Parents often ask us for books about Palestine and hesitate at the door, worried that what they will find is too heavy for young children, or too political, or not grounded in the right things. What we have found, across the titles we carry, is that the best books about Palestine for children do not center on loss. They center on love. On land. On memory. On the particular stubbornness of olive trees.
For Young Children (Ages 3 to 7)
Sitti's Olive Trees by Ndaa Hassan is the book we reach for first. It follows a girl whose Palestinian grandmother shares the stories of their family's olive harvest, generation by generation. The harvest is the anchor. The love between grandmother and grandchild is the story. It is warm and specific and does not ask a young child to carry anything too heavy.
Colours of Al-Quds by Jenny Molendyk Divleli walks through the colors of Jerusalem with simple, luminous text. It is a good introduction for children who are just beginning to ask where Palestine is.
For Middle Grade Readers (Ages 9 to 12)
My Name Is Bana by Bana Alabed tells the true story of a seven-year-old girl who live-tweeted the siege of Aleppo to the world. It is adapted for young readers and handled with real care. Children this age can sit with what it says.
The Eliyas Explains: Why Does Allah Let Bad Things Happen? book by Zanib Mian is worth reading alongside any of these titles. It gives children a framework for processing injustice from within their faith.
For Young Adult Readers (Ages 12 and Up)
Tagging Freedom by Rhonda Roumani follows a Syrian American girl processing displacement and loss through street art. While it focuses on Syria, it speaks to every child navigating what it means to be from a place the world is watching.
All of these titles are available at Maktabah's Palestine collection. We keep them in stock year-round, not only during moments of crisis.