing things that way. Why not use a narrator instead? I think that was the problem having first person here. All of this was more noticeable as we did this as a read-aloud. That said, we liked it!

[Jill H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is meant for parents, teachers, and other people that work with children to read.

This story focuses on some war events that happen during Yom Kippur in Israel. The war is with the Egyptians. Beni and his family lost a member of their family already who was only 18 when he died 6 years ago and now there's a risk for something happening to another member of their family, Motti, since he is missing. The family is given some hope that their Motti is alive and they express that hope in some different ways.

I liked how even when some doors appeared shut for knowing where Motti was that the family still pressed forward and seemed to hope for the best. I also liked that Beni was trying to find some good in the Egyptians and appeared to me to try to imagine what it was like for them.

It was interesting to me that Jewish people in Israel were described as Sabras, prickly pears, they were hard and spikey outwardly but sweet and mushy inside.

I think it was great that Beni hoped for peace between the Egyptians the Israelis and that the hate and fighting would stop.

I think that this book will give children/youth a better understanding of what some families might experience during times of war in Israel and different ways to hold on to hope.

I received a digital copy of this book free from the publisher for the purpose of reviewing it.

[Garrett Zecker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a PJ Library selection that I read with my middle child over a few months at bedtime. It tells the story of Beni, the younger brother of a tank engineer Motti who is called up from reserve at the beginning of the Yom Kippur War when Egypt and Syria attached Israel in 1973. What is interesting is, as the title suggests, this is mainly told through the point of view of a child watching those he cares about being the main participants, and this really showcases a senseless war through the eyes of an innocent child who learns about and reacts to most events as an objective observer.

It was a book that was a bit boring for my ten year old – frankly he would have enjoyed the action of the war more than the domestic drama that is presented in these pages. But what I give this book the most credit for is exactly that – no political commentary, no misunderstanding or needing to contextualize history to dehumanize the invaders, no reflection on anything but the emotional and communal toll that war takes on communities. I enjoyed it more than he did for these very reasons, and while it is not a book we will be revisiting, I can absolutely see this as a beautiful view of childhood and personal gifts, the importance of family, and the brutal toll that war has at home regardless of the outcome. Additionally, Stein is a solid writer whose prose had some beautiful moments.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This excellent book tells the story of Beni, a boy living on a moshav on the eve of the Yom Kippur War. As the war unfolds, his moshav is on the frontlines, and he must evacuate with this family. His eldest brother died in the 6-Day War, and now his middle brother, Motti, is in the IDF at the southern front. Beni worries about Motti's safety and the safety of other soldiers in the families of his friend. He also worries about having accidentally injured one of his neighbors while helping the child make his way to the bomb shelter in the heat of the shelling.

There are a couple places where the language took me out of the character's head because language used didn't sound like it belonged in the mouth of someone from 1973 or a native Hebrew speaker (the expression "You've got this!" for example seems far too recent, and the words "right" and "tight" do not rhyme in Hebrew, so they can't be used as a mneumonic for a Hebrew speaker). However, the first person POV is otherwise spot on, and perfect for the upper-elementary, early middle school crowd. The story shows empathy to Egyptian and Syrian soldiers even while the protagonist is a child living in Israel at a strongly nationalistic time. Very well done storytelling.

[Liza Wiemer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found Beni's War to be deeply moving as Beni tries to come to terms with the Yom Kippur War. Tammar does a beautiful job portraying the "human" side of war and how it impacts families. This novel was written for middle graders, but don't let the target age keep your from reading this. I was moved to tears and when I finished I told my husband, "You have to read this."

The writing draws you into the story. The research shines through and brings to light the ordinary people who were pulled into a war and that terror it brings. I love how Tammar talked about the Egyptian families and brought a message of peace to a full circle.

Highly recommend!

[Martha Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book takes place in Israel in 1973. It tells the story of the Yom Kippur War from the point of view of a 12 yo boy living on the Golan Heights, just 5 kilometers from the Syrian border. Beni wants to help but doesn't know how, but he finds a way at the end of the book. This story weaves in lots of facts about Israel's geography and history. It is also a story about friendship and family. Although the situation is tense and the tragic effects of war are shown, there is a little humor and even romance. This is a well-researched, captivating story of a period in history that is rarely mentioned in books. A 2021 Sydney Taylor Notable Book.

[Gabor · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is an excellent book to teach about the Yom Kippur War in 1973 to the targeted age group of 8-13 year olds. What In enjoyed most in this book is the personified experience of a tween; how accurately the author described such everyday inner stories as magical thinking (“get better”), the angst of being bullied, the elevating feeling of forgiving someone, the excitement of learning something new.... My full review

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beni’s War by Tammar Stein portrays the Yom Kippur War between Israel and Egypt through the eyes of twelve-year old Beni adjusting to a new life on a moshav in the Golan. Beni has already lost his oldest brother in the Six-Day War and is now worried about his surviving brother Motti who is called to serve when war breaks out. This engrossing story depicts the tensions of the time within the context of Beni’s relationships with his brother, his parents, and developing friendships. Beni’s insight into the humanity of the other side of the conflict makes this book an especially important read.

[Perlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well written account of the family experience of the Yom Kippur war. Stein continues the story of Beni's family from "The Six-Day Hero", in which his oldest brother, Gideon, went off to war. Now it's his brother, Motti's turn. The author's knowledge about the war and her insider's view make this a compelling story. While there are one or two implausible events, the core of the story rings true, and was a heart-grabber. The conclusion was a little pie-in-the-sky, but it is a book for kids, so it needs to be age sensitive and hopeful.
Recommend!

[Haim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I've read many Holocaust books, and book about Israel, but I've never read a book about an individual war between Israel and her neighbors. Tammar Stein is a gifted writer. I was able visualize the detail very clear and the details themselves were not tedious. What I enjoyed most was the main character and what he was going through - very relatable. You are given a sense of Israel in the early 70's and the tension of not knowing. I recommend this work very highly.

[Deke Moulton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A difficult book to read post October 7, since the main character’s brother becomes a prisoner of war in the Yom Kippur War.

Hopefully, this book focuses on humanizing “the Enemy” and end with a beautiful, tearful glorious resolution that peace.l is possible once we see the human in the other side.

Highly recommended. Dare I say, essential reading during these times?

[Erika Dreifus · Rating 5 out of 5]

A novel set in Israel during the Yom Kippur War. Extremely well done.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a middle grade fictional account of 12 year old Beni and what he experiences during the Yom Kippur War in 1973. I have a great desire to understand the dynamic between Israelis, Palestinians, and their neighbors.

I liked that this book showed what life was like in Israel in the 70s. Fascinating. I learned a lot. I also loved the author's focus at the end on peace. I wish I could get my hands on the prequel, but none of my libraries has access to it.