 |
Reviewed by: Kathy Jaccarino, High School Librarian Title: Alone: The Journeys of Three Young Refugees Author: Paul Tom Publisher: Groundwood Books
Year: 2022 Good for Grades: 6-12 Genre/Type of Book: Collective Memoirs
Content Warnings, or things that other School Librarians should be aware of: No Recommended for a school library: Yes Reason(s) for choosing the book: I am always looking for memoirs from diverse perspectives, this was very well reviewed and came highly recommended by one of my teachers. If you were tasked by the publisher with writing a short quote for the back cover of this book, what would it be: Alone and frightened, but brave and hopeful, in their journey to a new life.
|
Review:
Alone is based on the documentary Seuls, the story of three young refugees' journey to Canada to start new lives, alone.
Note: I rated this book to be appropriate for middle school through high school, however, the reviews and publisher suggest it is appropriate for readers from ages 8-12. I would disagree. Although the reading level might be younger, I think the subject matter is more mature.
This is the true story of three young people: Afshin, 13 years old from Tehran, Iran; Alain, 13 years old from Bujumbura, Burundi; Patricia, 16 years old from Kampala, Uganda. This book embodies the themes of resilience, perseverance, and hope. These three young adults are sent away from their homes and their families, to seek asylum in Canada, alone. Their stories are told simply, in alternating perspectives. Each young person faces overwhelming odds and danger in their homeland and needs to flee: Afshin is approaching the age where he will need to enlist in the Iranian army; Alain's father is imprisoned and identified as a political prisoner making life dangerous for him and his family; Patricia is queer in a country where she, and her family could be persecuted and imprisoned for this. All three of these teenagers are forced to leave everything behind, even family members, to begin journeys that takes not days, but years! Through Paul Tom's retelling and Melanie Baillairge's illustrations, the reader feels the turmoil and terror felt by these refugees. Their stories are told in a way that is clear and powerful. At the end of the book there is an addendum that gives the reader an update as to what these three asylum-seekers are doing now. (Some of their journeys are still not ended.) This provides closure. I felt this makes the three young people more real to the reader. I appreciated this information. One reviewer called this book, "Quietly awe-inspiring." This succinctly summarized my feelings about the book.
I think this book could easily be used in the social studies curriculum (Global II) to illustrate the perils people in these countries experience, and a segway into the immigration issue that could be a powerful conversation starter in a government class. The fact that it is easy to read with an accessible vocabulary (and glossary) is a bonus! It would be interesting to read this and also watch the documentary it is based on. And the illustrations are simple but powerful and could be used in an art class to spark a conversation about how art enhances the written word. Lots of potential, I would highly recommend.
Number of party hats:
Find this video and more about Alone: The Journeys of Three Young Refugees at Teachingbooks.net (in french)
For more information about this book, see the Publishers Website