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| Daniella Carmi |
Samir and Yonatan on the Planet Mars |
| Children |
Tel Aviv, Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 1994. 124 pp.
Ages 10-14
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Samir, an Arab child during the Intifada, is taken to an Israeli hospital for a special operation. He arrives in the children`s ward grieving for his dead brother and traumatized by the disintegration of his family life. Too shy to speak, he watches the four children in his ward: Razia, who is emotionally disturbed, is being stitched up after her father`s last drunken binge; Ludmilla, a Russian girl, is catatonically withdrawn; Yonatan is fascinated by the planets; and Tzakhi, sensing Samir`s fear, frightens him with stories about his brother in the army. It is Yonatan who calms Samir, offers him friendship and tells him about the other world of the stars and planets.
The book ends with an unexpected bond between Samir and Tzakhi who go on a spree through the hospital during their recovery. When Samir returns home, he knows he has seen the impossible happen: he has made friends with the enemy.
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About the Book
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Daniella Carmi distinguishes herself in this uplifting book with the integrity of her characters, the way she captures the naked moments of childhood and her refusal to resort to cliché and stereotype. In 1995, this novel was named one of the three best children`s books by a panel of judges for Matzav Hasfarim.
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