Palestinian history children's book withdrawn from publisher due to editorial disagreements

The book, 'Displacement and the Palestinian American Story,' had been scheduled for publication in September as part of Random House Children’s Books’ 'Race to the Truth' series.

Palestinian American writers Alana Hadid and Jenan Matari withdrew a planned children’s book about Palestinian history from Penguin Random House following disagreements over passages concerning Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, according to details published Thursday. The authors said they would instead release the book through another publisher in 2027.

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The book, Displacement and the Palestinian American Story, had been scheduled for publication in September as part of Random House Children’s Books’ Race to the Truth series, intended for readers ages 10 to 13.

Hadid, the older sister of models Bella and Gigi Hadid, and Matari, an author and communications strategist, signed their publishing agreement in November 2024.

According to correspondence reviewed by The Guardian, disagreements intensified after editors inserted language stating that Hamas’ October 7 attacks violated international law. The authors objected, arguing the addition conflicted with their account of Palestinian resistance and was made without their approval.

Human Rights Watch has separately concluded that Hamas-led armed groups committed war crimes and crimes against humanity during the attacks, including the deliberate killing of civilians and hostage-taking.

The publisher also questioned repeated references to Jewish identity in descriptions of armed Zionist groups during the 1948 war, when approximately 700,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled from their homes.

Random House says editorial changes were intended to aid younger readers

Random House defended its editorial procedures, saying changes were intended to help younger readers understand contentious historical events. It subsequently proposed adding a publisher’s note and raising the intended readership age.

A company spokesperson said Random House respected the authors’ decision to withdraw the manuscript and remained committed to publishing Palestinian perspectives.

The authors subsequently reached an agreement with Interlink Books, a Palestinian-owned American publisher, which plans to release their work in 2027.

Saira Rao, who helped create the Race to the Truth series, said she would end future collaborations with Random House over how it handled the project. The publisher said another installment remained scheduled for 2028.