Escape from Aleppo

Description: Nadia stands at the center of attention in her parents’ elegant dining room. This is the best day of my life, she thinks. Everyone is about to sing “Happy Birthday,” when her uncle calls from the living room, “Baba, brothers, you need to see this.” Reluctantly, she follows her family into the other room. On TV, a reporter stands near an overturned vegetable cart on a dusty street. Beside it is a mound of smoldering ashes. The reporter explains that a vegetable vendor in the city of Tunis burned himself alive, protesting corrupt government officials who have been harassing his business. Nadia frowns.
    It is December 17, 2010: Nadia’s twelfth birthday and the beginning of the Arab Spring. Soon anti-government protests erupt across the Middle East and, one by one, countries are thrown into turmoil. As civil war flares in Syria and bombs fall across Nadia’s home city of Aleppo, her family decides to flee to safety. Inspired by current events, this novel sheds light on the complicated situation in Syria that has led to an international refugee crisis, and tells the story of one girl’s journey to safety.

Review: Nadia is enjoying her birthday with her family and friends when news arrives of Mohamed Bouazizi, a young man who set himself on fire to protest harassment and corruption of government officials in Tunisia. Nadia is not aware of the new's significance, but the elders in her family watch as protests spread from Tunisia throughout parts of the Middle East in what is called the Arab Spring. Soon the Arab Spring comes to Syria as citizens begin to demand their rights and desires for improved living conditions. Instead of optimism the movement promised, civil war breaks out in Syria as multiple factions face off one another. As her family attempts to flee to Turkey and reunite with her father, their home is bombed and Nadia is left behind. With her cat, Mishmish, and the help of an old, mysterious man—Ammo Mazen—Nadia begins the journey.
  After reading a little about the Syrian Civil War, Escape from Aleppo does a better job in explaining the origins and complexity of the civil war. The author is not afraid to touch upon the politics and uses simple terms for young readers without dumbing it down for them. Flashbacks of Nadia’s life before the war are interspersed with those detailing her struggles to find her father. Nadia gains courage and trust throughout her journey, thanks to her companions, all while struggling to understand why there is such sadness and unfairness in this world. There are dark moments in the book such as kids playing in a cemetery that formed a lump in my throat, but there is also a nice balance of kindness and hope too. Though there are moments of unrealistic events in the book that hinder the story, Escape from Aleppo is a necessary reminder and primer of what is happening in Syria and what many people in war town areas of the country live through every day.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is war violence in the book such as planes dropping bombs and guns firing in the book. Recommended for strong Grade 4 readers and up.

If you like this book try: Escape from Syria by Samya Kullab, Refugee by Alan Gratz