A Little Piece of Ground

By Elizabeth Laird

Winner: Middle East Outreach Council Youth Literature Award, 2006, and the U.S. Board on Books for Young People’s Outstanding International Book Award, 2007.

“A Little Piece of Ground is the story of Karim Aboudi, 12, a soccer buff and computer game junkie. Like so many other boys his age, Karim hopes one day to do just what he likes without parents, big brothers, or teachers telling him what to do. Unlike many other boys, though, Karim lives under Israeli occupation in Ramallah, Palestine.

”A Little Piece of Ground shows what life is like for Palestinians who see their homes destroyed by Israeli bulldozers or face road blocks, military check points, and embarrassing strip searches, simply while trying to get to work or school.”
--Lucine Kasbarian, IndyKids

About the author

Elizabeth Laird has won numerous awards for her daring children’s books, which have been published around the world. Her last book published by Haymarket Books, A Little Piece of Ground, was named Outstanding International Book for 2007 (U.S. Board on Books for Young People and the Children's Book Council) and received the Young Adult Literature Award for 2006 (Middle East Outreach Council). The 2006 release of Oranges in No Man’s Land in England won the Hull KS2 award and was shortlisted for the Sheffield Children’s Book Award.

Reviews

“Laird firmly places the reader in Ramallah right alongside Karim, opening his world to new eyes. Readers witness the restlessness, humiliation, anger, and peril that permeate every moment of his life…. Well-written and compelling, this is an excellent addition to any collection and filled with potential for classroom discussion.”
--Amanda MacGregor, Kliatt

”There are places in the US where boys this age are met with suspicion by the authorities and even threatened by their presence. However, there is no place I know of [in the US] where twelve year olds are considered fair game to be shot and arrested besides Palestine, Iraq, and perhaps a few other locales….The title A Little Piece of Ground is about more that the makeshift soccer field the boys create. It’s a metaphor for the plight of the Palestinians and millions of other people around the earth. These are the people who have no place to call their own, thanks to the greed and fears of those who control not only the land the landless live on, but their daily lives, as well.”
--Ron Jacobs, Dissident Voice

To read the review in Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, visit: http://www.washingtonreport.org/archives/November_2006/0611042.html

Listen to an interview with Elizabeth Laird about the significance of and controversy sorrounding A Little Piece of Ground on NPR, or read the transcript at: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1450994

Resources

Download a packet of teacher's resources here:
https://www.haymarketbooks.org/files/LPOG_teaching_guide.pdf

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