Authors withdraw Palestinian history children's book from Penguin Random House

Authors Alana Hadid and Jinan Matari have withdrawn their children’s book, ‘Displacement and the Palestinian American Story’, from Penguin Random House following a dispute over editorial changes. The authors stated that the publisher’s requested modifications would strip the Palestinian perspective from the work they had developed for two years.

The disagreement centered on the description of Palestinian history and the October 7 Hamas attacks. According to reports, an editor added a sentence without authorization stating that certain actions were ‘violations of international law’. The authors also faced pressure regarding the description of the Nakba and the use of terms to describe Zionist militias. Additionally, the publisher reportedly suggested removing the word ‘Jewish’ in certain contexts and proposed increasing the target age group from ten to fourteen.

Matari expressed that she would not compromise her community’s interests for personal success, emphasizing the importance of understanding resistance within a colonial context. The book is now set to be published in 2027 by Interlink Publishing under the title ‘Understanding Palestine for Young Readers: A Palestinian American Perspective’. A spokesperson for Random House stated that the editorial process followed standard procedures and noted that the company supports the authors’ decision to withdraw the book.