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Parents' Guide to

A Stone in My Hand

By Debra Bogart, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Intense story of Palestinian family in Gaza Strip in 1989.

Book Cathryn Clinton Historical Fiction 2010
A Stone in My Hand Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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age 10+

Based on 1 parent review

Toni31
Toni31 Adult
February 8, 2022
age 10+

If you consider Israelis to be like Nazis, you will like it

The book has absolutely nothing to do with the reality of the Israeli Arab conflict and the author should have stuck to the old maxim — write about the things you know. In stead, the book is manipulative and simplistic and, frankly, given that Israel is the only Jewish state, antisemitic….but in a gentle, not crude way. I wonder, if the author were to see the pictures of little Jewish girl with her limbs torn off by a suicide bomber from Gaza, what would she say. Well, we know. She averted her eyes from the dead Jewish child and instead looked at the young Israeli soldier and saw a Nazi instead. Now this book is being pushed on young children in American schools to teach them to hate Jews, the new Nazis.
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What's the Story?

Eleven-year-old Malaak is the youngest daughter of a Palestinian family that lives in the occupied Gaza Strip. One day in 1989, her father has to leave Gaza to look for work, and he never returns. Malaak becomes withdrawn, stops speaking, and retreats to the roof, where she tames a dove and waits for her father to return. When Malaak learns that he was killed in a terrorist attack, the dove becomes a source of solace for her and a symbol of the nonviolent beliefs her father had taught her. But her 12-year-old brother, Hamid, reacts to the loss by becoming a \"boy who throws stones\" at the Israeli soldiers and sympathizes with the Palestinian terrorist cause. After many months, Malaak regains her voice and returns to school, where she even makes a new friend, but Hamid refuses to give up his dangerous activities. When he's shot, Malaak has to choose between withdrawing into herself again and reaching out to save her brother.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (1 ):

A Stone in My Hand is a powerful story of one family struggling to survive life as refugees. The American author does a wonderful job of creating a portrait of a warm, loving Arab family struggling to survive under siege-like conditions and the tragedy of childhood lost to religious conflicts and violence.

Being true to Malaak's young perspective, a stone in the hand is the only weapon available to children who feel that they, too, must rebel against the soldiers on their streets. This may be a sad read for many young readers, and parents should be prepared to answer questions about the political realities in the Middle East.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Malaak's response to the disappearance of her father. How does the rest of her family cope with his disappearance?

  • What other books have you read or movies have you seen that show you a child's experience of war?

  • There are many refugee camps in the world today. Can you identify where some are? Is our country trying to help any of them?

Book Details

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