Book description
Avi Greenbaum is Jewish and lives in West Jerusalem. Moussa Shakir is
Palestinian and lives in East Jerusalem. Both are 15 years old, live
without their fathers, adore their older brothers, and belong to the
same soccer club. Avi commemorates the Holocaust and celebrates
Israeli independence, while Moussa mourns on Nakba Day, marking the
expulsion of Palestinians from their homes and land in 1948. Their
lives are parallel lines: they have everything in common and nothing
at all. Each is oblivious to the others existence.
As Avi and Moussa go about their daily routines in the spring of
2006, they face reminders of the conflict that has dogged the region
for the past three generations the security wall, suicide bombings,
police operations, and the looming shadow of war. While navigating
this legacy of suspicion and violence, they must decide what their own
roles in the stalemate will be.
"Crescent Star
paints a vivid portrait of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and does
so in a fair and sympathetic way. At the same time, both Avid and Moussa
are depicted as typical questioning teens, unsure if the path their
parents have laid out is right for them. The only difference is, instead
of fighting their parents for more personal freedom at home, theyre
preparing to wage war in the streets."
Nicholas Maes is a
high-school history teacher and also teaches classics at the
University of Waterloo. His two previous novels for young people are
Locksmith and Laughing Wolf, which was nominated for the
Snow Willow Award. Maes is also the author of Robertson Davies:
Magician of Words. He lives in Toronto.
