Diggers this way. Watch your step. Slip and you may fall back in time
“Levine…writes knowledgeably about the details of archaeological work, including the thrill of discovery, the backbreaking work of digging in the hot sun, and its importance to the historical record... A good choice for classes studying history or countries.” Booklist of the American Library Association.
"Sometimes it's not what you find, but what you find out."
Interweaving history and adventure, Levine (Running on Eggs) takes young readers on a Passover trip worth pursuing...Levine's plot takes kids to a place where the past and the present converge in exciting new ways. Ages 5–9. (Feb.)
"There are moments in life when you have to jump."
"Levine…writes with immediate, vivid detail…in this stirring…first-person present-tense narrative about cosmetics and kissing, as well as courage and conflict."
-- Booklist of the American Library Assn
Aggie is eighteen and getting ready to do her compulsory service for the Israeli Army. She could get a cushy assignment, only Aggie isn't like that. Despite her small size and the fact that she needs to gain weight to even make the grade, and the total disbelief of her entire family, Aggie is trying out for an elite combat unit.
This compelling portrayal of growing up in contemporary Israel perfectly captures the ever-present tension that skirts the edges of everyday life.
"Set in contemporary Israel, this thought-provoking first novel defines the problems a Jewish girl encounters when she befriends an Arab schoolmate. Although she has been raised to view Arabs as the enemy, 13-year-old Karen is drawn to her track teammate Yasmine, who shares her love of running. Both dream of winning an upcoming meet to qualify for a competition in Spain. But when Yasmine's father will not allow her to wear the "immodest" uniform of shorts, Yasmine must leave the team. However, she offers to help Karen train for the race. Knowing their friends and family would disapprove, the two meet secretly in "no man's land," an overgrown lot dividing Karen's kibbutz from Yasmine's village. Tension mounts when Yasmine's older brother spies the girls together, and Karen, sensing impending danger, is forced to choose where her loyalties lie. This realistic story offers a peaceful resolution of its potentially volatile conflicts; a timely and sympathetic treatment."
Publishers Weekly