Refugee

Great story, product quality good

Oh my goodness. This book. These characters. Refugee by Alan Gratz is middle grade literature at its finest, and once again, my mind is blown by the quality and richness of the stories that are available to our children. Kid lit has come such a long way since I was little, and I love it so much! I’d heard huge accolades about Refugee, and I’m always a bit nervous to read something when my expectations are set so high. But this book didn't let me down. To the contrary, Refugee exceeded my expectations. Simply put: it was absolutely phenomenal. Refugee tells three seemingly separate stories that all merge in beautiful ways at the end. Josef is a young Jewish boy living in Nazi Germany in the 1930s. With the horrific threat of concentration camps on the near horizon, he boards the St. Louis with his family, seeking refuge on the other side of the world. Isabel is a Cuban girl, and her story is set in 1994 as riots and unrest plague her community and her country. She and her family set out on a scrappy raft for Miami, hoping for freedom and safety. Mahmoud is a Syrian boy in 2015. When a bomb strikes his home and his entire world is torn apart by violence, he and his family begin a harrowing journey to Europe. All three kids are driven from their homes due to extreme danger, and all embark on unimaginable voyages towards refuge and freedom. I cannot get over this book. The characterization was stellar. The settings were vivid and authentic, and though the stories shared many similarities, the uniqueness of each journey was made evident through the authors meticulously researched details. The pacing was terrific, the pages begged to be read, and the suspense left me with my heart in my throat. This is a must read -- for learning about world history, for providing windows into the harrowing experiences so many children face on a regular basis, and for recognizing that, despite our differences, we all long for the same things: safety, security, and a welcoming homeland in which to establish our roots. Two trunks up.

In the book Refugee, by Alan Gratz, the main characters Joseph, Mahmoud and Isabella are individually sent on journeys to discover their new lives. The book follows them in different timelines. The characters treks were not always a walk in the park. There was death, chaos and destruction all around. On the other hand, there were the quality moments giving them hope. In the beginning of the book, Mahmoud found many ways to survive this is what he said he did, “Head down, hoodie up, eyes on the ground. The trick was to be invisible. Blend in. Disappear.” Mahmoud survive by blending in with his surroundings, he did this so he could be able to be with his family. Mahmoud did this to face the hardships of Syria and he never gave up. Additionally, one instance of turmoil was when the character Mahmoud and his family were forced to surrendered their newborn daughter to a random woman in order to save her. His family wanted to find her again and Ruthie (Joseph's sister) explained to Mahmoud, “And together we’ll find her, yes? I promise. We’ll find her and bring her home.” Ruthie told this to Mahmoud because her brother gave up his life for her to live out her life. Isabella and the ones she left Cuba with, were on the coast of Miami and determined to attain freedom. They said, “When were close enough in, the tide will take us the rest of the way. Or we’ll swim” Isabella and her new family were so close to their end goal they just kept going, even without an engine they faced the hardships and never gave up. Overall, this was an amazing book, perhaps even one of my favorites. I found that I could not put it down. It was well written and it all transitioned smoothly. Alan Gratz has become my favorite author, since this is the third book I have read by him and absolutely loved. I would recommend this book to all my friends, family, and even strangers.

Gratz takes a political concept and gives it a face, a story, and a heart. In Refugee, we read the stories of three refuges from three time periods. A Jewish boy on the cusp of manhood, Josef finds himself boarding a luxury cruise ship with his family in hopes of outrunning Hitler's army in 1938. Isabel and her family board a homemade boat to flee Castro's Cuba in 1994. Mahmoud and his family risk life and limb fleeing 2015 Syria after the wall of their apartment is literally blown away. Each story is told by a child who must leave all he or she has ever known, take a deadly journey, see horrors no child should ever experience, and fight for their lives and freedom at every turn. As each makes the hopeful and terrifying journey toward freedom, they remind us that refugees are not monsters or threats to society, but people who only long for peace, safety, and comfort. Each story is based on true historical events, which Gratz discusses at the end of the novel. A fantastic read that can lead to much discussion. Suitable for middle grades and up, but be aware that there is plenty of war violence, brutality, and incivility suffered by these children as they struggle to reach safety.

The quality of the product exceeds expectations. Even though it is labeled as used, it appears to be brand new. I can confidently recommend purchasing books from this seller.

Gift, well liked

I am a fourth grade teacher and have been looking for a new book to read aloud and I think this is the one! This book includes figurative language, lots of connections between the characters, historically accurate details that could be explored much further, connections with modern issues regarding refugees, and so much more. There is definitely some mature content discussed as Josef’s father recounts some of his experiences in a concentration camp, and the word “pissed” is used once. Would recommend this book for mature young readers only, or as a read aloud where an adult can be present to answer questions about our not always so pleasant history. This book is a page turner, but be prepared to have tissues at hand! I cried more than once. Without giving away too many details, just know this isn’t your typical “happily ever after” novel. It is a very realistic fiction that deals with the real challenges of being a refugee. People die, are separated, lost, reunited and go on to make an impact. Pick up this book whether you’re 10 or 50 for a great book that is an easy read!! Update: My class read this book as our last book of the year... I had a number of students say this was their favorite books we read all year (we read six other novels). I ended up using the audio book and it was a great decision! It was read by three different narrators and made it even more realistic! Such a great book that led to so many great connections and conversations. We had an amazing discussion at the end of the book and I feel good about helping shape my students views of acceptance and refugees.

I loved the story. So many twists and turns. I cannot believe what happened at the end. It is amazing what a brother will do for their sister.

As described

Builds up the understanding and empathy in the right measure towards the plight of the suffering humanity.

Very well written and engaging book. Brings the plight of migrants to a very personal level. I bought it for my kids but I wanted to read it first. It's engaging for adults and quite powerful for kids.

Tudo ok.

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