Dawn and Dusk
by Alice Mead and Camel Rider
by Prue Mason both deal with Middle Eastern war and political/social strife as seen through the eyes of children.
Camel Rider
Published by Charlesbridge, Camel Rider tells the story of spoiled, Australian expat Adam. When war breaks out, Adam’s parents are gone. He goes with neighbors to escape the country. He soon leaves the caravan in order to go back to his compound to save his dog, which was left behind. Soon lost and out of water, Adam meets Walid, an abused boy and camel jockey who has run away from his cruel masters. Neither speaks each other’s language, but they manage to help each other survive and become friends.
Camel Rider doesn’t get mired down in war or politics. Instead, it becomes a classic boy’s adventure tale complete with ships (well, camels and automobiles) and pirates (I mean, Walid’s former masters who kidnap Adam for ransom.) The language differences and misconceptions about each other’s culture provide some laughs, too. And of course there’s the happy ending – boys, dog and parents are reunited and there’s even a visit from the Prime Minister of Abudai. Recommended for ages 9-12.
(Download the discussion guide PDF. Or read a chapter from the book.)
Dawn and Dusk
Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Dawn and Dusk is the more serious of the two books. Taking place in Iran during the Iran-Iraq war, we meet another boy, 13-year-old Azad, a Kurd. Azad learns that his town may soon become a target for Saddam’s weapons of mass destruction – he’s gassing the Kurds both in his country and in neighboring Iran. Azad, his mother, and other family members to flee Iran for Turkey while his father, an informant for the secret police, stays behind.
I’m half way through Dawn and Dusk and can’t wait to find time to finish it. I’m intrigue by Azad and how he manages to lead a normal life of friends, crushes, soccer and school while dealing with war, his parent’s divorce, and the politics of the Kurdish resistance. Recommended for ages 9-12.
Recommendations for further reading
If you liked Dawn and Dusk or Camel Rider, you will also like:
Falafel recipes
Azad, whose divorced father often forgets to feed him, dines at his uncle’s home or is fed by friend’s parents or the neighborhood baker and his wife. One of the dishes that is often mentioned in Dawn and Dusk is falafel.
Here are links to some recipes:
Published by Charlesbridge, Camel Rider
Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Dawn and Dusk(reviewed here)
(reviewed here)
