Mock Newbery 2027 discussion

Refugee by Alan Gratz has been called "a tour de force." It's a powerful book depicting three journeys to America.

What did you think of it?

I thought it held enough drama and adventure to engage kids and the less than subtle message that there have been many refugees fleeing from a variety of horrible wars throughout time. If kids see themselves in these three stories they can empathize with what is going on in the world around them today. It is not a bad idea for parents to read it too.

I can't stop thinking about Tom Petty when I see the title of this book.

For those who have read both, I am wondering now this book compares with echo by Pam Munoz Ryan. Specifically, how big is the cheese factor?

Structured like Pam Munoz Ryan's ECHO, REFUGE tells the story of three refuge children during three different eras in history. Their stories are poignant, honest, and historically accurate. This book can be a catalyst to help children understand and discuss our current immigration issues. It zooms right to the top of my Mock Newbery candidates.

Loved this book! So important! I wish it was a require read to everyone who lives in my red state. Uh, is it wrong for me to say it should be required reading for the president? Maybe he could build some empathy. Off my soap-box. Yes, This is a Newbery contender.

I agree, Czechgirl, everyone should read this book! The writing was amazing and so believable. The parallels between each story were perfectly aligned to show the experience of all refugees regardless of their race or ethnicity. Sharing this story gives me hope that we can gain perspective on how we welcome/shun refugees into our communities.

I picked this book up at the library to read, and then my 14-year-old son said he needed a book for school. So, I handed him this. My son is VERY selective when it comes to books. He will stop reading after a chapter if it doesn't work for him. After school that day, he made sure to mention the book I gave him was really good. From my kid, that's a five star review. Other books that have been "really good" in recent years - The One and only Ivan, The Giver, Flora and Ulysses, My Side of the Mountain, and most recently Scythe. So, based on that, I'm going to say this one's a contender.

Although the point of view and variety of time periods is similar it Echo, I didn't feel any cheese! Not anything like the magical fantasy gathering of Echo. Refugee has many losses for the characters to deal with and it connects the characters through that feeling of loss and hopelessness that one must experience when leaving behind everything you know. I liked the Cuban grandfather's reflection at the end about turning away the Jews, which some might see as cheesy. It brings home the point that can sometimes be missed by our middle grades readers!

I really, really like this one. It is my pick so far. Or the Hate You Give.http://revingsblog.blogspot.com/2017/... http://revingsblog.blogspot.com/2017/...

Phil wrote: "I can't stop thinking about Tom Petty when I see the title of this book.

For those who have read both, I am wondering now this book compares with echo by Pam Munoz Ryan. Specifically, how big is t..."

It's not cheesy at all. It's covers more ground than Echo because each of the stories is from a different country AND a different time period.

I just finished this book. I've been reading it on my lunch hour and spending most of my work afternoons in a bit of a daze because of it. At first I felt like the perspective changed too often, but once I got into it, I thought it worked really well. I am impressed with how Gratz managed to convey the losses and horrors all three refugee families face and still end the book in a way that leaves room for hope.

Five stars! I see this as a strong Newbery contender, and I can't say enough good things about it ...
First, it is SO relevant in our world today.
Second, it has strong threads showing history repeating itself.
Third, it is based on real events with characters that have been created from real people.
Fourth, this book is totally appropriate for my 4th grade readers. (The drowning scene in the Nazi concentration camp is brutal, but doesn't overwhelm the essence of the story.) I have ordered seven copies!

What a book...! So relevant and important. It was also very well written. Based on real events, this book has a few beautiful and sad twists at the end.
The refugee "problem" is complicated. This book is important
because it exposes the humanity of refugees. But it does not relate the other problems. As an immigrant myself, I can say that being uprooted from your country is not easy. In an ideal world, countries would honor and take care of their citizens. Many refugees end up in bad living conditions in the countries they moved to. But I think it is important for students to be exposed to this very real problem... that has been happening for a long, long time.
My only disappointment with the book was at the very end. The author get a bit political... Trump's order on Syrian refugees is not permanent, and much has happened in the USA as far as terrorism. I just wish he had not gone there. Everything else is stellar. This book is a huge contender for the Newbery Medal. It will open many important discussions with young readers.

Very very good book. I can see this being a popular read with the kids, especially for the ones who enjoyed the I Survived series.
Strong contender for the Newbery, but I still feel the award will go to something more "literary".

I had to rush the ending a little to return the book... was Isabel's story tied to either of the other ones at the end? Through her grandpa?

Her Grandpa was the police officer that saved Josef's grandpa's life but ultimately didn't do anything to help the boat full of refugees.

Celeste wrote: "Her Grandpa was the police officer that saved Josef's grandpa's life but ultimately didn't do anything to help the boat full of refugees."

Josef's dad (not grandpa).

Sara wrote: "Celeste wrote: "Her Grandpa was the police officer that saved Josef's grandpa's life but ultimately didn't do anything to help the boat full of refugees."

Josef's dad (not grandpa)."
Yes, sorry about that. Thanks for the correction.

To comment on literary merit, I would definitely have to reread, because the story moved me so profoundly that I was completely engaged first page to last. I am grateful for the window Refugee provided. It gave me the chance to experience the world in a tiny way as a refugee might. My students and I live in an area where we typically don't have regular contact with refugees, so it's hard to understand the profound implications of the term "refugee." When students hear that the current crisis is the worst since WWII, what can that possibly mean to them? How can we develop empathy for the 22.5 million current refugees, half of whom are children, without direct experience? Through books. While the potential a book has to develop empathy for struggling people around the world may not be part of the Newbery criteria, I can't imagine a more important book to read this year.

Agreed, Tamara, to your entire comment. Loved Refugee but didn't think about its literary merit as I was reading. Looking back now, however, I think it is quite the contender. If I wasn't paying attention to its literary merit (as a librarian and former English teacher), it was there, to an extent that we didn't even notice. Bravo to Alan Gratz on this one.

Of all the books I have read this year, this was the most gripping and powerful story. The characters were each strong and believable and the stories paralleled in such an authentic way, it was amazing. I hope we see this as a finalist! Outstanding piece of work. Not only is it perfect for this time in history, it offers everything we hope from literature, a suspense filled page turner that has the power to let us live through someone else's experience. I think it should be read by adults and children.

Refugee is my pick for the Newbery at this point. An excellent book for students and adults.

I really loved the book, and I have recommended it to several since I read it. I haven't recommended it to any children that I serve in my K-6 school. Here is the review I posted on Goodreads...

My heart was in my throat the entire time I was reading this book! Josef, Isabel and Mahmoud are compelling characters. Gratz has written them in an authentic way drawing upon his documented research to get the details right. That is what makes this a frightening book. I read it before making it available in my elementary library. We are K-6 and I really can't think of any students in my building that I would feel comfortable reading this book. I've known some in the past and I've known families who would read this book together. The scenes are real and the experiences are haunting. I am talking about this book to other teachers, parents, and administrators. This book has a place in the hands of young people, but it needs guidance and context as well because the vast majority of Americans cannot fathom the dangers refugees face every day and continue to face in our future. I really liked reading this book. Sadly, I just don't feel comfortable offering it to the young readers I see daily.

I am so sorry to hear that you are uncomfortable to share this story. It is a powerful story. My seventh graders are loving it! I hope you change your mind.

Sara, if I was middle school this book would be on shelves for students. It is great book. I would recommend It to mature readers in my elementary school, too. I just feel it is not what my current students would read. I'm glad we have a copy and can share it if a student asks for the title or about the topic.

This book really is geared towards young adults. I believe the publisher is expressly marketing it for that age group. It is being shelved in the young adult section in all the bookstores I have visited. Will some middle school kids be able to handle it? Absolutely. Many probably will not. No matter how good or well written a book is it simply may not be age appropriate.

You are all in the best position to know what is right for your readers. At our library I try to pre-read as much as possible and then parents can gauge what is appropriate for their kids. I still think it is an important subject that the author handled so well. The object is for social awareness not nightmares.

According to the Definitions in the Newbery Terms and Criteria (http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/... ), the award should be given to “a book for which children are an intended potential audience.”
The definition further states: “Children are defined as persons of ages up to and including fourteen, and books for this entire age range are to be considered.”
However, I don’t believe that it is necessary for the Newbery award to go to a book that is appropriate for ALL children in the 0-14 age range.
REFUGEE is still at the top of my list for the Newbery, despite the fact that it presents children in many trying and difficult situations.

This is at the top of my list for sure.

If any book needs to be on the shelves of a library which serves grade 5 and above, this is it. People of all ages need access to the stories they need, and this is a story for today.

Well, I didn't love it as much as everyone else. The topic is so important and I'm sure it will be a very useful book for teachers, but I wouldn't say the writing was distinguished.

I found the rotating POVs surprisingly disconcerting and felt it broke up the momentum too much. I think a little more differentiation of the eras would have helped reorient me. (That's funny that someone mentioned Echo in a negative way, because I kept wishing I was rereading it instead. I thought Pam Munoz Ryan did such a brilliant job of giving each era its own subtly different feel and I could have used some of that here!)

There was nothing special about the prose and it was sometimes awkward or confusing. (It drove me crazy that he didn't pick fixed names for the adults, especially the parents. The first time Josef's father's full name was used, I was like, who?) And the themes were sometimes a little heavy handed.

So for me, it's 5 stars for the topic but 3 stars for literary merit.

I like Refugee over Wishtree of the books I have read so far. Refugee is the type of book that makes you stop and think about someone besides your self. It gave me insight of walking in someone else's shoes.

Love this book! Must share with everyone!