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This library hold came in, + I started the book, as the current events in Syria hit the headlines. A very good spy thriller set in the country 10 years ago as revolution threatens the Assad regime who are experimenting with poison gas. A cia operative runs a mole + falls for her as she spys on the regime. The hunt for the mole, discovery of the hidden weapons is well done. The news + revelation of horror, however, made it an uncomfortable read

Refugee, created by Alan Gratz, follows 3 refugees from specific timeframes who are trying to leave from warfare and oppression. Isabel, a Cuban girl in 1994 who herself and her family are seeking safety from political rebellion as they flee to United States; Josef, a Jewish boy in the 1930's embarks on a journey to escape Nazi Germany, also known as the Holocaust; and Mahmoud, a Syrian boy in 2015 who struggles to outlive the Syrian War and

“Whether you were visible or invisible, it was all about how other people reacted to you.“

This book is past on true events that happened in three different time periods with three fictional characters. All three characters are 13 years old and all the stories are told from their perspectives. These would be important times in history to tell students about. Some of the descriptions may be graphic for younger students but can be summarized to meet each grade.

This book is a good book for advanced readers or older children. This book would be too intense of a reading level for younger readers. This book has a unique perspective on true stories based on fictional characters.

“Head down, hoodie up, eyes on the ground. Be unimportant. Blend in. Disappear. That was how you avoided the bullies.”

This book would be good to read to upper elementary grades and help them understand the importance of sticking up for people who may be being bullied or excluded. Although this book shows more extreme versions of this, it allows students to have different perspectives of children who faced hardships.

Refugee by Alan Gratz published in 2017 is a book following three different children and their families during different historical periods. It is an intense book that allows children to see into other children's lives from far and recent history and make connections or comparisons to their own lives. The story is told from the perspective of each of these three children which allows the readers to feel more connected to them.