Teaching Tolerance
Abe in Arms is a powerful story of suffering and survival. As a child in Liberia, Abe is forced to join rebels and fight a war he wants to avoid. Adopted by an American doctor, Abe comes to the United States. By the time he’s 17, he suffers from flashbacks about his wartime experiences. Author Pegi Deitz Shea tells Abe’s story with compassion, educating readers both about the Liberian conflict and about posttraumatic stress disorder and its treatments. The novel, though written for a middle school level, has disturbing content more suitable for older students.
