Books :

Since the beginning of the project, 10 copies of 35 titles of children's literature were distributed to 1,000 schools in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.  The 10,000 copies of high quality and motivating variety of local and international books enhance positive values and deal with accepting diversity and gender, but mainly, they are pleasant and avoid preaching.

List of books provided in 10000 copies per title and criteria for choosing the books

1-Ann of Green Gables, Lucy M Macdonald,  Translated, Dar alMuna

(funded by SIDA) The story of an orphan who is first rejected by family of adoption and society but finds her way to their hearts

 
  2-The Changeling, Selma Lagerlof, Translated, Dar alMuna

(funded by DIAKONIA) A mother’s only child is exchanged with a troll baby. The mother takes care of the baby troll, against the will of her husband and of society.
 

3-Why Did Burhane Change?, Gunilla Pier Bergstrom, Translated Dar al Muna

(funded by DIAKONIA) Burhane is afraid of going to school, his father takes care of him

 

4-Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak, translated Dar al Muna

(funded by DIAKONIA) Max is punished by his mother, he travels into the kingdom of the monsters and he is the king of monsters
 

5-My Big Brother, Ulf Stark translated, Dar al Muna

(funded by DIAKONIA) The relation of two brothers from the eye of  the smallest one who admires a not so nice big brother, about relativity of perception

 

6-The Red Pen, Nasri Sayegh , Palestinian Red Crescant Society

(funded by SIDA) Each pen tells the story of its color, the colors of nature: about war and beauty of life and nature


 

7-The Shell, Nouri alJarrah, Palestinian Red Crescant Society

(funded by SIDA) The death of a friend


 

8-The Rabbits War, Zakariah Tamer, Palestinian Red Crescant Society

(funded by SIDA) The rabbit that always tells lies about his courage

 

9-Pippi Langestrum, Astrid Lindgren, Translated, Dar al Muna

(funded by DIAKONIA) A super girl who lives with her own criteria andis, inspite of all differences, quite nice

 

10-The Mother and Her Wild Baby, Barbro Lindgren, translated, Dar al Muna

(funded by DIAKONIA) About mischievousness and loving mothers
 

 

11-Leila Leaves Home, Astrid Lindgren, translated, Dar al Muna

(funded by DIAKONIA) A very small girl gets mad with her parents, decides to leave home and is respected by her parents for her decision… after some hours at the neighbours, she is happy to go back home

 

12-Can You Whistle Joanna?, Ulf  Stark, translated, Dar al Muna

(funded by DIAKONIA) About relationship between children and older people, about death

 

13-Shadi and the Bird: Nasri Sayegh, Palestinian Red Crescant Society

(funded by SIDA) About freedom and respecting the other’s freedom

 

14-The Brothers Lionheart, Astrid Lindgren, translated, Dar al Muna

(funded by DIAKONIA) Two brothers are in an occupied country, about resistance, sacrifice and loyalty

 

15-The Beaten Elephant … Zakaria Tamer, Palestinian Red Crescent Society

By a small mouse (funded by SIDA)


 

16-I Love My school, My mother and the Olives, Abla Toubassi, UNICEF, MOC

(funded by UNICEF) Simple life in Palestine

 

17-The Secret, Majdi Shomaly, UNICEF, MOC

(funded by UNICEF) A young girl wanders what is the secret of her school mate for having such a nice handwriting
 

18-In the Kingdom of Dreams, Samaher Khazandar, UNICEF, MOC

 (funded by UNICEF) A child is facing a lot of problems, he fells asleep
 

19-The Seals friend,  Michael Foreman, translated, Tamer Institute

(funded by DIFID) A child in a wheel chair is free while swimming, his friend is a seal
 

20-Journey to Jo’burg, Beverley Naidoo, translated, Tamer Institute

(funded by DIFID) In south Africa during Apartheid, children travel to find their mother

 

21-Chain of Fire, Beverley Naidoo, translated, Tamer Institute

(funded by DIFID)   Second part of Journey to Jo’burg

 

22-Something else, Kathryn Cave, translated, Dar al Arabi littiba’a

 (funded by DIFID) About accepting the differences in others

 

23-Paper Bag Princess, Robert Minch, translated, Tamer Institute

(funded by DIFID) After saving her prince from the dragon, a princess is criticized by her prince for her appearance… they don’t get married after all

 

24-Dragon Soup, Arleen Williams, translated, Tamer Institute

(funded by DIFID)  About team work and cooperation

 

25-Winni the Witch, Corki Paul and Valeri Thomas, translated, Tamer Institute

(funded by DIFID) About accepting our children to what they are

 

26-Mama Zooms, Jane cowen Fletcher, translated, Tamer Institute

(funded by DIFID) About a disabled mother and her child, he rides on her laps and she drives him, flies him…

 

27-Black Ear, Blond Ear, Khaled Jemaa, Tamer Institute

(funded by DIFID) About two tribes of cats and learning to hear one another and living together

 

28-Sawa Sawa, Rose Shomaly, Tamer Institute

(funded by DIFID) A boy who discovers that his friends don’t find it naturel to help in housework
 

29-Who will Sing to Jasmine, Sameh Abboushi, Tamer Institute

(funded by DIFID) The mother is traveling; the father will take care of young Yasmine

 

30-Story that Begins and Ends with Imagination, Sonia Nimer, Tamer Institute

(funded by DIFID) The pleasure and legitimacy of fantasy

 

31-Decimal fractions, poetry, Ahmad Dahbour, Tamer Institute

(funded by DIFID) Through poetry, souvenirs of a Palestinian refugee in the first years of the Nakbe

 

32-Red sky in the morning, Elizabeth laird, Tamer Institute

(funded by DIFID) About a handicapped child


 
   33-Summer of 67, Majdi Shomali, Tamer Institute

(funded by DIFID) Games of boys in Bethleem in 1967


 
  34-Thumbs Up Ricco, Translated, Maria Tessa Tamer Institute

(funded by DIFID) A young handicapped boy  finds his place through life

 

35-Teacher’s Manual/Children’s Literature, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Education

(funded by DIAKONIA)

 
  36- Said Wal Bulbul, Sameer Zouhair Jayusi, ECRC/Palestine

       (funded by DIAKONIA), About freedom and caring for animals
 37-Al Hattab, Dar Shourouq/Palestine

(funded by DIAKONIA) Palestinian folk tale, the wood cutter and his feva
 38- Fi Ittijah Alqamar, Dima Abughosh, The Ogarit Cultural Center/Palestine

(funded by DIAKONIA) The butterfly misses his beloved flower
 39- Ana Lastu Shaqiyan, Safaa Ameer, ECRC/Palestine

(funded by DIAKONIA), a child sings: I am not bad, nor malicious
 40- Al Qandeel asSageer, Ghassan Kanafani, Dar alFatalArabi/Palestine

(funded by DIAKONIA), A girl tries to fulfill her dead father’s will

 41- Sheeki Beeki and Sharqashand, Selman Natour, AbuGosh Agency/Palestine

(funded by DIAKONIA), Sheeki beeki explains where the thunder comes from while
Sharqashand is the homeland of the whale that saved the heroin.
 42- Panchatantra, translated, The Ogarit Cultural Center/Palestine

(funded by NORAD) Stories from Panchatantra
 43- Captured by Vikings, Torill T. Hauger, translated, The Ogarit Cultural Center/Palestine

(funded by NORAD) two Irish children are captured by the Vikings

 
 44- Wasaid Hajariah, Mazen Dweikat, The Ogarit Cultural Center/Palestine

(funded by NORAD) Poetry
 45- The Snow Storm, W. Owen & T. Sond, translated The Ogarit Cultural Center/Palestine

(funded by NORAD), On her way back to the city, a Norwegian family is caught by a storm
 46- Raqsat Khuld, M’hammad Kamal Jabr, The Ogarit Cultural Center/Palestine

(funded by NORAD) A Play whose heroes are a mole, a dog, a mice and a cat
 47- Sawsana Wa Shah, M’hammad Ismail Ramadan, The Ogarit Cultural Center/Palestine

(funded by NORAD) Sawsana, the flower that misses children.
 48- Assayad, Abbas Dweikat, The Ogarit Cultural Center/Palestine

(funded by NORAD) Will the hunter kill the mother gazelle?
 49- Me and Jumana, Mahmoud Shukair, The Ogarit Cultural Center/Palestine

(funded by NORAD), the friendship of two adolescents
 50- Under  the Hawthorn Tree, Marita Colon- McKenna, translated, Tamer Institute/Palestine

(funded by DIAKONIA), the adventures of three children during the famine in Ireland of the 19th century
 51- The Gallant Five, Henriette Siksik, translated, Tamer Institute/Palestine

(funded by DIAKONIA), The adventures of five stallions in the dawn of Islam.
 52- Nammoula, Zakaria M’hammad, Tamer Institute/Palestine

(funded by DIAKONIA) a Palestinian folk story
 53-The Secrets of the Red Sea, Henri de Montfreid, translated, Beit alMaqdes/Palestine.

(funded by DIAKONIA) adventures in the red sea.
   54- Mazanendaba and other Stories translated The Ogarit Cultural Center/Palestine

(funded by NORAD), African folk stories.

Other books were also distributed in smaller quantities between 500-2200 copies of:

1- Nus Nseis, Popular Art Center

(funded by DIAKONIA)

2- I am Not Bad, ECRC

(funded by DIAKONIA)

3- Speak Bird, Speak Again, Institute for Palestine Studies

(funded by DIAKONIA)

4- How to  Overcome your Sorrows, Tamer Institute

(Offered by DIFID)

Top

·         Criteria

Following is the translation of a transparency used during the training. It constitutes the guide line questions one should ask himself while evaluating books.  The books are not required to relate to all those points.  There is no must.  It is a guideline for thinking collectively while evaluating.

Concerning the content:

The beginning attracts the attention of reader

Incites thinking

Incites imagination

Helps discover the environment

Incites respect for public venues

Links the child to his heritage

Enriches the child with concepts and information in sciences, history or geography

Helps enrich the horizons of the child, enriches his life

Transports the child to other civilizations

Portrays non-traditional gender roles 

Is funny and pleasant to read

Develops awareness of the necessity to protect the environment

Includes activities of scientific or self learning interest

Strengthens the feeling of independence in the child

Strengthens the love of work and effort

Strengthens the reader’s belonging to his society and religion without any chauvinism

Describes strong relations between family, and or  friends

Contains exciting adventures

Strengthens self confidence

Satisfies the emotional needs of the child

Deals with science fiction

Develops creativity and literary taste

Develops social responsibility and conscience

Helps understanding, analyzing, taking a stance

Creates positive attitude towards science and heroes

Deals with creation and natural phenomena

Concerning the form:

The size seems appropriate

The cover and binding are solid

The title is attractive

The printing is clear

The paper does not reflect the light, and is appropriate

The color of the paper is appropriate

The illustrations support the text

The colors used are appealing

The font used is appropriate

Uses subtitles

Vowels are present for new or difficult words

Number of pages is appropriate

Uses vowels

  (prepared by Arham Damen)

-          When evaluating a book, the characteristics of the age group should be taken into consideration (emotional, intellectual,linguistic and developmental).

Top

Following, is the text of the letter which is sent to donors who are interested in supporting our project with books

About the criteria for the production of these books:

-                                  The classes involved in this project are from first grade (6 years old) to 10th grade (15-16 years old); books should target one of these age ranges.

-                                  MOEHE stresses good translation (or original Arabic writing) of the text in perfect Arabic, with no colloquial language or grammatical mistakes.

-                                  The book should be a literature book, a story book (not an Atlas, or an encyclopedia),

-                                  The book should be interesting, meaning it should provoke interesting discussions and activities. It should also be interesting, not boring.

-                                  It should not praise values that a normal democratic and liberal person would refuse (like racism…).

-                                  Printing should be clear. For small ages (until the fourth grade)  vowels should be printed.

-                                  The books should be strong to last as long as possible, especially because they  not only will only read, but will also be used in activities.

Books should be agreed by the reading committee constituted for the project, except for the language (this must not be in colloquial Arabic).   I think the best tip is to choose a book you would like your own children to read, a book that you think they will enjoy.

Top