Habibi Controversy

I was surprised when we talked about Habibi being banned in the West Bloomfield school district because when I read the book, I did not think about the fact that it could make put a bad mark on the Jewish culture. I read the book from Liyana's perspective; therefore, I didn't take into consideration how the text might make a Jewish child feel. However, the topic interested me, in part because I live in Commerce Twp which is right next to West Bloomfield.

The article in which Dr. Rabens says that the book bashes Jews was particularly eye opening for me. I understand that the book is one-sided, but I thought that was the point of Habibi. It was from the perspective of a young Arab American, so the characters would almost have to have a Palestinian view point or the book would be unrealistic. In my opinion, this book should not be used solely on its own to represent the conflict because children might come away with a negative opinion toward Jewish people. However, with careful discussion, and books that present the opposite view point, I think Habibi is an excellent book. It gives children a sense of what the culture of Arabs is like from the view point of an American child. I think that children can relate to the characters and some aspects of the story.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Habibi. However, I also think that a child needs careful explanation of the events in the book, making sure their opinion about Jewish people is not skewed.