Santa Claus in Baghdad and Other Stories about Teens in the Arab World

<p>What is it like to be a young person in the Arab world today? This lively collection of eight short stories about Arab teenagers living in Iraq Tunisia Egypt the West Bank Lebanon Syria Jordan and a Palestinian refugee camp engagingly depicts young people's experiences growing up in the Middle East. The characters drawn from urban and rural settings and from different classes as well as a mix of countries confront situations involving friends family teachers and society at large. Along with some specifically Middle Eastern issues such as strife in Iraq the hardships of life in a Palestinian refugee camp and honor crimes the young people deal with more familiar concerns such as loyalty to friends overcoming personal insecurities dreams of a future career and coping with divorcing parents. Coming of age in a complicated world they meet life with courage determination and not least of all humor. With accompanying notes that provide contextual information <i>Santa Claus in Baghdad</i> brings a fresh perspective to youth literature about the Arab world.</p>