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4.31 AVERAGE
4.31 AVERAGE
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
I really enjoyed this view of the Syrian Civil War through a child’s eyes. What a sweet gift this English teacher gave that family to write their story down!
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Reads more like YA than I was expecting (perhaps misclassified by my library as adult fiction), but makes sense given the book is a retelling of a teenager and his family's story.
Overall beautifully written and a worthwhile read.
Overall beautifully written and a worthwhile read.
Four stars - not necessarily for the complexity or sophistication of the writing, but for the story, and for the ability of Abu Bakr to really paint the picture of what his family’s life was like in Syria.
I still don’t understand how and why Muslims are killing each other - that’s a conversation for another day,,and will require a lot more reading.
But I do have a greater appreciation for the refugee experience.
I still don’t understand how and why Muslims are killing each other - that’s a conversation for another day,,and will require a lot more reading.
But I do have a greater appreciation for the refugee experience.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
The book was a quick read on a very compelling subject matter. I just didn’t love it or get invested in the way the story was told.
Not only a raw portrayal of war through the eyes of a young man, but also an unexpected ode to video games and the power they have to help us deal with life. Al Rabeeah recounts evenings spent playing Counterstrike and Call of Duty with his cousins while real bullets fly outside the walls of his house, the real and virtual worlds crossing over in surreal moments like when the boys recognize the make of a soldier's rifle from the game and realize the army has set up a snipers' nest next to their football field.
Worth reading to understand the situation in Syria and other war-torn countries, and the challenges faced by those refugees when they reach Canada.
Worth reading to understand the situation in Syria and other war-torn countries, and the challenges faced by those refugees when they reach Canada.
Absolutely loved this little book. Such a small book but it packs a punch with the impact of fleeing war and violence for one family. Such a true and honest look at what it means to move away from your home to a new country and how that is not easy even if you are running for your life. I am so happy that this book was written.
A must read for everyone, but especially for all you teachers out there. Fantastically written true harrowing account.
The writing of this book is very simple and easy to understand, but the life of Abu Bakr is unimaginable. His and his family’s stories of struggle, war, death, happiness, and a sort of rebirth are harrowing and haunting. The reader is not experiencing it, but the emotions are tangible—this sort of strange life goes on, but there are people dying and going missing every day is absolutely unnerving. A worthwhile read for all.
My favorite thing about this book is that it is written as a collaboration between an English as a Second Language teacher and her middle school student, a refugee from Syria during the civil war. The story starts in Iraq and then Syria, and finally ends in Canada. The boy and his family share tragedy, hope, and relief as they seek safety wherever they can. There are a few graphic details in the first chapter that were hard for me as I imagined them, but most of the book is told in an informative but non-graphic way. I would recommend this to older kids or teens, or adults.