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The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees: A Graphic Novel – A Sibert Honor Winner on War, Survival, and Resilience
Sibert Honor Medalist ∙ New York Public Library Best of 2018 ∙ The Horn Book Fanfare 2018 ∙ Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2018 ∙ YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Winner
In the tradition of two-time Sibert Honor winner Don Brown’s critically acclaimed full-color nonfiction graphic novels The Great American Dust Bowl and Drowned City , The Unwanted is a timely and eye-opening exploration of the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis, exposing the harsh realities of living in, and trying to escape, a war zone.
Starting in 2011, refugees flood out of war-torn Syria in Exodus-like proportions. The surprising flood of victims overwhelms neighboring countries, and chaos follows. Resentment in host nations heightens as disruption and the cost of aid grows. By 2017, many want to turn their backs on the victims. The refugees are the unwanted.
Don Brown depicts moments of both heartbreaking horror and hope in the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis. Shining a light on the stories of the survivors, The Unwanted is a testament to the courage and resilience of the refugees and a call to action for all those who read.
In the tradition of two-time Sibert Honor winner Don Brown’s critically acclaimed full-color nonfiction graphic novels The Great American Dust Bowl and Drowned City , The Unwanted is a timely and eye-opening exploration of the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis, exposing the harsh realities of living in, and trying to escape, a war zone.
Starting in 2011, refugees flood out of war-torn Syria in Exodus-like proportions. The surprising flood of victims overwhelms neighboring countries, and chaos follows. Resentment in host nations heightens as disruption and the cost of aid grows. By 2017, many want to turn their backs on the victims. The refugees are the unwanted.
Don Brown depicts moments of both heartbreaking horror and hope in the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis. Shining a light on the stories of the survivors, The Unwanted is a testament to the courage and resilience of the refugees and a call to action for all those who read.
112 pages, Paperback
First published September 18, 2018
100 people are currently reading
3294 people want to read
About the author
Don Brown
48 books148 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Don Brown is the award-winning author and illustrator of many picture book biographies. He has been widely praised for his resonant storytelling and his delicate watercolor paintings that evoke the excitement, humor, pain, and joy of lives lived with passion. School Library Journal has called him "a current pacesetter who has put the finishing touches on the standards for storyographies." He lives in New York with his family.
Don Brown is the award-winning author and illustrator of many picture book biographies. He has been widely praised for his resonant storytelling and his delicate watercolor paintings that evoke the excitement, humor, pain, and joy of lives lived with passion. School Library Journal has called him "a current pacesetter who has put the finishing touches on the standards for storyographies." He lives in New York with his family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 813 reviews
October 15, 2018
Since I had just read Arab of the Future (Volume 3), Riad Sattouf's memoir of growing up in Syria and France in the eighties, with its especially interesting view of chaotic and corrupt Syrian small town life, I thought I would look and see what else in graphic was on my library's shelf about Syria, which had been so much in the news a few years ago, and then the media largely seemed to largely forget about it. So everything's fine now in Syria? Well, the nightmare continues, as this book makes clear.
Don Brown spend time in three refugee camps in 2017 and did other research online to create this timeline of events beginning in Syria that erupted into a refugee crisis that continues today and doesn't appear to see any end to. Brown has done many books for young people, biographies, and also books on The Dust Bowl and Katrina. These are not comprehensive historical books, but they function as a good introductions/summaries of the recent history of Syrian refugees. As he says, he is not trying to create a definitive political history. He wants to focus on the refugee experience. He doesn't name these people or make intimate portraits of any of the refugees, but he does create a series of images, and we hear their voices. The artwork is really good, and this book stands as one of many witnesses to history, a snapshot of our time, so we don't forget.
Here's a link to a different kind of portrait, a film focused on one family who escaped Syria to reunite with family in Germany. We can use all kinds of approaches, for all kinds of audiences, to create a pastiche of the time, maybe.
http://worldchannel.org/programs/epis...
Don Brown spend time in three refugee camps in 2017 and did other research online to create this timeline of events beginning in Syria that erupted into a refugee crisis that continues today and doesn't appear to see any end to. Brown has done many books for young people, biographies, and also books on The Dust Bowl and Katrina. These are not comprehensive historical books, but they function as a good introductions/summaries of the recent history of Syrian refugees. As he says, he is not trying to create a definitive political history. He wants to focus on the refugee experience. He doesn't name these people or make intimate portraits of any of the refugees, but he does create a series of images, and we hear their voices. The artwork is really good, and this book stands as one of many witnesses to history, a snapshot of our time, so we don't forget.
Here's a link to a different kind of portrait, a film focused on one family who escaped Syria to reunite with family in Germany. We can use all kinds of approaches, for all kinds of audiences, to create a pastiche of the time, maybe.
http://worldchannel.org/programs/epis...
September 1, 2023
This GN really gives you lots to think about in relatively few panels - each story gives you the feeling of standing by and watching something horrible happening; looking for answers that are long overdue. Powerful and heartbreaking - a book that will open your eyes to a problem that is just going to get worse in the future if we don't start addressing it on a global scale.
September 30, 2024
Now while most of what is written and illustrated by Don Brown in his 2018 (and 2019 Sibert honour recipient) The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees has sadly not been all that personally new and surprising to and for me, it was and remains both textually and visually informative as well as majorly thought-provoking to have this all so powerfully and devastatingly shown in a graphic novel format (emotionally moving, painful, essential information and details, but truly, The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees is also and most definitely not a book I would consider all that suitable for younger children and indeed, even with older children and teenagers, both Don Brown's printed words and especially many of the illustrated images of war, of strife, violence and death might well make The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees too much for some to handle, even if this book indeed does depict and describe the unfortunate and often rather painfully ugly truth).
However and the above all having been said, and albeit that I have found The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees a detailed and also for a graphic novel amazingly well and meticulously researched introduction to the Syrian refugee crisis (with the listed source notes and the extensive bibliography at the back being very much academically appreciated added bonuses), on an entirely personal and internal level, I am sorry to say that I have found Don Brown's illustrations often more than a trifle overly stereotypical in appearance and scope, with ALL of his human figures (both Syrian and non Syrian) appearing to my eyes as either representationally "good" (the Syrian refugees) or "bad" (Jihadists, ISIS fighters, European protesters) but not really ever all that much as individuals with unique facial expressions, personalities and emotions (except of course fear, anger and hatred).
And furthermore (and to and for me, this is a much more potentially serious side-issue with The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees), I do find it at best a trifle sad and frustratingly blinkered that while Don Brown (who is American) and yes with more than ample justification displays a much necessary critical viewpoint towards European (including Russian) approaches (and their collective animosities) towards the Syrian refugees migrating often en masse into countries like Greece, Italy, the United Kingdom, France, Germany etc. and also points out that MOST wealthy Middle Eastern nations (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates) have done almost NOTHING to help and have welcomed almost no Syrians into their respective countries, Don Brown obviously also and nevertheless refuses to criticise and accept the United States of America's own role in this horror and humanitarian crisis. For in my opinion, he is (or at least he seems) not willing to even remotely consider that recent and not so recent American foreign policies towards the Middle East have done much to not only destabilise the area but have also very actively enabled dictators like Assad and radical Islamic movements such as ISIS (something that really needed to at least have been mentioned and acknowledged in The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees, no matter how uncomfortable this might be and no matter that this could even and perhaps likely offend some if not actually a goodly number of Don Brown's American readers).
However and the above all having been said, and albeit that I have found The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees a detailed and also for a graphic novel amazingly well and meticulously researched introduction to the Syrian refugee crisis (with the listed source notes and the extensive bibliography at the back being very much academically appreciated added bonuses), on an entirely personal and internal level, I am sorry to say that I have found Don Brown's illustrations often more than a trifle overly stereotypical in appearance and scope, with ALL of his human figures (both Syrian and non Syrian) appearing to my eyes as either representationally "good" (the Syrian refugees) or "bad" (Jihadists, ISIS fighters, European protesters) but not really ever all that much as individuals with unique facial expressions, personalities and emotions (except of course fear, anger and hatred).
And furthermore (and to and for me, this is a much more potentially serious side-issue with The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees), I do find it at best a trifle sad and frustratingly blinkered that while Don Brown (who is American) and yes with more than ample justification displays a much necessary critical viewpoint towards European (including Russian) approaches (and their collective animosities) towards the Syrian refugees migrating often en masse into countries like Greece, Italy, the United Kingdom, France, Germany etc. and also points out that MOST wealthy Middle Eastern nations (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates) have done almost NOTHING to help and have welcomed almost no Syrians into their respective countries, Don Brown obviously also and nevertheless refuses to criticise and accept the United States of America's own role in this horror and humanitarian crisis. For in my opinion, he is (or at least he seems) not willing to even remotely consider that recent and not so recent American foreign policies towards the Middle East have done much to not only destabilise the area but have also very actively enabled dictators like Assad and radical Islamic movements such as ISIS (something that really needed to at least have been mentioned and acknowledged in The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees, no matter how uncomfortable this might be and no matter that this could even and perhaps likely offend some if not actually a goodly number of Don Brown's American readers).
February 6, 2019
Though there was nothing really new to me in this book, I think it was well done and would be a fantastic resource to use in schools! The story is deeply moving and relevant, and that in itself makes this a worthwhile read!
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
January 30, 2019
A white American’s heavily-researched view of the Syrian refugee crisis -- its origins, everyday horrors, and political underpinnings.
In 2010, uprisings across North Africa and the Middle East drew the world’s attention and galvanized a new generation of dissent. Known as the Arab Spring, these demonstrations toppled regimes in Tunisia and Egypt; in Syria, vicious state repression quickly led to harrowing civil war. By mid-2011, thousands of Syrians would be displaced by increased shelling, massacres, torture, and kidnapping. Resorting to terrifying measures in order to flee the war zone that was once their home, devastated Syrians endure a gauntlet of exploitation and xenophobia as they escape to Europe. The Unwanted provides a concise, accessible overview of a complex humanitarian disaster, allowing readers to grasp the political trajectory of the crisis. Where Brown, a white American, falls short is in attempting to humanize Syrians with his scrawling illustrations. Despite the author’s intention to “focus on the refugee experience” and his use of quotes from refugees themselves, Brown’s loosely-drawn representations of Syrians are literally faceless “others”; scribbled eyes, indistinct features, and invariably traumatized expressions flatten those who are meant to come alive on the page. Such lack of detail is characteristic of Brown’s artistic style, but here creates homogeneity for people whose misery has become their defining quality. The moments of hope Brown does explore seem more like bleak relief than true resilience: for instance, when a ten year old Syrian reaches Canada, her assimilation causes her to “[read] English better than Arabic”. For many displaced people, the loss of one’s language is not the triumphant example of promise that The Unwanted presents. Brown laments the “discomfort” he feels at being “a voyeur to the tragedy” in his author’s note; unfortunately, his graphic novel too often stumbles into just this position.
A well-intentioned, yet conspicuously alienated perspective on a humanitarian crisis.
In 2010, uprisings across North Africa and the Middle East drew the world’s attention and galvanized a new generation of dissent. Known as the Arab Spring, these demonstrations toppled regimes in Tunisia and Egypt; in Syria, vicious state repression quickly led to harrowing civil war. By mid-2011, thousands of Syrians would be displaced by increased shelling, massacres, torture, and kidnapping. Resorting to terrifying measures in order to flee the war zone that was once their home, devastated Syrians endure a gauntlet of exploitation and xenophobia as they escape to Europe. The Unwanted provides a concise, accessible overview of a complex humanitarian disaster, allowing readers to grasp the political trajectory of the crisis. Where Brown, a white American, falls short is in attempting to humanize Syrians with his scrawling illustrations. Despite the author’s intention to “focus on the refugee experience” and his use of quotes from refugees themselves, Brown’s loosely-drawn representations of Syrians are literally faceless “others”; scribbled eyes, indistinct features, and invariably traumatized expressions flatten those who are meant to come alive on the page. Such lack of detail is characteristic of Brown’s artistic style, but here creates homogeneity for people whose misery has become their defining quality. The moments of hope Brown does explore seem more like bleak relief than true resilience: for instance, when a ten year old Syrian reaches Canada, her assimilation causes her to “[read] English better than Arabic”. For many displaced people, the loss of one’s language is not the triumphant example of promise that The Unwanted presents. Brown laments the “discomfort” he feels at being “a voyeur to the tragedy” in his author’s note; unfortunately, his graphic novel too often stumbles into just this position.
A well-intentioned, yet conspicuously alienated perspective on a humanitarian crisis.
March 20, 2022
During the Arab Spring in 2010, some countries saw their governments overturned after their citizens protested sparking uprisings. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had ruled Syria with an iron fist following his father’s reign who had seized power in 1970. Unemployment, corruption, and cruelty were rampant. After teenaged boys in Dara’a, who wrote on walls, “Down with the Regime", were arrested, imprisoned, and tortured, Syrians became enraged demanding their freedom and the resignation of the president. Assad’s forces responded with violence, destruction, torture, and death leading to a bloody civil war. Approximately 3/4's of the population, who are Sunni Muslims, opposed him.
Thousands of Syrians fled to Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey. By 2011, about two thousand refugees were living in tent camps in Turkey, five thousand in Lebanon, and Jordan overflowed with people. On September 11, 2012, after fighting in Syria’s largest city, Aleppo, escalated, 200,000 fled with 11,000 Syrians arriving in Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan within 24 hours. Almost a third of the population in Lebanon were Syrian refugees. The living conditions were wretched. By 2013, one millions Syrian refugees had registered with the United Nations. A government camp of refugees became Jordan’s fourth largest ‘city.’” By 2014, Turkey had over 700,000 refugees. Thousands became stranded in Greece living in dismal conditions when the borders were closed. Still they left Syria in hope for a better and safer future.
Jihadists joined the fight against Assad and each other. Smugglers charged exorbitant rates to smuggle them to Greece, where many were abandoned. Others paid to go to Italy but were double crossed, left along North African coast, or drowned in leaky and overcrowded boats. Thousands died. Desperation led to risks. Families were separated. Western Europe provided hope to the asylum seekers. They trudged over 1,000 miles facing hostile police, overburdened communities, roadblocks, closed borders, lack of food and water, bandits, primitive or no shelters, swindlers, and sometimes the kindness of strangers. Mobile phones provided lifelines to help guide them, to communicate, and to receive funds and assistance. The education of many children suffered when schools were destroyed or attendance became too dangerous.
Before the war, 22 million lived in Syria, slightly more than Florida’s. Almost 5.5 million (@ the population of Denmark) fled reducing the population to around 17 million. Approximately, 200,000 crossed the Mediterranean Sea to Greece and Italy. In 2014, around 3,500 were dead or missing. In 2014, about 191,000 were killed in Syria of which roughly 8,800 were children. The strain on finances, economies, employment, and resources has been tremendous on the receiving countries resulting in hostilities and discrimination.
This graphic book provides stories and experiences of the Syrian refugees. It is horrible, traumatic, and devastating what has transpired and still continues. In 2017, the author toured several refugee camps in Greece. If you are interested in reading a remarkable but gut-wrenching book about Syrian refugees, I high recommend that you read We Crossed a Bridge and It Trembled: Voices from Syria.
Thousands of Syrians fled to Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey. By 2011, about two thousand refugees were living in tent camps in Turkey, five thousand in Lebanon, and Jordan overflowed with people. On September 11, 2012, after fighting in Syria’s largest city, Aleppo, escalated, 200,000 fled with 11,000 Syrians arriving in Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan within 24 hours. Almost a third of the population in Lebanon were Syrian refugees. The living conditions were wretched. By 2013, one millions Syrian refugees had registered with the United Nations. A government camp of refugees became Jordan’s fourth largest ‘city.’” By 2014, Turkey had over 700,000 refugees. Thousands became stranded in Greece living in dismal conditions when the borders were closed. Still they left Syria in hope for a better and safer future.
Jihadists joined the fight against Assad and each other. Smugglers charged exorbitant rates to smuggle them to Greece, where many were abandoned. Others paid to go to Italy but were double crossed, left along North African coast, or drowned in leaky and overcrowded boats. Thousands died. Desperation led to risks. Families were separated. Western Europe provided hope to the asylum seekers. They trudged over 1,000 miles facing hostile police, overburdened communities, roadblocks, closed borders, lack of food and water, bandits, primitive or no shelters, swindlers, and sometimes the kindness of strangers. Mobile phones provided lifelines to help guide them, to communicate, and to receive funds and assistance. The education of many children suffered when schools were destroyed or attendance became too dangerous.
Before the war, 22 million lived in Syria, slightly more than Florida’s. Almost 5.5 million (@ the population of Denmark) fled reducing the population to around 17 million. Approximately, 200,000 crossed the Mediterranean Sea to Greece and Italy. In 2014, around 3,500 were dead or missing. In 2014, about 191,000 were killed in Syria of which roughly 8,800 were children. The strain on finances, economies, employment, and resources has been tremendous on the receiving countries resulting in hostilities and discrimination.
This graphic book provides stories and experiences of the Syrian refugees. It is horrible, traumatic, and devastating what has transpired and still continues. In 2017, the author toured several refugee camps in Greece. If you are interested in reading a remarkable but gut-wrenching book about Syrian refugees, I high recommend that you read We Crossed a Bridge and It Trembled: Voices from Syria.
June 17, 2021
A very hard hitting book! More should read it!
The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees
By Don Brown
This book starts out by explaining how all of it started and escalated. It follows the typical Syrian family or families and how they try to escape and where they would have to go and how. What they would have to encounter along the way. What would be the likely outcome. Where are most of the refugees now? How are they living? Why are they not getting help? All is explained in here in a way that makes sense and none of it is the refugees fault. None! They are trying to survive! To keep their kids alive! I would do the same.
It's a heartbreaking thing that's happening and it's the same as South America. But no one wants to help the immigrants that are fleeing for their lives either! Not even the new president. Shameful!
The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees
By Don Brown
This book starts out by explaining how all of it started and escalated. It follows the typical Syrian family or families and how they try to escape and where they would have to go and how. What they would have to encounter along the way. What would be the likely outcome. Where are most of the refugees now? How are they living? Why are they not getting help? All is explained in here in a way that makes sense and none of it is the refugees fault. None! They are trying to survive! To keep their kids alive! I would do the same.
It's a heartbreaking thing that's happening and it's the same as South America. But no one wants to help the immigrants that are fleeing for their lives either! Not even the new president. Shameful!
May 20, 2019
Graphic current events - every sentence on every page is sourced from news reports with extensive footnotes and bibliography provided. Woven together with adequate but not particularly inspiring illustrations, those sentences build an easy to follow narrative of the events that have taken place in Syria - the uprising, the Civil War, the refugee crisis, the splintering into factions.
The Refugee Crisis is the main story told - in camps in the region and abroad, on dark beaches and dark roads. The misery and desperation come through. A thirty minute read, this book was a nominee for the Sibert Award for informational books for young people.
The Refugee Crisis is the main story told - in camps in the region and abroad, on dark beaches and dark roads. The misery and desperation come through. A thirty minute read, this book was a nominee for the Sibert Award for informational books for young people.
July 30, 2018
*Review based on ARC*
I really loved all the information this book provided about they Syrian refugee experience. I am sure when it is finally published in color that will add to its appeal. However, it wasn't really a story so much as a timeline of facts with some pictures. I think Illegal by Eoin Colfer does a better job at portraying the refugee experience in a story form. Still, this gn is full of really important information so it's still worth picking up.
I really loved all the information this book provided about they Syrian refugee experience. I am sure when it is finally published in color that will add to its appeal. However, it wasn't really a story so much as a timeline of facts with some pictures. I think Illegal by Eoin Colfer does a better job at portraying the refugee experience in a story form. Still, this gn is full of really important information so it's still worth picking up.
February 13, 2019
A stark and straightforward rundown of the Syrian refugee crisis. Good, but depressing.
January 1, 2025
The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees proves just as heart breaking as you might imagine. This really is a must-read. At a time when the United States wants to turn its back on refugees, writer/illustrator Don Brown reminds us that we should not repeat the same xenophobia that led 6 million Jews to perish in Europe. Highly, highly recommended.
June 18, 2019
Don Brown uses a graphic novel format to document the Syrian refugee crisis. The book begins in 2011, when small acts of insurrection cause a massive overreaction by Bashar al-Assad, president of Syria. It documents the mass exodus of more than 5 million people from Syria over the six years, concluding in 2017. Brown has done extensive research, with an 8 1/2 page bibliography, using various stories to illustrate the many reasons for the refugee crisis and the inhospitable, sometimes hostile, climate in which these refugees find themselves. Sad, but true.
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February 1, 2019Wow. This graphic novel shows the plight of Syrian refugees as they flee their war-torn country and try to find safe haven and a place to start over. It’s not easy - it requires a dangerous journey and many countries are closing their borders. With evocative art that literally breaks its own boxes, Don Brown paints the lives of refugees in grim Browns and grays. Masterful work.
May 3, 2019
This book was a heartbreaking take on the Syrian refugee crisis. Aimed at young adult readers, the subject matter lays out the events leading up to the refugee crisis in a clear and straightforward manner so that anyone without background knowledge won't be left in the dark. The book reads as a collection of anecdotes from a host of different people.
The anecdotes form a cohesive narrative. I was left with important questions such as what responsibility does humankind have for victims of political oppression and what point do countries stop accepting refugees. The countries surrounding Syria have undergone extreme financial hardships after allowing large amounts of refugees to enter their country. Refugees encounter prejudice, religious persecution, and xenophobia. Unlike similar subject matter books I've read, the author was careful not to lay any blame from the persecution at the feet of any specific religious groups.
Unfortunately, the countries surrounding Syria that have shouldered the majority of the refugees have only undertaken a small percentage of the Syrians in crisis. The U.S. only took in 6 Syrian refugees in one year! In many other refugee crises in the past, the government took in numbers of people in vastly larger quantities. I was deeply saddened, but not surprised, to read that the world has essentially turned their backs on these people in crisis.
The anecdotes form a cohesive narrative. I was left with important questions such as what responsibility does humankind have for victims of political oppression and what point do countries stop accepting refugees. The countries surrounding Syria have undergone extreme financial hardships after allowing large amounts of refugees to enter their country. Refugees encounter prejudice, religious persecution, and xenophobia. Unlike similar subject matter books I've read, the author was careful not to lay any blame from the persecution at the feet of any specific religious groups.
Unfortunately, the countries surrounding Syria that have shouldered the majority of the refugees have only undertaken a small percentage of the Syrians in crisis. The U.S. only took in 6 Syrian refugees in one year! In many other refugee crises in the past, the government took in numbers of people in vastly larger quantities. I was deeply saddened, but not surprised, to read that the world has essentially turned their backs on these people in crisis.
November 27, 2018
This graphic novel tells the stories of Syrian refugees in their own voices. Based on interviews and visits to refugee camps around the region, the book clearly tells the story of the basis of the refugee crisis in Syria. As the flood of refugees begins and then continues, the nations taking in the refugees see sentiments in their populations shift to be anti-immigrant due to the overwhelming costs and disruption. Still, the refugees need a place to live in peace, a place to make a home and a place to feel safe.
Brown returns with another gripping nonfiction graphic novel. He uses the refugees’ own stories to really create a book that is heart-wrenchingly realistic. Young readers will benefit from hearing how the crisis began and will learn a lot about refugees, the dangers they face and the risks they are willing to take for freedom. The art in the book is done in limited colors, often filled with sandy yellows and deep browns. The faces of the refugees are compellingly depicted, often with expressions of deep fear, loss and grief.
A strong and important look at the Syrian refugee crisis in a format that makes the content very readable. Appropriate for ages 13-16.
Brown returns with another gripping nonfiction graphic novel. He uses the refugees’ own stories to really create a book that is heart-wrenchingly realistic. Young readers will benefit from hearing how the crisis began and will learn a lot about refugees, the dangers they face and the risks they are willing to take for freedom. The art in the book is done in limited colors, often filled with sandy yellows and deep browns. The faces of the refugees are compellingly depicted, often with expressions of deep fear, loss and grief.
A strong and important look at the Syrian refugee crisis in a format that makes the content very readable. Appropriate for ages 13-16.
June 2, 2019
I read some of the reviews for this book after reading it. Although I see their points about a lot of things, I have rated this a 5 star. For me personally, this opened my eyes to a side of what I see on the news. We can get very blase about what we view on our screens. The amount of horror that bombards us every day can make us forget the individuals that are affected - people just like us.
After the massacre in Christchurch in March, none of us here in NZ can keep these horrific things at a distance and say "it wouldn't happen here." It has and it has affected our whole country one way or another.
Regardless of whether this book was well executed or not - it has an important message. One I hope many people (especially teens), take the time to read.
After the massacre in Christchurch in March, none of us here in NZ can keep these horrific things at a distance and say "it wouldn't happen here." It has and it has affected our whole country one way or another.
Regardless of whether this book was well executed or not - it has an important message. One I hope many people (especially teens), take the time to read.
February 5, 2019
Art Spiegelman writes, “comics are a highly charged medium, delivering densely concentrated information in relatively few words and simplified code-images”. This is certainly true for The Unwanted, which is well researched and contains powerful imagery. While it is most likely best suited for middle school and up, I hope this text will be used widely in classrooms and deserves a home in all school libraries.
September 1, 2018
I was sen this by the publishers as a part of the teenreads.com Teen Board for review.
THE UNWANTED: Stories of the Syrian Refugees is a nonfiction graphic novel discussing the current refugee crisis going on in Syria. The book starts in 2011 and slowly shows us how Syria came to be to what it is today. It mainly focuses on what happens to the Syrian refugees after leaving their country, and the constant struggles they have to face due to their heritage. Don Brown is also known for his other graphic novels THE GREAT AMERICAN DUST BOWL and DROWNED CITY.
I really enjoyed this graphic novel! However, there was one thing that I feel like needs to pointed out about this book. It is told to be stories of refugees experiences, when in fact it was more of a nonfiction graphic novel; it talked about more statistics and set out a timeline of the crisis rather than just telling stories. I was actually really happy that it went into this different route since I feel like I’ve learned a lot more on the entire topic if it didn’t. The author also adds some more information at the back of the book in his author’s note, explaining some of the other experiences refugees had.
Nonfiction graphic novels are always interesting to read since they’re able to represent different ideas that regular nonfiction novels can’t. Don Brown’s THE UNWANTED makes it extremely easy for readers to understand the refugee crisis through its heartbreaking portrayal of the past. The ability to help people get a better grasp of what’s happening in our world is this book’s biggest strong suite. Though it doesn’t tackle everything about the crisis, it is an amazing introduction.
The art style is extremely simplistic. While this would usually bother me, I think that the artwork in this book went extremely well with the themes it was attempting to portray. The art in THE UNWANTED gives off the feeling of catastrophe that is needed for a book such as this. This isn’t exactly the type of art style in the graphic novels that I enjoy the most, however, I still believe that most people will enjoy the art in this book a lot more than I did.
The biggest flaw in this graphic novel is its length. Despite being able to pack a punch in such a short time, I felt like 100 pages weren’t enough to show all the information Don Brown was trying to explain to its readers. Despite this, THE UNWANTED would still be something I would recommend; it is filled with extremely important information about this tragedy that’s helpful. Especially when there’s so much misinformation and confusion right now on the current topic.
Overall, THE UNWANTED is a necessary and essential graphic novel for those who are still learning about the refugee crisis. Though it is a bit on the shorter side, it still is able to explain the situation in Syria with extreme ease. THE UNWANTED: Stories of the Syrian Refugees, is an easy to read graphic novel that still holds valuable information in it.
THE UNWANTED: Stories of the Syrian Refugees is a nonfiction graphic novel discussing the current refugee crisis going on in Syria. The book starts in 2011 and slowly shows us how Syria came to be to what it is today. It mainly focuses on what happens to the Syrian refugees after leaving their country, and the constant struggles they have to face due to their heritage. Don Brown is also known for his other graphic novels THE GREAT AMERICAN DUST BOWL and DROWNED CITY.
I really enjoyed this graphic novel! However, there was one thing that I feel like needs to pointed out about this book. It is told to be stories of refugees experiences, when in fact it was more of a nonfiction graphic novel; it talked about more statistics and set out a timeline of the crisis rather than just telling stories. I was actually really happy that it went into this different route since I feel like I’ve learned a lot more on the entire topic if it didn’t. The author also adds some more information at the back of the book in his author’s note, explaining some of the other experiences refugees had.
Nonfiction graphic novels are always interesting to read since they’re able to represent different ideas that regular nonfiction novels can’t. Don Brown’s THE UNWANTED makes it extremely easy for readers to understand the refugee crisis through its heartbreaking portrayal of the past. The ability to help people get a better grasp of what’s happening in our world is this book’s biggest strong suite. Though it doesn’t tackle everything about the crisis, it is an amazing introduction.
The art style is extremely simplistic. While this would usually bother me, I think that the artwork in this book went extremely well with the themes it was attempting to portray. The art in THE UNWANTED gives off the feeling of catastrophe that is needed for a book such as this. This isn’t exactly the type of art style in the graphic novels that I enjoy the most, however, I still believe that most people will enjoy the art in this book a lot more than I did.
The biggest flaw in this graphic novel is its length. Despite being able to pack a punch in such a short time, I felt like 100 pages weren’t enough to show all the information Don Brown was trying to explain to its readers. Despite this, THE UNWANTED would still be something I would recommend; it is filled with extremely important information about this tragedy that’s helpful. Especially when there’s so much misinformation and confusion right now on the current topic.
Overall, THE UNWANTED is a necessary and essential graphic novel for those who are still learning about the refugee crisis. Though it is a bit on the shorter side, it still is able to explain the situation in Syria with extreme ease. THE UNWANTED: Stories of the Syrian Refugees, is an easy to read graphic novel that still holds valuable information in it.
September 20, 2018
I was excited to see a graphic novel dealing with the Syrian crisis. It's something I have been incredibly uninformed about. And while I wasn't expecting this to be a thorough piece of journalism, I was expecting either a more journalistic approach, or a focus on personal stories about Syrians affected by the political upheaval.
There is no reason why this book is a graphic novel. The illustrations are ineffective, unaffecting, and add nothing to the narration. There is a false earnestness to some of the pages, like a two page spread of a man swimming in the ocean saying "I tried to catch my wife, and children in my arms, but one by one they drowned." with a narration box at the bottom that says "Thousands die." As we have not encountered this man before, nor is he speaking to anyone except the reader, it lacks emotional resonance. Which is the main problem with this book. The stories in this book are heartbreaking and real, but the way they are presented is static and unaffecting.
It gets three stars for attempting to tell a story that the medium has not tackled, it's properly referenced, and avoids propoganda, but the art actually detracts from the facts it presents, which is a major failure for a graphic novel.
There is no reason why this book is a graphic novel. The illustrations are ineffective, unaffecting, and add nothing to the narration. There is a false earnestness to some of the pages, like a two page spread of a man swimming in the ocean saying "I tried to catch my wife, and children in my arms, but one by one they drowned." with a narration box at the bottom that says "Thousands die." As we have not encountered this man before, nor is he speaking to anyone except the reader, it lacks emotional resonance. Which is the main problem with this book. The stories in this book are heartbreaking and real, but the way they are presented is static and unaffecting.
It gets three stars for attempting to tell a story that the medium has not tackled, it's properly referenced, and avoids propoganda, but the art actually detracts from the facts it presents, which is a major failure for a graphic novel.
June 12, 2018
The author/illustrator of THE GREAT AMERICAN DUST BOWL and DROWNED CITY is back this fall (just in time for the new school year) to offer an almost eight-year retrospective on the Syrian refugee situation. The back matter of this graphic novel include first-hand account of refugee settlements and the efforts on the part of those making the difficult journey and those receiving and tending to their needs. Brown presents the story through a perspective of personal account with voices of the images breaking through a sense of a "fourth wall" to address the reader directly in regard to difficulties, losses, motivations, hopes, dreams, and determination.
As a textual braid, Don Brown's graphic novel would work well with the picture book, STEPPING STONES: A REFUGEE FAMILY'S STORY and Alan Gratz's REFUGEE. We've added graphic novel categories to our shelves to capture the idea that this graphic novel is part of an ongoing event and world concern to which our students could become aware and plugged into with the release of books like this one in this particular format.
As a textual braid, Don Brown's graphic novel would work well with the picture book, STEPPING STONES: A REFUGEE FAMILY'S STORY and Alan Gratz's REFUGEE. We've added graphic novel categories to our shelves to capture the idea that this graphic novel is part of an ongoing event and world concern to which our students could become aware and plugged into with the release of books like this one in this particular format.
October 17, 2018
"The book shines some light on issues that aren't obvious to everyone." -- student review
This graphic novel provides an unflinching look at the Syrian refugee crisis through a series of vignettes. Brown uses his medium to great effect, helping readers develop their understanding of this humanitarian crisis -- an “accessible and heartbreaking primer, with its stirring simplicity and a note of hope.” (SLJ)
This graphic novel provides an unflinching look at the Syrian refugee crisis through a series of vignettes. Brown uses his medium to great effect, helping readers develop their understanding of this humanitarian crisis -- an “accessible and heartbreaking primer, with its stirring simplicity and a note of hope.” (SLJ)
June 17, 2019
Don Brown excels again at creating a striking and accessible graphic novel about a difficult and emotional subject matter. I just love his work. If his name is attached to a work it will be educational, graceful, important and exceptional.
December 31, 2018
Incredible synthesis of tons of information about Syrian refugees from 2010-2018. We really need to accept more refugees in the US.
February 18, 2019
I really love Don Brown's illustrations. This is a good summary of the Syrian refugee crisis with less focus on personal stories, more focus on the macro experience of refugees.
July 23, 2023
“There is no price you would not pay, there is no wall you would not claim, no sea you would not sail, no border you would not cross if it is war or… barbarism… you are fleeing.”
My first graphic novel this year. It devastatingly depicted stories of Syrian refugees that broke my heart, brought tears to my eyes, and made me question the inhumanity that continues to exist in our world. While reminding me how beyond grateful I should be to lead the life I live, it also made me sorrowful for the suffering of others around the world who are forced out of their homes… sacrificing their lives for a sliver of hope that someone will help them, someone will find compassion in their hearts, someone will open their arms and say “come, you’re safe here.”
My first graphic novel this year. It devastatingly depicted stories of Syrian refugees that broke my heart, brought tears to my eyes, and made me question the inhumanity that continues to exist in our world. While reminding me how beyond grateful I should be to lead the life I live, it also made me sorrowful for the suffering of others around the world who are forced out of their homes… sacrificing their lives for a sliver of hope that someone will help them, someone will find compassion in their hearts, someone will open their arms and say “come, you’re safe here.”
March 5, 2019
This book left me speechless. Describes the stories and impossible struggles that Syrian refugees have faced and continue to face daily in a graphic novel format. A mix of narration and speech bubbles by different refugees. The illustrations almost make the pain and fear of the refugees tangible to the reader as the dusty and gray color schemes and the harsh lines and textures make you feel sympathy for the chaotic and dangerous journeys these refugees are making.
June 17, 2021
Incredibly moving tale of Syrian refugees and their lives in camps, trying to cross borders, trying to stay alive. Impressive bibliography, author has visited several camps himself. Illustrations are haunting and beautiful.
September 5, 2023
This is marketed as a book for teenagers, but works very well for adults too. Although the drawings of the refugees are left non-specific to give the everyman appeal, and individual stories and names are not used, you are made very aware that these figures represent REAL people in horrendous situations, not of their choosing. The fear and desperation of these refugees really comes through. They are NOT trying to invade our country, steal our jobs, screw over our benefits system … They have not left their own country on a whim. They are often fleeing for their lives. They want (NEED) safety, a place to build a new life, a chance to give back to their new host country. Most of all, they need sympathy and an open mind from those of us who live in stable, economically viable countries.
As I have often found recently, a graphic novel is able to much better portray an emotional message than a prose book. Highly recommended – especially to government officials such as Cruella Braverman and ardent Brexiteers.
As I have often found recently, a graphic novel is able to much better portray an emotional message than a prose book. Highly recommended – especially to government officials such as Cruella Braverman and ardent Brexiteers.
March 15, 2022
The Unwanted focuses on how the Syrian conflict affected the lives of its citizens - and the resulting refugee crisis. Throughout, there are snapshots of Syrian refugee experiences, but they are disjointed fragments more than stories.
October 29, 2019
5 Stars✨
In this graphic novel is the true story of refugees, specifically those from Syria. Refugees who are seeking only asylum, seeking to live, seeking a life away from violence, a better future.
What has happened is horrific, no one deserves to die. To be forced to leave their home country. To watch loved ones suffer, get sick, taken advantage of, or to be separated with no way of getting in touch again.
These millions of refugees deserve better. And this heartbreaking collection of their experiences will open your eyes. They deserve love and futures as much as anyone does. They are human beings and it’s up to us to help make this world better. We are stronger together.
Read this book. It’s terribly relevant and needed to be written. Please do. You won’t regret having empathy for many lost souls, wandering in search of their next home. Never to settle, never to be allowed a new opportunity. Please.
Going forward, remember to be kind☺️🧕🏾❤️
In this graphic novel is the true story of refugees, specifically those from Syria. Refugees who are seeking only asylum, seeking to live, seeking a life away from violence, a better future.
What has happened is horrific, no one deserves to die. To be forced to leave their home country. To watch loved ones suffer, get sick, taken advantage of, or to be separated with no way of getting in touch again.
These millions of refugees deserve better. And this heartbreaking collection of their experiences will open your eyes. They deserve love and futures as much as anyone does. They are human beings and it’s up to us to help make this world better. We are stronger together.
Read this book. It’s terribly relevant and needed to be written. Please do. You won’t regret having empathy for many lost souls, wandering in search of their next home. Never to settle, never to be allowed a new opportunity. Please.
Going forward, remember to be kind☺️🧕🏾❤️
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