Awards

• Children's Book Committee at Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year
• In the Margins: Best Books for Teens

Overview

When you read about war in your history book or hear about it in the news, do you ever wonder what happens to the families and children in the places experiencing war? Many families in these situations decide that they must leave their homes to stay alive. What happens to them? According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 70.8 million people around the world have been forced to leave their homes because of war or persecution as of 2019. Over fifty percent of these people are under the age of eighteen. English teacher Victorya Rouse has assembled a collection of real-world experiences of teen refugees from around the world. Learn where these young people came from, why they left, and how they arrived in the United States. Read about their struggles to adapt to a new language, culture, and high school experiences, along with updates about how they are doing now and what they hope their futures will look like. As immigration has catapulted into the current discourse, this poignant collection emphasizes the United States' rich tradition of welcoming people from all over the world.

Full Product Details

9781541581609

Table of Contents

Reviews

[D]etailed, well written, and heartfelt, infusing much-needed humanity into an issue that is often discussed purely through statistics. . . . A beautifully curated anthology presenting the voices of refugees. --Kirkus Reviews -- (8/1/2021 12:00:00 AM) A timely book on an important topic that deserves a spot on any bookshelf, this is especially vital for libraries in areas with young multilingual learners, immigrants, and refugees. --School Library Journal -- (10/2/2021 12:00:00 AM)

As an ESL teacher working with new refugees and immigrants, Rouse shares the stories of more than 30 young students from all over the world whose families have sought a life away from conflict. These entries are the direct accounts of some of Rouse's former students who share their early childhood and 'Coming to America' stories, including the difficulties, motivations for coming, and the state of their lives since arriving in Spokane, WA. Organized by region, each chapter contains one or two accounts from students who left there. Throughout the book, readers will learn about the different reasons a person may choose to leave home, including war, religious or political persecution, or gang- or drug-related violence, among others. Many of these stories were not edited strongly, in order to preserve the authenticity of each narrative; there are occasional areas of awkward wording. Back matter includes source notes, suggestions for further reading from books and articles, a list of organizations that work for and with refugees and immigrants, and a broad index. VERDICT A timely book on an important topic that deserves a spot on any bookshelf, this is especially vital for libraries in areas with young multilingual learners, immigrants, and refugees.--School Library Journal -- Journal (10/2/2021 12:00:00 AM) In her classroom in Spokane, Washington, Rouse teaches immigrants from all over the world how to speak English. She asks her students to write their 'coming to America stories, ' in which they narrate, in English, their journey to the United States. This anthology offers a selection of those essays, which Rouse herself has collected and edited from current and former students, some of whom arrived in the U.S. as long ago as the 1970s. The refugee contributors are originally from Libya, Somalia, Syria, Iraq, Mexico, Moldova, and Ukraine, among other countries. Each chapter begins with facts about the writer's country of origin, including a brief but thorough history of the place as well as a section which describes the specific dangers that forced families to make the hard choice to flee their homelands. Some of the writers dreamed about coming to the U.S. before they arrived, while many others wanted to stay where they lived. Some profiles contain captioned photographs that connect with and briefly clarify the content presented in the personal accounts, with varying degrees of effectiveness. The essays in the book are detailed, well written, and heartfelt, infusing much-needed humanity into an issue that is often discussed purely through statistics. Rouse's conclusion offers additional context about refugees in the U.S. and specific advice to young people for making refugees feel welcome in their neighborhoods. A beautifully curated anthology presenting the voices of refugees.--Kirkus Reviews -- Journal (8/1/2021 12:00:00 AM)

In her classroom in Spokane, Washington, Rouse teaches immigrants from all over the world how to speak English. She asks her students to write their 'coming to America stories, ' in which they narrate, in English, their journey to the United States. This anthology offers a selection of those essays, which Rouse herself has collected and edited from current and former students, some of whom arrived in the U.S. as long ago as the 1970s. The refugee contributors are originally from Libya, Somalia, Syria, Iraq, Mexico, Moldova, and Ukraine, among other countries. Each chapter begins with facts about the writer's country of origin, including a brief but thorough history of the place as well as a section which describes the specific dangers that forced families to make the hard choice to flee their homelands. Some of the writers dreamed about coming to the U.S. before they arrived, while many others wanted to stay where they lived. Some profiles contain captioned photographs that connect with and briefly clarify the content presented in the personal accounts, with varying degrees of effectiveness. The essays in the book are detailed, well written, and heartfelt, infusing much-needed humanity into an issue that is often discussed purely through statistics. Rouse's conclusion offers additional context about refugees in the U.S. and specific advice to young people for making refugees feel welcome in their neighborhoods. A beautifully curated anthology presenting the voices of refugees.--Kirkus Reviews -- Journal (8/1/2021 12:00:00 AM)

Author Information

Victorya Rouse was born in Red Wing, Minnesota. She began her teaching career as Peace Corps Volunteer in Eswatini, Africa. Living and traveling in southern Africa she realized that access to education was the key to self-determination. This inspired her to become an English as a Second Language teacher. Currently, she teaches English to high school aged refugees and immigrants in Spokane, Washington and is an adjunct professor for Whitworth University in Spokane, teaching courses on Teaching Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students. The stories of her students inspired her to write her first published book, Finding Refuge: Real-Life Immigration Stories from Young People. Victorya also serves on the board of directors for Refugee Connections of Spokane, an organization that serves refugee and immigrant communities and advocates for refugee and immigrant rights. She lives in Cheney, Washington with her husband of 35+ years.

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