The Six-Day Hero

by Tammar Stein

Motti knows that war is coming. Israel is only nineteen years old, the same age as Motti's brave older brother, Gideon and the tiny country is surrounded by enemies. It's only a matter of time before Egypt, Jordan and Syria attack. Motti wishes he could join the Israeli army like Gideon and be a hero. But when his best friend's family flees the country and his brother goes off to fight, Motti realizes this war isn't a game. His family is in danger, and Israel's very survival is at stake.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, School, Middle East, Historical, Fiction, Jewish

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2017

About the author

Tammar Stein is the award-winning author of the YA novel, Light Years, a Virginia Reader's Choice book and an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, 2006. Her second novel, High Dive, was nominated for an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, 2009. Kindred, her third novel and the first in a series, was nominated for Teen Choice Best Book Award and received a starred review on Publishers Weekly. Spoils, a companion to Kindred, will be released on December, 2013. Debts, free e-novella will be released in the Fall, 2013.

She recently moved to Virginia where she lives with her family and bilingual dog.

Reviews

[Lois R. Gross · Rating 5 out of 5]

In May, 1967, the small country of Israel went to war with Egypt, Syria, and Jordan for their very existence. The Arab countries vowed that Israeli blood would run through the streets. Israel’s western allies abandoned them to their fate. Only twenty years after the Holocaust, a country of Jewish people were again faced with extermination but, this time, they had a military force and a plan. Although their soldiers were outnumbered five to one, lightning strikes against the Arab artillery and air forces brought the enemy to its knees and in a rare modern example of David beating Goliath, Israel won the war in six days. However, behind every remarkable victory are human stories and the story of the Laor family, Motti; his soldier brother, Gideon; and his younger brother, Beni; plus their parents is the heart of this engrossing book. Both Gideon and his father are called up to military service, leaving Motti to make sense of war and the definition of heroism. While Gideon naturally considers his brother a hero, he is puzzled by his father’s definition of heroism which includes an elderly Holocaust survivor in their building who lost her whole family and persevered in a new country with a new language. When Gideon helps a friend avoid detonating a bomb, he becomes an unexpected hero. The book is remarkable in its detail; the experience of living for days in a bomb shelter and the constant uneasiness when war is literally being fought outside your door. When officers inform the Laor family that “Gideon has fallen”, one of the two officers knew him personally. In Israel, every death is personal. The reunion of Motti’s father with his childhood Jordanian friend is a message of hope for future peace. A war story with a unique perspective.

[Lisa Bernstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent book, depicting the Six Day War--before, during, and after--from the perspective of a 12 year old boy living in West Jerusalem. I think the book depicts a greater independence that Israeli children had (and have) compared to American children in general. It gently explores the emotions of the different characters and the main character learns different ideas about heroism. The book jacket lists it as for ages 8-13, but that seems young to me. I would say ages 11-14. There are some tense circumstances and definitely sadness. It also depicts the extreme joy at the reunification of Jerusalem--very appropriate this year as we celebrate 50 years of a unified Jerusalem.

[Jeannie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing! As you read this book, you become so comfortable with the setting and characters that you don't notice the amazing lessons you are getting on history, culture, bravery, and hope. I've read many children/YA books with characters living in countries other than the usual English speaking ones, and this author does something very few have done. She incorporates Hebrew/Israeli words, customs, routines in such a casual, normal way that they never seem stilted, forced, or even weird. The young people in the book are as easy to relate to as neighbors only with an amazing story to tell. Masterful indeed!

[Abigail Mohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the first ~80% of the book, I was planning to rate it four stars. But the ending… it was tragic and beautiful and so well written, it bumped the entire book up to five stars.

The Six-Day Hero follows a young boy, Motti, living in Israel right around the country’s 19th birthday. When their country gets attacked by stronger nations after the UN pulls out their troops, Motti’s entire world is thrown upside down. As his older brother goes off to fight and his city is attacked, Motti has to learn what it means to be a hero.

This was an incredible book, largely due to the fact that it didn’t seem incredible at first. At first, it was interesting to me but didn’t really seem terribly special, but the ending made it all worth it. There was so much symbolism and beauty in the subtlety of Motti’s heroism, not to mention his incredible character development. I also loved learning about the Israeli religion and culture through this book, and want to read more books set in this location.

If you like historical fiction or war books, read this. It’s a quick and fast-paced read whose beauty sneaks up on you. This book might be written for children (I’d say 10+ could read it) but it can be read by everyone.

[Ben Millerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very sad ending but truly a wonderful story.

[Mary Catherine Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for school and it was such a moving story about the six day war. It was told in first person by a boy living in Israel during the war. I showed what it is like to be living in the middle of a war, where there is fighting right outside your house. It is a story of loss and grief. It showed, most of all that brave people are everywhere, especially in the time of war. This book made me cry and made me think of the war going on now, in Ukraine.

[Ayden Schure · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Six-Day Hero by Tammar Stein was a thrilling but emotional story. It is about the six-day war where Israel was fighting for their country and their lives against the Arab Armies, or its surrounding territories. 12 year old Motti wants to be a hero like his older brother and father. In this story, you will see Motti transform into the hero he is while he finds signs of hope and positivity. Sadness, bravery, and joy all mix in this wonderful historical fiction book.
I liked this book a lot. I loved how the author wrote it, and how she described everything. It was very visual, and it was like a movie in my brain. Stein was very creative when she added in signs of hope that some people would just overlook. If I could change anything, I would make the book a bit more detailed during the war scenes. I would also like to know more backstory on Israel and their past conflicts with the Arabs.
I would recommend this book to Jewish teens who want to learn more about Israel and how it is singled out by all its surrounding territories. On the other hand, I would also recommend this book to any teen who likes historical fiction or wants to learn more about different cultures and countries.

[Yapha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Motti is twelve and his older brother Gideon is nineteen -- the same age as the new state of Israel. Gideon is serving in the army now, as all Israelis do when they finish high school. The young country is a mix of immigrants, many of who survived the Holocaust, and native born Sabras like Motti and his family. Things are tense in the summer of 1967. Egypt, Jordan, and Syria are assembling their troops along the borders, threatening to wipe the new country off the map. When his father is called up to the Reserves and his brother's training becomes more intense, Motti knows it is only a matter of time before war breaks out. This incredible story places the reader right in the middle of those terrifying and then exhilarating six days. It is a phenomenal look at life in West Jerusalem when it was still a divided city. It is one thing to learn the history of the Six Day War, it is entirely different to experience it alongside Motti. Highly recommended for grades 5 & up.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like this book could have gone a number of different ways, but ultimately went nowhere. There was little information about the Jewishness of anyone in Israel, which is central to the country's identity. There was the potential for a more focused coming-of-age type of story, developed at the beginning but ultimately fading towards the background. While the friendship with Yossi was somewhat developed, the friendship with David wasn't, leaving Motti's motivation for his heroics at the end a little fuzzy. What happened to the older brother was, I thought, predictable, as was the reunion between the Father and his friend. The basic story itself was interesting but could have been so much richer if any of the subtleties underneath the basic story were more developed.

[Deke Moulton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t even know how to fully articulate just how powerful, painful and hopefully this book is.

The throat tightening way that being on the edge of ear feels, the pure terror of living through attack after attack, the draining boredom of loving days in a bomb shelter, interspersed with such deep and incredible character growth.

So highly recommend and I’m so happy that pjlibrary included this title in last months PJ OUR WAY book selection. It felt cathartic somehow to read this.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so impressed by this middle grade novel by Tammar Stein about a 12-year-old Jewish boy living in West Jerusalem before, during and after the Six Day War. It was published in 2017 and is so relevant today. All of the 7th graders at Beth El will receive a copy of the book and we'll be reading it aloud together in class.

[Karis Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was interesting, seemed historically accurate, and I think I learned a lot about the six day war. But for some reason, I didn't love this novel.
I think the writing style and the tense was not my favorite (but this is all personal preference). Overall, it was an interesting book and I am glad that I read it!

[Fran Shapiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a terrific historical fiction book for middle school students. I read it with my 7th grade class and they were very engaged. I was looking for something that wasn't set in the Holocaust (which isn't easy) and this was a great choice. My students definitely learned about that event by reading this book and discussing it. I also recommend the sequel, Beni's War.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book started a bit slow for me. I thought there were too many crude lines. And I didn’t like the MC. His choices frustrated me. However, he does grow and I came to appreciate the storytelling by the end. I learned a little bit about what this time in Israeli history was like; however, I would have liked more historical and cultural details, even for middle-grade. 3.5⭐️

[Kimberly J · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was interesting at points, but I don't usually read these kinds of books. I went out of my comfort zone and read this book, and at the end, I was happy that I did. It was really interesting and I was surprised that I liked this book.

[Marisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. quick read with a glimpse into the 6 day war from the perspective of the Jewish people. it read more like a short story than a novel, but it was good. I may have my post WWII class read it.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a Goodreads Giveaway. I enjoyed this book and would read other books by this author.

[SamR · Rating 5 out of 5]

IT was good and emotional and it made me think about my relatives.

[Liza Wiemer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I flew through these pages. A beautiful, heartbreaking, hopeful historical fiction novel.
Highly recommend.

FRTC

[Sonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story takes the reader through the Six Day War from the perspective of a middle school age Israeli boy. Very relatable for both my ten year old and me.

[Jean Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really very sad story. I enjoyed it very much. Loved all the people in it. Good read.

[Joshua Abts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book talking about a kid learning to be brave through the six day war and is older brother dying in the war

[Alia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The parallels in this book to modern day are heartbreaking. It’s scary how history exactly repeats itself. 🇮🇱

[Kamryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mean it wasn’t a bad book- just not very intellectual. I think the main character cried more over the loss of a stray cat than the loss of a human 😂😂

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve never been to Israel and I didn't know too much about Israeli history. Tammar Stein’s The Six-Day Hero made the country, the people, and this pivotal moment in history real to me. I have a greater understanding of what led to the Six Day War and the struggles of the people living in this region. The Six-Day Hero opened my eyes and my heart. Young readers should immediately take to the main character of Motti and his family. The descriptions are vivid and the tensions of the time period are palpable. This is a page turner.

[A.]

Nice way for kids to learn about this time in Israeli history in a way that they can feel a personal connection to the events. I was not a fan of the writing style, and wish the themes were not stated so explicitly instead of being given the opportunity to speak for themselves. There were some vulgar moments (bathroom related) that I think could have been conveyed in a more refined way.