BALCONY ON THE MOON, by Ibtisam Barakat

The story: Ibtisam shares her story of growing up in Palestine in the 1970s-80s, when dreams were real but just about everything else was in short supply. Her life is proof that with hard work (okay, and some luck) you really can make a better life for yourself.

June Cleaver's ratings: Language G; Violence PG; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse PG; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (religious extremism and warfare) PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: It's a rare middle school kid who would pick this one up and make it through to the end. Buy it if you have kids interested in the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts and its impact on the region.