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4.63 AVERAGE
4.63 AVERAGE
Muzoon is an education advocate for refugees. She has the experience as a Syrian refugee that gives her a lot of credibility. This book is an account of her life from the time before the Syrian War to her time entering a university in the UK. In between, she and her family live in their homes as war escalates. They have hard conversations about fleeing. Then they move from one refugee camp to another. Notably, Muzoon takes only 9 textbooks with her when she packs the essentials from her home.
She ends up working in refugee camps as an advocate for refugee education, working to encourage the children in the camp to do schooling as refugees, to not give up hope. She particularly advocates for young Syrian girls to continue their education and to not assume that they will be limited only to housework and child raising (important tasks, but sometimes fate robs women of their wage-earning spouses and sometimes women have great gifts to offer society through their vocations).
Muzoon is often called the Syrian Malala. They have met before and offer each other support in their overlapping missions. Muzoon was even invited by Malala to the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony by Malala (which was not an easy task to accomplish, given that Muzoon had no official paperwork as a refugee).
I took the opportunity to watch a handful of videos about the history of Syria, about the war (and the many countries and groups maintaining a stake in the war), about the refugee crisis, and about Muzoon herself. Yes, right now the world is focused on Palestinian refugees, but Muzoon can narrate some of the concerns that are universal for refugee children who can benefit from an educaiton while they are seeking permanent residence.
She ends up working in refugee camps as an advocate for refugee education, working to encourage the children in the camp to do schooling as refugees, to not give up hope. She particularly advocates for young Syrian girls to continue their education and to not assume that they will be limited only to housework and child raising (important tasks, but sometimes fate robs women of their wage-earning spouses and sometimes women have great gifts to offer society through their vocations).
Muzoon is often called the Syrian Malala. They have met before and offer each other support in their overlapping missions. Muzoon was even invited by Malala to the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony by Malala (which was not an easy task to accomplish, given that Muzoon had no official paperwork as a refugee).
I took the opportunity to watch a handful of videos about the history of Syria, about the war (and the many countries and groups maintaining a stake in the war), about the refugee crisis, and about Muzoon herself. Yes, right now the world is focused on Palestinian refugees, but Muzoon can narrate some of the concerns that are universal for refugee children who can benefit from an educaiton while they are seeking permanent residence.
This is an inspiring and eye-opening memoir about a young girl's life in Syria and later, in a refugee camp. I don't think many students know about Syria or Muzoon, so I believe it could be a valuable addition to any library. “People shouldn’t just learn about us,” Muzoon says. “They should learn from us.”
Muzoon's story proves that anyone can make a difference if they care enough.
Muzoon was a typical high schooler, surrounded by a loving and supportive family, when her life was turned upside down after her father made the hard decision to leave war-torn Syria and settle in a refugee camp in Jordan. The day before they left, her father told her and her siblings to take only their most precious belongings; Muzoon took her school books.
Muzoon was lucky among her Muslim girlfriends because her family believed in education; in fact, her father was a teacher. She knew that a college degree would be her ticket to independence and so she fought hard to stay in school--even in the refugee camp. When she noticed that other girls her age left school to seek marriage, Muzoon became an advocate for female education, encouraging her peers to continue their studies.
Her relentless advocacy caught the attention of news organizations that visited the camp to report on Syrian refugee conditions. This, then, prompted Muzoon to double down on her English language skills. Eventually she was recognized by other young social rights activists and UNICEF. When she and her family were given the chance to relocate to the UK, they moved. There, Muzoon once again had to fight for the right to study the "serious" subjects that would allow her a place at university.
As a result of her hard work, college education, and stubborn refusal to take no for an answer, Muzoon became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, traveling and speaking around the world.
The lessons: Stand up for yourself. Encourage others to better themselves. Recognize that you too could become a refugee with little warning or preparation (see: Ukraine). Refugees are people who want to have a meaningful life and want to contribute to society; they've left everything behind and need a leg up. Grasp all your opportunities. Don't let the fundamentalists of whatever religion you follow to suppress you as a person and especially as a woman. Everyone, even a teenage refugee acting alone, can make a difference in the world.
This book is marketed to a middle grade audience, but Muzoon's story is a must read for everyone of every age and belief. If you read only one nonfiction book this year, make it this one.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
Muzoon was a typical high schooler, surrounded by a loving and supportive family, when her life was turned upside down after her father made the hard decision to leave war-torn Syria and settle in a refugee camp in Jordan. The day before they left, her father told her and her siblings to take only their most precious belongings; Muzoon took her school books.
Muzoon was lucky among her Muslim girlfriends because her family believed in education; in fact, her father was a teacher. She knew that a college degree would be her ticket to independence and so she fought hard to stay in school--even in the refugee camp. When she noticed that other girls her age left school to seek marriage, Muzoon became an advocate for female education, encouraging her peers to continue their studies.
Her relentless advocacy caught the attention of news organizations that visited the camp to report on Syrian refugee conditions. This, then, prompted Muzoon to double down on her English language skills. Eventually she was recognized by other young social rights activists and UNICEF. When she and her family were given the chance to relocate to the UK, they moved. There, Muzoon once again had to fight for the right to study the "serious" subjects that would allow her a place at university.
As a result of her hard work, college education, and stubborn refusal to take no for an answer, Muzoon became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, traveling and speaking around the world.
The lessons: Stand up for yourself. Encourage others to better themselves. Recognize that you too could become a refugee with little warning or preparation (see: Ukraine). Refugees are people who want to have a meaningful life and want to contribute to society; they've left everything behind and need a leg up. Grasp all your opportunities. Don't let the fundamentalists of whatever religion you follow to suppress you as a person and especially as a woman. Everyone, even a teenage refugee acting alone, can make a difference in the world.
This book is marketed to a middle grade audience, but Muzoon's story is a must read for everyone of every age and belief. If you read only one nonfiction book this year, make it this one.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.