When her family had to flee Syria, 14-year-old Muzoon was told to pack only the most essential things — and so she packed her schoolbooks. This eye-opening memoir tells the story of a young girl's life in Syria, her family's wrenching decision to leave their home, and the upheaval of life in a refugee camp. Though her life had utterly changed, one thing remained the same. She knew that education was the key to a better future — for herself, and so that she could help her country.
Muzoon went from tent to tent in the camp, trying to convince other kids, especially girls, to come to school. Her passion and dedication soon had people calling her the "Malala of Syria." Since then she has grown into an internationally recognized advocate for refugees, for education, and for the rights of girls and women, and is now a UNICEF goodwill ambassador — the first refugee to play that role. Muzoon's story is absolutely riveting and will inspire young readers to use their own voices and stand up for what they believe in.
"Effectively recapturing a child’s perspective, Almellehan recalls her safe world of street soccer, close family ties, and olive harvests as a 12-year-old in 2010 that is gradually overshadowed by news of violent events and, at last, transformed by a 2013 move to a refugee camp in Jordan — a planned 10-day sojourn that turns to months, then years and further moves, until at last she and her family wind up in Newcastle, England, far from everything familiar.... She opens with a reminder that 'a refugee is not a type of person' but 'someone in a kind of situation that could happen to anyone,' closes on her first day of university, and in between challenges readers to pay attention to her story: 'I don’t want people to know about refugees,' she tells an interviewer. 'I want them to listen to refugees.'" — Kirkus Reviews
Recommended Age | 12 and up |
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Author | Muzoon Almellehan, Wendy Pearlman |
ISBN | 1984851985 |
Publication Date | May 23, 2023 |
Publisher | Knopf Books for Young Readers |
Language | English |