HomeBooks on Terrorism for teens

Books on Terrorism for teens

The following books were compiled by staff of the American Library Association's Booklist and are intended to focus specifically on the issue of terrorism. With such a difficult topic, the books include information that can be scary and may evoke difficult images. These books are for more mature readers, ages 12 and older. The nonfiction is well-written and solidly researched, intended in most cases to inform rather than inspire direct social action or "explain" why such terror exists. The fiction books give readers lots to think and talk about without giving simple answers. We can only hope they will open the way for discussion so older children and teens can confront their fears with the help of parents, caregivers and educators.

Non-fiction

"Political Violence and Terrorism" ed. by Mary Hull. A worldwide perspective on the problem of terrorism

"Terrorism" by Anne G. Gaines. The focus is on the Middle East with some insight on how the United States is affected.

"Silent Death" by Kathlyn Gay. This focuses on chemical and bilogical weapons and warfare and terrorism.

"Why Do They Hate Me?" by LaurelHolliday Accounts of children caught in conflict in Northern Ireland and Israel/Palestine.

"Caught in the Crossfire" by Maria Ousseimi. Words and pictures of children around the globe whose lives have been altered by civil war, terrorism and violence.

Fiction

"The Machine Gunners" by Robert Westall. England in WWII is the setting for this novel, in which a group of youngsters find a machine gun and decide to use it to defend their city.

"Flight of the Raven" by Stephanie Tolan. A serious message about two young people who come together in the face of terrorist violence in the United States.

"After the First Death" by Robert Cormier. Hijackers take a busload of children; the action unravels through the perspectives of the terrorists, the children, and others involved.

"Samir and Yonatan" by Daniella Carmi. In the midst of violence in the Middle East, a young Arab boy from the West Bank becomes friends with a Jewish boy. "Samir and Yonatan" received the 2001 ALA Batchelder Award for most outstanding children's book originally published in a foreign language and subsequently translated into English for publication in the United States.

For more than 90 years, ALA's Booklist has been the librarian's leading choice for reviews of the latest books and electronic media. Every year we review nearly 4,000 books for adults, more than 2,500 titles for children, more than 500 reference books and electronic reference tools, and 1,000 other audiovisual materials.