Oranges in No Man’s Land

Story

Oranges in No Man’s Land tells the story of 10 year old Ayesha who lives in Beirut, Lebanon, with her Granny and two younger brothers. Ayesha’s father has left the country to find work, and her mother has died in a missile attack. The city is divided in half because of the civil war and a dangerous no man’s land separates the two sides, but when Ayesha’s Granny becomes ill she bravely decides to go on a journey to find a doctor on the other side of the city.

Why we chose it

A story that shows what it is to live in a city divided and devastated by war.

Where it came from

Elizabeth Laird lived with her husband and son for a short time in Beirut when a civil war was in progress, which went on to inspire the events that form the story of Oranges in No Man’s Land. As an author who has travelled and lived in many different countries, Laird is often inspired by her surroundings and turns them into stories and novels.

Where it went next

Oranges in No Man’s Land went on to win the Hull Children’s Book Award and was shortlisted for the Canadian Surrey Schools Book of the Year Award and the North East Book Award. The book is read and explored in primary schools across the UK and has been identified as one of the top 50 Children's Books celebrating cultural diversity in the UK by LoveReading4Kids.

Associated stories

Elizabeth Laird has written over 30 books for children since her first publication in 1979. Other popular titles include Red Sky in the Morning (1988), Kiss the Dust (1991), Hiding Out (1993), and The Garbage King (2003), The Fastest Boy in the World (2014), Welcome to Nowhere (2017) and A House Without Walls (2019).