Ida in the Middle, Nora Lester Murad
Ida in the Middle, Nora Lester Murad
List: $12.99 | Sale: $9.10
Club: $6.49

Ida in the Middle

Author: Nora Lester Murad

Narrator: Jeed Saddy

Unabridged: 5 hr 14 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 08/27/2024


Synopsis

Ida, a Palestinian-American girl, eats a magic olive that takes her to the life she might have had in her parents' village near Jerusalem. An important coming of age story that explores identity, place, voice, and belonging.

Every time violence erupts in the Middle East, Ida knows what's coming next. Some of her classmates treat her like it's all her fault—just for being Palestinian! In eighth grade, Ida is forced to move to a different school. But people still treat her like she'll never fit in. Ida wishes she could disappear.

One day, dreading a final class project, Ida hunts for food. She discovers a jar of olives that came from a beloved aunt in her family's village near Jerusalem. Ida eats one and finds herself there—as if her parents had never left Palestine! Things are different in this other reality—harder in many ways, but also strangely familiar and comforting. Now she has to make some tough choices. Which Ida would she rather be? How can she find her place?

Ida's dilemma becomes more frightening as the day approaches when Israeli bulldozers are coming to demolish another home in her family's village . . .

Reviews

Goodreads review by Kirin on September 29, 2022

Ideal for middle school readers (upper mg/lower ya), this magical realism book takes readers from middle school in American to a Palestinian village outside of Jerusalem through the consumption of some magical olives.  Written by a Jewish author married to a Palestinian Muslim who raised their three......more

Goodreads review by Shifa on January 31, 2023

A gorgeously written book about a young Palestinian American who finds her voice and identity. Genre: Upper Middle Grade/Lower YA -also some magical realism elements: olives cause time travel Author:Nora Lester Murad Publisher: Crocodile Books/ Interlink This beautiful hardcover (the book truly is absolu......more

Goodreads review by Lisa on November 13, 2022

I want to be Ida! I want to eat the magic olives and be transported to Palestine to see what life is like there and to experience what is really happening there. I visited Palesine two times and have followed news from Palestine/Israel ever since. This book provides a great introduction to the ong......more

Goodreads review by Eman on November 04, 2022

A much needed realistic fiction book on the little known stories of the Palestinian people and their past and present struggles. The book is written from the prism of an American young child and is very engaging and relatable. I cried and laughed throughout the book, but mostly, I felt hopeful that......more

Goodreads review by emmareadsya on March 12, 2025

Very sweet introduction to Palestine for middle grade or young adult readers with some magical realism. I thought sometimes Ida read a little too young for her age and the ending happened a bit too fast, but overall the book handled sensitive topics such as the ongoing occupation with care, opening......more