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This work is reminiscent of Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis, as it illuminates the experiences of a young person caught up in a country’s political conflict, although the vignettes and historical explanations are less refined. Like Persepolis, the events of Ahmad’s story are also still very relevant today. Abdelrazaq’s black-and-white drawings are evocative, and Ahmad’s tale serves as a solid foundation for an exploration of a part of the Palestinian experience in the second half of the 20th century.”
—School Library Journal

Baddawi

Written by Leila Abdelrazaq
Illustrated by Leila Abdelrazaq
Published by Just World Books

An arrestingly drawn debut graphic novel, Baddawi is the story of a young boy named Ahmad struggling to find his place in the world. It explores the childhood of the author’s father from a determinedly boy’s-eye view. Ahmed was raised in the refugee camp of Baddawi in northern Lebanon in the 1970’s, one of many thousands of children born to Palestinians who fled (or were expelled from) their homeland during the 1948 war that established the state of Israel. Ahmad’s dogged pursuit of education and opportunity echoes the journey of the Palestinian people, as they make the best of their existing circumstances while remaining determined to one day return to their homeland.

Primary ISBN: 9781935982494
Publication Date: April 2015
Available As: Hardcover, Paperbac
Graphic Novel, Age 12 or older

Community Represented:

Themes: , , , , ,

Setting: Lebanon

Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: 1st Generation

Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience

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