Refugee by Alan Gratz

"They only see us when we do something they don’t want us to do."

These are the words of one of the three refugee children, one from Germany, one from Cuba, and one from Syria, whose stories are told in this book.

In 1938 Josef and his family leave Berlin, Germany.

In 1994 Isabel and her family leave Havana, Cuba.

In 2015 Mahmoud and his family leave Aleppo, Syria.


At first their stories seem to be tied together because they are all children that share the commonality of the refugee experience, and they do. As much as the time and their reasons or need to leave home differ some, their struggle is very similar, to stay together, to survive, to land someplace that will be home.

But then there is more, a connection that binds these three children. It was heartbreaking and beautiful.


And the quote I started with, it is Mahmoud who is painfully aware of this, that he is invisible until he or the other Syrian refugees do something that those observing or trying to ignore them don't like, such a pray. What is so vile is that so little seems to have been learned about how to welcome and care for the persecuted since the days of Jews like Josef's family fled Hitler's brutal regime. This turned out to be such a timely read as I feel so helpless watching how my government is treating those coming her seeking protection from violence and persecution.

This book, like Ghost Boys, was recommended by my friend Kelly. Please don't let it being in the "kid's/young reader" section fool you here either. Read this with your kids and talk about how we can help, how we should treat others, who we owe to our fellow human.

(Finished August 3, 2018)