In alternating perspectives, Palestinian and Israeli children talk about their lives and the challenges of living with suicide bombs, road checkpoints, and the politics of their countries. The children interviewed live in settlements, refugee camps, villages and cities. At times the hatred is palpable and the tones of resignation tragic. Some voices express a spark of hope for the future and more reasoned perspectives on the situation. But readers can't escape the dork theme of youngsters who've quickly lost their childhoods in an endless war. Israel comes off as the heavy. Book was challenged in Canada.

Full review:

http://readingthroughlife.ca/three-wishes-palestinian-and-israeli-children-speak...

Short excerpt:

Frankly, I thought that this book was fantastic. The author interviewed children on both sides of the conflict (and “children” included anyone up to about 18 years of age), with a variety of different views, opinions, and experiences represented. Each interview was distilled into a short section of the book and usually introduced by a brief description giving historical context for subjects that the children talked about. There were children on both “sides” who held similar or opposing views on a number of issues, including the occupation in general, settlement of Gaza by Israelis, checkpoints, suicide bombing, and curfews.

This is a fascinating and heartbreaking read. Ellis, a Canadian author of children's books, published this collection of interviews with Israeli and Palestinian children in 2006 and it has been controversial ever since. In these interviews the children share stories that are all tragically similar - ever Palestinian child says that they don't know any Israeli children, but that the Israelis hate them. Every Israeli child says that they don't know any Palestinian children, but that the Palestinians hate them. For all these children, soldiers, bag searches, checkpoints, sudden violence and fear are an every day occurrence. The Israeli teenagers are thinking about their future military service and many of the Palestinians speak of killing Israelis in their future. For the most part it is an incredibly even handed work, though I felt there was one serious problem in that the only Israeli children interviewed were Jews and only Jews of European decent. Twenty percent of the population of Israel is Arab - why didn't she interview even one Arab Israeli? Of the 75% of the population that is Jewish, a third is of Middle Eastern, Asian or African decent. Ellis is whitewashing the Jewish population by not including children whose ancestors never left ancient Judea or those who only went as far as Iraq, Iran or Yemen, not to mention returned Indian and Ethiopian Jews. This portrayal of Jews as only white Europeans bothers me, as I suspect most of the people who read this book won't know that is not the case. ( )

First, a word of caution; this book is incredibly depressing. Are you looking towards children to help the messed up adults of their cultures see a clear way towards peace and happiness? Do you have faith that if only we could listen to the young, with their innately peaceful natures and proven ability to love, the all the killing would stop? If so brace yourself to read a fair number essay from kids who have been so badly scarred by the violent world we have left them, that they wish God would strike all members of the other side dead, and confidently proclaim that there's no reasoning with "those people." God help us all. ( )

FROM PUBLISHER'S INFO:
"Deborah Ellis's enormously popular Breadwinner trilogy recounted the experiences of children living in Afghanistan; now Ellis turns her attention to the young people of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. After visiting the region to conduct interviews, she presents their stories here — in their own words. Twelve-year-old Nora, eleven-year-old Mohammad, and many others speak directly about their lives — which prove to be both ordinary and extraordinary: They argue with their siblings. They hate spinach. They have wishes for the future. Yet they have also seen their homes destroyed and families killed, and live amidst constant upheaval and violence."