‘Ida in the Middle’, by Nora Lester Morad has won the 2023 Arab American Book Award in the young adult category.
The book is centered around Ida, a Palestinian-American girl who struggles with Islamophobia and stereotypes in the West.
One day, after eating a magic olive, Ida finds herself in a village near Jerusalem, living the life that she might have had if her parents had never left Palestine in the first place.
“I want Palestinian and non-Palestinian kids in the United States to learn about Palestine,” Lester Morad said, commenting on the award. “I want them to be critical about what they hear in the mainstream media.”
So honored that "Ida in the Middle" won the 2023 Arab American Book Award in the young adult category! Unit guide & teaching resources https://t.co/IRRQegCKe1.#teachersoftwitter #libraries #kidlit #youngadult #books #FreePalestine @InterlinkBooks @ArabAmericanMus pic.twitter.com/91rvOgnVOA
— Nora Lester Murad (@NoraInPalestine) August 29, 2023
“What an incredible honor, (…) which I hope will grab the attention of teachers, librarians, parents and young readers with this simple message: Learning about Palestine and Palestinians is essential and it is fun,” she added.
Nora Lester Murad is a writer, educator, and activist. From a Jewish American family.
She moved from California to study in the Middle East. She married a Muslim Palestinian and raised three daughters in the West Bank and in the US.
Just received Ramzy Baroud’s latest book, Our Vision for Liberation.. Will keep you updated. #FreePalestine pic.twitter.com/dxqL0txZj5
— Robert Martin 🇵🇸 (@Robert_Martin72) August 9, 2022
Murad recently contributed a chapter to the new book ‘Our Vision for Liberation: Engaged Palestinian Intellectuals Speak Out’, edited by Professor Ilan Pappé and Dr. Ramzy Baroud.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
