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Playing Atari with Saddam Hussein: Based on a True Story
At the start of 1991, 11-year-old Ali Fadhil was consumed by his love for soccer, video games, and American television shows. Then, on January 17, Iraq's dictator, Saddam Hussein, went to war with 34 nations led by the United States.
Over the next 43 days, Ali and his family survived bombings, food shortages, and constant fear. Ali and his brothers played soccer on the abandoned streets of their Basra neighborhood, wondering when or if their medic father would return from the war front. Cinematic, accessible, and timely, this is the story of one ordinary kid's view of life during war.
Over the next 43 days, Ali and his family survived bombings, food shortages, and constant fear. Ali and his brothers played soccer on the abandoned streets of their Basra neighborhood, wondering when or if their medic father would return from the war front. Cinematic, accessible, and timely, this is the story of one ordinary kid's view of life during war.
Audible Audio
Published April 14, 2020
About the author
Jennifer Roy
24 books96 followersJennifer Roy (see also Jennifer Rozines Roy) is an American children's writer. She is best known for fiction including Yellow Star, which won a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Award (2006), Sydney Taylor Honor Award, The William Allen White Children's Book Award (2009), a New York Public L Book, an ALA Notable Book, National Jewish Book Honor Award, and received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, VOYA and Booklist. She has written 35 educational books for children ages 5–16, including the "You Can Write" series.
Her latest book is Playing Atari with Saddam Hussein (February 2018), inspired by the true story of a young boy growing up in Iraq under the first Gulf war. Her Co-author Ali Fadhil was that boy and he grew up to be a translator in the trial of Saddam Hussein.
Her first illustrated book is "Jars of Hope", (August 2015). She is also the coauthor of the Trading Faces series (Simon and Schuster), a series co-written with her twin sister, Julia DeVillers. The second book in the series is Take Two, the third book is Times Squared, and the fourth is "Double Feature". The fifth book in the series is "Triple Trouble". Her book MindBlind, about a boy who is profoundly gifted and has Asperger syndrome, was published in October 2010 and received a YALSA award.
Her latest book is Playing Atari with Saddam Hussein (February 2018), inspired by the true story of a young boy growing up in Iraq under the first Gulf war. Her Co-author Ali Fadhil was that boy and he grew up to be a translator in the trial of Saddam Hussein.
Her first illustrated book is "Jars of Hope", (August 2015). She is also the coauthor of the Trading Faces series (Simon and Schuster), a series co-written with her twin sister, Julia DeVillers. The second book in the series is Take Two, the third book is Times Squared, and the fourth is "Double Feature". The fifth book in the series is "Triple Trouble". Her book MindBlind, about a boy who is profoundly gifted and has Asperger syndrome, was published in October 2010 and received a YALSA award.
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