Amman, Nov. 4 (Petra) -- Unbesieged Minds, a children's book published by Jabal Amman Publishers and written by Shireen Sabanegh and based on a concept by Lina Abu Shaaban, has won the 2026 International Award for Arabic Children’s Literature in the Chapter Book category, marking another achievement in the publisher’s work to offer quality literature for children and young adults.

The book’s recognition at the award’s 18th edition is especially significant, placing it on one of the Arab world’s most prestigious platforms for children’s literature. It tells five true stories of children from Gaza who turned the pain and challenges of war into creativity and innovation. The award also affirms literature’s ability to preserve testimony and memory and to address young readers with honesty and beauty.

The author Shireen Sabanegh noted that the book represents a journey in search of peace and a space for reason and justice at a time when the scales of justice have been overturned. She explained that winning the award affirms that our voices can cross borders and be heard, dedicating the honor to all the children of Gaza who remain steadfast and those who have been killed, and to everyone who sees literature as a window for change.

She emphasized that the book is, first and foremost, a documentation project, expressing her gratitude for receiving the award alongside a distinguished group of creative talents and authors.

Born out of Gaza’s reality, the book tells the stories of children living through war and siege who refuse to give up and seek innovative solutions to everyday challenges. They show that creativity and hope can emerge even in the darkest circumstances, offering inspiring examples of determination and the will to live.

Sinan Sweis, CEO of Jabal Amman Publishers, expressed his pride in receiving this important award, which will give the stories of Gaza’s children a greater opportunity to reach readers. This fulfills the publisher’s mission to offer literature that preserves these children’s stories and celebrates their determination to live and their capacity to innovate.

Sweis explained that documenting these children’s stories aims to help their peers understand how they devise solutions and support their families and communities despite harsh circumstances. He noted that the book’s profits and the prize money have been dedicated to supporting children’s education in Gaza, expressing his hope that these stories will become real learning opportunities that help them continue pursuing their dreams.

Sweis thanked the award’s organizers and jury members for recognizing this work and for their efforts to support Arabic children’s literature and celebrate works that give children a voice and open up horizons of knowledge and imagination.

Written for children aged 9–12, the book takes readers on a journey through moving human stories: a girl who uses simple tools to bring the aroma of coffee back to her grandmother’s home; children who use scrap materials and solar energy to light the darkness and help those around them; a child who uses his bicycle to restart his father’s sewing machine; and another who invents recipes using ingredients available during wartime. These stories show how young minds can devise big solutions and how creativity becomes a means of resilience and supporting others.

The book was officially launched at an event at the Children’s Museum in Amman, attended by HRH Princess Dina Mired. The occasion celebrated the stories of Gaza’s children and their creativity and resilience, highlighting the role of culture and books in bringing children’s voices and stories to the world.

HRH Princess Dina Mired affirmed that the book is an exceptional work whose substance and message transcend words and pages. She noted that its beautiful and deeply moving style gives a voice to Gaza’s children, who, despite their harsh experiences, found room to dream amid darkness, space for creativity and innovation at the heart of suffering, and a glimmer of hope among the rubble of pain when hope itself seemed to have disappeared.

The book forms part of a cultural and humanitarian initiative that brings reading and giving together.

The project team and Jabal Amman Publishers have decided to donate all profits from the book and the prize money to support children’s education in Gaza, in partnership with the Tamer Institute for Community Education and Sumood Association, affirming the importance of collective efforts to support children’s right to education.

The publisher invites individuals, institutions, and schools to support this initiative by purchasing the book and helping to share its message so that every copy sold contributes to children’s education in Gaza and brings their inspiring stories to more readers.

Unbesieged Minds is now available through Jabal Amman Publishers’ online store. Details about the book and the initiative can be found at: https://japublishers.com/gaza-book/.

Founded in 2007 in Jordan, Jabal Amman Publishers (JAP) is a renowned publishing house, well known for its efforts in promoting a solid reading culture in the Arab World in addition to advancing education in the region.

JAP was established with a vision to fill in a knowledge gap by developing high-quality Arabic content in niche areas and producing it creatively in order to empower readers to become independent thinkers, equipped with knowledge and tools necessary for their personal development and future success. It seeks to make knowledge accessible to all through the provision of high-quality Arabic resources. JAP also aims to give voice to the voiceless and put a face to numbers through tackling untouched topics in the Arab region.

The International Award for Arabic Children's Literature (formerly known as the Etisalat Award for Arabic Children's Literature) is a prestigious literary prize dedicated to recognizing and celebrating excellence in children's and young adult literature published in Arabic.

Established in 2009, the award aims to inspire creativity, enhance the quality of Arabic children's books, and support authors, illustrators, and publishers in producing outstanding literary works.

//Petra// AF