Refugee
Author: Alan Gratz
Grade Level: 6-8
Genre: Historical Fiction
Awards: Nansen Refugee Award, Bluebonnet Award
Summary: This book follows the story of three people - Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud. All three characters are seeking refuge during different times in our world's history. Josef is living in Nazi Germany around 1930. Isabel is living in Cuba during the year 1994 while fights and crime are throughout her city, making it a dangerous place to live. Similar to Isabel, Mahmoud is seeing his homeland being burdened by violence and war during 2015. Even though the things they are running from take place during different years, their fights for refuge are similar. In the end, Josef sacrifices his youth in order to lead his family in his father's absence. Isabel sells her beloved instrument to buy gas for the boat they used to escape. Mahmoud sacrifices his comfort to lead and save his family. All three stories are joined together by the bold sacrifices these individuals made.
Evaluation: I had a friend recommend this book to me (and I am so glad she did!). This book reminded me of A Long Walk to Water. Telling the story of three different children seeking refuge from different situations throughout different years was fascinating. It keeps the reader engaged and wanting to know how the author is going to tie all the stories together. I highly recommend this book and I plan to use it in my own classroom.
The grade level is between sixth and eighth grade. Because all three characters are going through difficult things that they are trying to seek refuge from, the topics are heavy and deep. This book requires some amount of maturity if read.
I would love to use this book as an ongoing read aloud. The last five to ten minutes of class every day would be saved for this book. After the lesson is done and students put away their things, I would pull out this book and continue where we left off. After we finish the book as a class, student would then turn in a writing assignment discussing the significance of the characters and them seeking refuge during different times in history.
Summary: This book follows the story of three people - Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud. All three characters are seeking refuge during different times in our world's history. Josef is living in Nazi Germany around 1930. Isabel is living in Cuba during the year 1994 while fights and crime are throughout her city, making it a dangerous place to live. Similar to Isabel, Mahmoud is seeing his homeland being burdened by violence and war during 2015. Even though the things they are running from take place during different years, their fights for refuge are similar. In the end, Josef sacrifices his youth in order to lead his family in his father's absence. Isabel sells her beloved instrument to buy gas for the boat they used to escape. Mahmoud sacrifices his comfort to lead and save his family. All three stories are joined together by the bold sacrifices these individuals made.
Evaluation: I had a friend recommend this book to me (and I am so glad she did!). This book reminded me of A Long Walk to Water. Telling the story of three different children seeking refuge from different situations throughout different years was fascinating. It keeps the reader engaged and wanting to know how the author is going to tie all the stories together. I highly recommend this book and I plan to use it in my own classroom.
The grade level is between sixth and eighth grade. Because all three characters are going through difficult things that they are trying to seek refuge from, the topics are heavy and deep. This book requires some amount of maturity if read.
I would love to use this book as an ongoing read aloud. The last five to ten minutes of class every day would be saved for this book. After the lesson is done and students put away their things, I would pull out this book and continue where we left off. After we finish the book as a class, student would then turn in a writing assignment discussing the significance of the characters and them seeking refuge during different times in history.
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