More than you can chew

Hooray, summer is here! I've chucked aside my doctoral coursework and teaching duties for a few weeks. It's time to relax and read some books. So naturally, my summer idea is: 

LET'S SOLVE THE ISRAEL-PALESTINE CONFLICT IN A YA NOVEL

Okay, that's not the purpose of Anne Laurel Carter's The Shepherd's Granddaughter, but it's fun to say, and will probably draw someone's attention and/or ire. Carter bravely writes about this situation from the perspective of a young Palestinian girl, Amani, whose family suffers at the hand of Israel in many ways. She learns to herd the family's sheep, normally a man's job, from her beloved  grandfather. After he dies, she takes charge of the sheep and watches as roads, houses and tanks encroach on the land, Israeli troops harass her family as they attempt to travel, and her brothers go to prison for protesting against Israel. She also strikes up an unlikely alliance with a teenage Jewish boy from New York who hates what the Israelis are doing. Anyway, everyone resolves their differences and the Middle East lives happily ever after.

JK

If only. Carter attempts to tell this story from multiple perspectives, but eschews the big issues of international influence and power and the inner workings of government for what it's like for everyday people who are none the wiser. I read Thomas Friedman's From Beirut to Jerusalem concurrently with this little book, and the contrasts in terms of what an intrepid journalist can learn, versus what a 14-year old girl in the boonies understands is frustrating and most likely (sadly) accurate. Amani only knows what she is told by her family, and thus she does not have a full understanding of the issues, not that anybody really does. Even Friedman at times seems exasperated and ready to give up on getting to the bottom of it.

Carter benefits from limiting the perspective. She doesn't try to solve the crisis, but simply wants her readers to understand one point of view within this chaotic sea of beliefs, ideology, and bellicose rhetoric. After all, Amani is plopped into the middle of this by accident of birth, which is the case for the majority of people in this situation; power in the hands of the few and all that nonsense.

JB

I don't have many jokes for this book, as 1) I finished it six weeks ago; 2) it's not particularly memorable, although Carter does establish plenty of drama and intensity as Amani struggles with the big world problems while also learning to face down a rare wolf that stalks her and the sheep (symbolism alert); 3) I'm tired from the school year; 4) I'm looking at this as a social studies teacher (what is wrong with me? SCHOOL IS OVER); 5) there are opportunities to yell about this book, but I can't do any better than this hilarious Goodreads review thread, in which the reviewer makes a controversial statement, clarifies and backs it up, receives some thoughtful responses, then goes toe-to-toe with some guy who may or may not have used her words to support banning the book in Toronto schools. It is clear that Carter is not trying to diagnose and resolve the issues, nor to over-simplify the situation, but rather to tell it from a realistic point of view of the rank-and-file. She does well enough to earn only a modicum of complaints on Goodreads. She's not trying to be Friedman, or to investigate this in-depth. You know why? BECAUSE THIS IS A BOOK FOR KIDS. The dweebs who whine about this book have a valid point in that it's dangerous to simplify this issue and sell it to kids that way, but at the same time, it serves as a decent introduction, and by saying this threatens to brainwash kids, they're insulting the intelligence of the people reading this book. Anyone who I've taught would immediately want to know the other side of the issue and ask all kinds of probing questions to get more answers and nuanced understanding of the issue (okay, about 20% of them would first say "Let's just nuke them," and after I verbally destroy that argument, they relent and ask real questions). Point being: you're not helping. I don't want anyone to be duped into believing anything, either, but this is clearly not the purpose of Carter's book. Any teacher worth a spit would pair this with a book that depicts one of the other sides of this crisis, or use it to edify understanding of the multiple perspectives that crisscross into a lavish web of insanity in Israel. Why deny opportunities for critical thinking? A school is probably the safest place for a student to read this book and get the whole picture. Just remember: everything is Britain's fault (joke). 

OK

That's enough from me on this issue. If you want to argue about it, I'll make some half-baked attempt to reply, or I'll just post Willy Wonka memes. It's summer; all options on the table. EVEN NUCLEAR. 

NEXT TIME, I YELL ABOUT

Something a lot more fun and easy fodder for jokes. Let's just say YOU DON'T WANT TO LOOK BEYOND THIS REVIEW!

BORING STUFF

The Shepherd's Granddaughter

Anne Laurel Carter

2008 Groundwood Books