  | Refugee Author: Gratz, Alan | |
| Price: $22.58 | ||
Summary:
Although separated by continents and decades, Josef, a Jewish boy living in 1930s Nazi Germany; Isabel, a Cuban girl trying to escape the riots and unrest plaguing her country in 1994; and Mahmoud, a Syrian boy in 2015 whose homeland is torn apart by violence and destruction, embark on harrowing journeys in search of refuge, discovering shocking connections that tie their stories together.
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| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: MG Reading Level: 5.30 Points: 10.0 Quiz: 190739 | Reading Counts Information: Interest Level: 6-8 Reading Level: 5.30 Points: 17.0 Quiz: 71771 | |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (+) (06/01/17)
School Library Journal (07/01/17)
The Hornbook (00/11/17)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 07/01/2017 Gr 5–7—Gratz presents three interrelated stories about surviving. The tales center on children and their families who are driven from their homes by war, violence, and unrest. Josef must leave Nazi-controlled Germany with his mother, his sister, and his mentally broken father (just returned to them from Auschwitz). He sails across the Atlantic Ocean on the ill-fated St. Louis only to be turned away from Cuba and returned to Europe. Isabel and her family live in Cuba and escape on a makeshift raft during the exodus in the 1990s. They flee the repression and poverty of Fidel Castro's rule. Mahmoud, a Syrian boy, and his family seek refuge from the ongoing war and violence in their home city of Aleppo. They board a dinghy in order to cross the Aegean sea from Turkey to Greece. All the entries share elements of hardship, fear, and trauma and stress the power of love, family, and incredible sacrifice. Gratz, who is known for well-written and well-researched historical fiction, doesn't disappoint. His latest is timely and moving. VERDICT This compelling novel will help young people make sense of today's refugee crisis. Meant to be read, discussed, and shared widely. A first purchase.—Patricia Feriano, Montgomery County Public Schools, MD - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
