Nicholas Maes,
Crescent Star
Dundurn Press, 2011.

Rating: G*

Crescent Star tells the story of two very similar yet very different boys. Avi Greenbaum is Jewish and lives in West Jerusalem. Moussa Shakir is Palestinian and lives in East Jerusalem. They’re both 15 years old, both are separated from their fathers, both adore their older brothers. They both play soccer and, in fact, belong to the same soccer club. Despite a few chance meetings, they do not know each other - they live parallel lives, both being continually reminded of the conflict that has impacted their nation for three generations. Throughout the novel, their soccer teams meet - their coaches have arranged the matches in hopes that it will help bring about peace. Avi and Moussa must decide what they believe, who they will listen to and what role they will play while navigating the legacy of suspicion and violence that has been part of their lives - and the lives of their country mates - for so very long.

In this novel Maes has taken on a very contentious issue - that of the Israeli-Arab conflict. In his forward, he addresses the general response he received from his family about his choice to write on this topic - they thought he was, as he puts it, crazy. This topic is one of contention - if he seemed to be taking a side on the matter he would lose readers and be branded either anti-Zionist or pro Israel. As a Holocaust Educator I wondered how he would approach the topic. And Maes did quite well - he knew the burden he might be taking on, he did his research and he presented both sides of the story. The novel goes from the story of Avi in one chapter - or start of a chapter - to the story of Moussa during the same time period on the following pages. At times, due to the similarities between the boys, the book gets confusing as you go from story to story which really only enhances his point - that no one wins in this situation and that sometimes you need to realize how similar enemies can be. The book ends in a way that can be left up to interpretation - the narrator switches and the conflict is narrated by someone who is not directly involved, even if they are impacted. However, with the readers left to draw their own conclusions it opens the story for discussion and from that, further learning.

This book is good for students interested in history, especially modern history. It is also good for anyone who ever wondered about the impact of conflict on the lives of teenagers not yet old enough to fight - how does it impact their life and how do they feel about it? Maes has taken this topic and made it come to life in a way that readers will appreciate.

Alison Edwards
Vol. 16, number 3
February 2011

*Rating System:
E - Excellent, enduring, everyone should see it!
G - Good, even great at times, generally useful!
A - Average, all right, has its applications.
P - Problematic, puzzling, poorly presented.