Review: Refugee by Alan Gratz

Oh, this book. Sometimes, a book comes along that really grips my heart. Sadly, the more I read, the less common this bookish encounter is, but I relish it each time. Refugee is one such book. This book grabbed me from page one, and I did not want it to stop. My heart hurt for the characters, and I wanted them to have happy endings. 

This is also the second book I have read by Alan Gratz in about a month. Both were amazing and approached topics that children are interested in and want to know more about. The first was Ban This Book about the consequences of banning books from school libraries. Refugee provides an outlet for talking to children about immigration and helping them develop empathy for people who leave their homes and lives behind. 

Refugee is also a book I recommend teachers read as it will give them better insights into their students' and what those students may have experienced before arriving to the classroom. 

Refugee by Alan Gratz

Refugee follows the stories of three children who become refugees with their families, seeking help from terrible circumstances. In all three stories, the children and their families face unimaginable struggles and hardships. They must make decisions that most people could not even fathom making, and in all three stories, some of their family is lost. These stories broke my heart but opened my eyes to some of the perils I wouldn't have known otherwise. Leaving life behind can come with more dangers, but also hope for something better.

Gratz deftly handles these difficult issues, and does not necessarily leave the reader with hope in the end. In fact, from my reading, none of the children had great hope at the end of their journeys. 

First, we meet Mahmoud, a Syrian child living in present-day Aleppo, which is being devastated by rebel forces. When his home is destroyed in an airstrike, his mother, father, newborn baby sister, and brother begin a long journey to Germany, a place they think will provide shelter and refuge. Their journey is challenging and they face as many dangers on the road as they did living in Aleppo. 

Second, we meet Isabel, a young Cuban girl living in Cuba in the 1990s. On the day Castro announces that all families may leave Cuba without penalty, her family joins a second family in sailing across the Gulf of Mexico. The two families leave in a raft-like boat made of old tin advertisements. As they leave Cuban shores, they are shot at by the police, filling their raft with holes. As they make their way to Florida, they realize they are not welcome everywhere and face prejudice just for being Cuban. 

Third, we meet Josef, a young Jewish boy living in 1940s Germany. Josef and his family are not given a choice, but forced to leave Germany on a ship called the MSS St. Louis. This ship sails across the Atlantic to Cuba, where the Jewish passengers are told they will be allowed to deboard and being new lives, away from the Nazis. If this story seems too good to be true, it is. As the passengers face great hardships on their journey to Cuba.

By describing three very different situations across many decades, Gratz helps the reader see parallels between the three children. They all face prejudice due to either their race or religion. Seeing that the same issues plague society today as they did in the 1940s should bring about conversations for change. 

I recommend this book for teachers who want to help children start these conversations and consider how to develop empathy in their students. The reading level is very simple and Gratz provides enough background and context to help students understand the three time periods.