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Category Archives: Refugees

‘The Weight of Water’ by Sarah Crossan

Posted on April 10, 2012 by Wright Reading

The Weight of Water, by Sarah Crossan

Age: 10+

Themes: Multiculturalism; refugees; family; Poland.

Synopsis: The Weight of Water opens with 12 year old Kasienka and her mother leaving their homeland, Poland, and travelling to England. They are searching for Tata, Kasienka’s father, who headed to the UK three years previously. Kasienka and her mother arrive in Coventry, equipped only with a suitcase, a laundry bag and a scanty knowledge of the English language. They make a home in a grotty single room in a high tower block overlooking the Coventry Ring Road. Read the rest of this entry →

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Posted in 10+, Childhood, Family, Foreign Culture, Identity, Inner city, Multiculturalism, Refugees. Bookmark the permalink.

‘Boy Overboard’ by Morris Gleitzman

Posted on December 9, 2011 by Wright Reading

Boy Overboard, by Morris Gleitzman

Age: 9+

The is one of my favourite books from when I taught Year 4 Literacy.

It is a gripping story of an Afghan family who must flee Afghanistan due to the Taliban’s oppressive rule. The Taliban laws make it illegal for girls to play football or even be outside without covering their faces.

This book is written from the point of view of a 10 year old boy called Jamal. Jamal desperately wants to save his family from the life-threatening danger of the Taliban and he is determined to fix problems that are far beyond his control. Read the rest of this entry →

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Posted in 9+, Adventure, Afghanistan, Childhood, Family, Friendship, Refugees, Sport, War. Bookmark the permalink.