Lost and Found Cat: The True Story of Kunkush's Incredible Journey

 

Lost and Found Cat

by Doug Kuntz and Amy Shrodes

In August of 2015, an Iraqi family fled their home, traveling by car and on foot along with their cat, Kunkush. When the family reached Greece, Kunkush escaped from his carrier. They searched for him for hours, but finally had to continue on their journey. Volunteers found the feline a few days later and became determined to reunite him with his owners. 

The Stray and the Strangers

The Stray and the Strangers

by Steven Heighton

Kanella is a scrawny orphan doggie who timidly slinks around the wharfs, waiting for scraps. Eventually settling uphill in a camp, the story of the refugee situation on the Greek island of Lesvos is told through the close perspective of Kanella, the dog with the white-socked paws, whose name means cinnamon. She helps out with the newcomers, bonds with a little boy, and grows quietly fat. When the refugee camp is dismantled, Kanella needs to find a new forever home ... and she does.

Based on a true story, Kanella was the heart of the largest ever refugee community of over 20,000.

Samira Surfs

Samira Surfs

by Rukhsanna Guidroz, illustrated by Fahmida Azim  

11-year-old Samira and her family are Rohingya refugees who have traveled by boat to Bangladesh. Unregistered, they must live outside the camp, are banned from formal employment, and are resented by some of the locals. This middle-grade novel starts off at Samira’s new home, “made of bamboo choppy by Baba’s bare hands”, a leaky roof, and a single room for their family of four. The tightly woven verses take us to the beach where Samira sells eggs to beach-goers. She would love to use some of the money for school, but her father wouldn’t send her even if they could afford it because she’s a girl. Fortunately, her older brother, Khaled, gives her English lessons.

We cheer for Samira as she sets out with quiet determination to show everybody how she can work to make money for their family, learn English, and learn to surf. After meeting a group of girl surfers at a local surf club where there’s an announcement for a contest with a cash prize, Samira is empowered to overcome her fear of water that developed after her grandparents died falling into the water from the boat when coming to Bangladesh.

Azim’s lively illustrations bring Samira’s world to life, highlighting both the beauty of Bangladesh and Samira’s spirit.  

Verse novel. 9-14

 

“I’ve learned that belonging, having a home, having a country, means everything, is everything.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Illegal

Illegal

By Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin, illustrated by Giovanni Rigano

Ebo and his siblings know they must leave their home in Ghana to make a better life in Europe.  Sisi, his sister, has already gone.  When Kwame, his brother, disappears, Ebo follows.  He is determined not to be left behind.

When he meets up with Kwame they spent almost 2 years working to save money for the journey across the desert and the Mediterranean. They live in dire conditions and hide their money, saving for the day they can finally leave.  They two brothers must keep each other safe in a world full of dangers.  

After all their hard work, they are finally ready to travel, but their journey is horrendous.  They must contend with overcrowding, starvation, thirst, men with weapons, an unforgiving landscape and a massive, deadly sea.

How can two boys make this journey alone?  They are constantly motivated by the dream of a better life and the knowledge that they can never go back.

Illegal is not for the faint of heart -- it’s a graphic novel that brings the harsh world of a young refugee to life.  Ebo must endure more than most of us can imagine, and at a very young age.