Foreword I wrote “A Dream For Peace” due to the inspiration given to me by Michael Morpurgo’s beautifully written book “The Kites Are Flying” and the exciting eTwinning project which we did at school. In my book I managed to show how two very different children can have the same dream even though they are against each other in the conflict. This book is for Mum and Dad who have always given me advice and support with my writing. I hope that reading it inspires you as much as writing it was for me. Enjoy, Emily Reid.

1st May 2008 I saw that boy again, the one who flies the kites. He makes a time like this feel so peaceful and happy. He sends me a kite every week. I have 93 of them now and they all have the word salaam on them. Since salaam means peace in our language then I think that he is like me who wants to end this conflict and live in a peaceful country unlike the war torn one that we do live in. I still can't get over what happened that day on the ambush but seeing him flying his kites makes me forget all about the hurt in our country and..... mama. No matter what is happening in the world, conflict or not, his kites will still fly, so free and alive. 2nd May 2008 Papa is now wheeling me outside everyday and Akmal usually comes out as well to play football with his friends but I like to watch the boy fly his kites. Today there was somebody with him which is strange because he is usually alone. He was a tall, slim man with dark hair and he was carrying a fancy camera so he was probably one of those television reporters. He seemed to be showing the kite boy how to use his camera and he even gave him a go of it. The boy was so excited that he didn't even notice me but I still carried on watching them.

The kite boy never used to fly his kites alone. He used be with another boy who looked only a few years older than him. They would always make and fly kites together but then he suddenly started doing it on his own. I remember hearing a story about a 12 year old boy being killed in a warning fire. That is only a year older than me! I think that the boy who was killed was the kite boys brother who would always make kites with him. He must know what it feels like then, to lose someone close to you. I can still remember what happened like it was yesterday and the pictures keep going around and around in my head like a never ending film. It was a normal Saturday morning and as usual mama and I were on our way down to the market. We were just turning the corner to go on to the next street when we suddenly heard a horrendous exploding noise and everything turned fiery oranges and yellows. I could feel myself being hurtled through the air and then... nothing. When I woke up I found myself in a hospital ward with unbelievable pains in my legs. Papa and Akmal were sitting at the side of my bed with blood shot eyes and white faces. I could see the relief in papa's face when he had realized that I had woken up but Akmal was still staring into space. "How are you feeling Abia?" he asked. "Where is mama?" I asked ignoring his question but I could tell from the look on their faces what had happened.

3rd May 2008 I wheeled my wheelchair outside all by myself today! Papa says that I am getting stronger everyday and that I am just like mama because I never give up. That television reporter was with the kite boy again but today he seemed to be leaning on a crutch. At first they were just sitting under the tree that the boy usually makes his kites under but at the first sign of wind he was on his feet and had a kite in the air in an instant and the reporter was filming him. They kept switching over who held the spool and who held the camera. The reporter did not fly the kite nearly as well as the kite boy does but it still flew as high as the clouds and soared as eagerly as a bird.

When the kite boy took the kite back from the reporter he let it soar for a bit and then, as I had expected, he let go of the spool and watched the kite soar over to our side. When it landed I wheeled over and picked it up. It took me a minute to examine it's beautiful colours as it sat in my lap before I looked up to find the kite boy rapidly waving to me. It seemed like a lifetime before we stopped waving to each other but it was only then that I noticed that even though we are against each other in this war, we still have the same dream. A dream for peace.

4th May 2008 When I woke up this morning I could hear a lot of noise coming from outside. Then Akmal suddenly burst into the room being the excitable little brother he is. "There is something outside you've got to see!" he exclaimed excitedly. Him and papa quickly helped me get out of bed, changed, into my wheelchair and outside. I was very curious as to what was happening but I would have never been able to guess what awaited me outside. The sky was full of kites! Lots and lots of them all different shapes and colours and the only thing that made them alike was that they all had the word salaam on them. I quickly scanned the opposite side of the wall for the kite boy and there he was, jumping up and down with excitement and flying a kite. The television reporter was with him and so was his family. "Quick! Help me stand up!" I quickly asked papa and Akmal. "But...." papa started. "Please" I interupted, "I can do it, I know I can". So with the help of papa, Akmal and some of my friends I slowly got onto my feet. As I lent on papa for support the kite boy and I were waving to each other and it was then that I realized that we are not the only people who hope for peace between our countries and possibly, just possibly one day, the wall may come down. One day, one day.

About Emily Reid I am twelve years old and live in Inverness. I have always loved writing and do it very often. I write many stories and poems in and out of school and “A Dream For Peace” is definitely one of my favourites. After reading Michael Morpurgo’s book “The Kites Are Flying” as part of our exciting eTwinning project I was inspired to write a story as a child on the opposite side of the war. A story in which I used true facts about children’s lives in other countries and during the conflict. Emily Reid.

Dear Emily I loved ‘A Dream for Peace’ – thanks so much for sending it. I shall keep it and read it to the children when I go to Palestine & Israel. With lots of love from Michael Morpurgo