The Shepherd's Granddaughter - Softcover

Carter, Anne Laurel

3.81

493 ratings by Goodreads

9780888999030: The Shepherd's Granddaughter

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0888999038 ISBN 13: 9780888999030

Publisher: Groundwood Books, 2010

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Ever since she was a little girl, Amani has wanted to be a shepherd, just like her beloved grandfather, Sido. For generations her family has grazed sheep above the olive groves of the family homestead near Hebron. But now Amani's family home is being threatened by encroaching Jewish settlements. As Amani struggles to find increasingly rare grazing land for her starving sheep, her uncle and brother are tempted to take a more militant stance against the settlers. Then she meets Jonathan, an American boy visiting his father. Away from the pressures of their families, and despite their differences, the two young people discover a secret meadow where Amani can graze her sheep. A moving novel about one of the most hotly disputed pieces of land on earth.

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About the Author:

Anne Laurel Carter has a Master of Education and has worked as a teacher-librarian. She has published nearly twenty books, including The Shepherd’s Granddaughter, winner of the Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children Award and the Society of School Librarians International Best Book Award. It was also named a Jane Addams Children’s Book Award Honor Book, an IRA Notable Book for a Global Society and a USBBY Outstanding International Book. Under a Prairie Sky, illustrated by Alan and Lea Daniel, won the Mr. Christie’s Book Award. Anne divides her time between Toronto and Riverport, Nova Scotia.

Review:

...One of the very few YA novels attempting to tackle the subject of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Jewish Book World 2009-09-01)

The sympathies of the novel are consistently apparent, yet its strong polemical element never overwhelms its more general human interest elements. The story balances an economical style with a well paced presentation of Amani's growth in body and in perspective, her discovery of her gender and its implications for her aspirations, and her discovery of her skills, both as a shepherd and as a student. (Canadian Literature 2010-02-10)

...a hard - hitting, thought-provoking, troublesome book. The Shepherd's Granddaughter centres upon the issue of Israeli-Palestinian relations and the on-going conflict over land...Carter's work provides an opportunity for middle and high school readers to gain further information about their world... (CM Magazine 2008-09-08)

...sensitively portray[s] many viewpoints and issues in this thoughtful and simply written story...†...the beauty lies in the questioning that remains long after the story ends.† (School Library Journal Blog 2009-04-09)

Carter strikes a splendid balance in character development, portraying both parties' flaws while demonstrating Palestinian sympathies. Background and cultural information are seamlessly woven into the narrative, which is written simply and clearly in a skillful depiction of a sensitive situation. (school Library Journal 2008-11-08)

Information-packed but never didactic...The integration of Arabic and Hebrew words adds flavor to the text...Fluid writing and straightforward storytelling make this a pleasure to read, despite the sensitive subject matter. Thoughtful and engaging. (Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW 2008-08-08)

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