Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak by Deborah Ellis

A. Bibliographic Data:
Ellis, Deborah. 2004. Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak. A Groundwood Book, Douglas & McIntyre: Toronto, Vancouver, Berkeley.

B.Plot Summary:
Deborah Ellis traveled to the country of Israel to write this book so that the voices of the children that live among this terrible constant war could be heard. She interviewed many Palestinian and Israeli children asking them questions about their family, where they live, how they feel about children from the opposite culture, what they think their future holds for them, and if they had three wishes what they would be. Each chapter is a different interview from a different child, and it is titled with the child's first name and age. To open each chapter Ellis provides information about organizations, or events, or occurrences that have affected that particular child that is being interviewed in the chapter. Deborah Ellis uses several powerful methods to help readers visualize the magnitute of destruction that the children face. She opens the book with the statement, “In World War I, 15 percent of all casualties were civilians. In World War II, 50 percent of casualties were civilians. In 2004, 90 percent of casualties in war are civilians.” Following this statement she provides a map that shows how the territory in this small country is occupied. The next section provides a brief overview of why and how the war started. Also, throughout the book she provides black and white pictures of the children in or of their surroundings. She next provides a list of the complete name and age of all of the children under the age of 18 have been killed in this war. Then the children speak.

C. Critical Analysis:
Three wishes is a book that allows readers a small glimpse of the way the terrible war that is occuring in Israel over land is affecting the children that live there. The cover of the book shows two pictures. The top picture shows children in the middle of a street smiling and posing for the camera, they are signaling the peace sign with their hands at the camera. The bottom picture shows another group of children also in the middle of the street smiling at the camera. One child is eating a fruit, while another child has a bouquet of flowers in her hand. If it were not for small details like the flag peeking into the top picture, and the small hat one of the boys has placed on his head on the bottom picture one would not be able to tell which picture is of the Palestinian children and which is of the Israeli children. The point that Deborah tries to make throughout her book is that children from both cultures share the same fears, the same dreams, and the same experiences, yet many of them do not realize how alike they are because wars have isolated them from each other. This is why Dr. Vardell's quote, “Peace Through Children's Literature” kept springing to my mind while I was reading this book. If these children were only allowed to see how alike they are then maybe the terrible war that has been raging in their country for so many years might come to an end. If these children knew how alike they are would they still grow up wanting to fight each other?

D. Reviews:

Reviewed by School Library Journal:
"This collection of accounts from young people between the ages of 8 and 18 portrays the sapping toll of war on their lives. Instead of looking toward their futures, these kids are watching their backs. Instead of playing games of pick-up ball in the street, they're lobbing rocks at soldier's and dodging tear gas and bullets. Israeli students are pressed into military service. In Palestine, the scanty settlements are overcrowded and unsafe." by Allisson Follos.

E. Connections:
Deborah Ellis provides a list of additional readings towards the end of the book. (Ex. Number the stars / Lois Lowry, ISBN 0440403278).

She also provides a list of organizations. One activity that can be done with students is to have them work in groups to study an organization, and present what they learned about that organization to the class.