2019 Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults- The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees by Don Brown

Brown, D. (2018). The unwanted: The story of the Syrian refugees. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees by Don Brown was chosen for the 2019 Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults by YALSA. This book was also chosen for various other awards including 2019 Silbert Award Honor book, and 2019 top ten Great Graphic novels for Teens. This book and it's author have had some great reviews and prestige, so I was very excited to start reading this book. 

The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees tells the stories of many (seemingly unnamed) refugees. It shows the experience both unique and common of those seeking asylum in the years 2011 to current times as the country of Syria is falling apart. It follows nameless refugees and their families through their journey- to often unknown destinations. It shows that often refugees thought they were to safety, they were turned away or sent somewhere else. It uses various sized panels to show the enormity and simultaneity of certain situations. It focuses on many different people. In the author's note - About the Unwanted- the author speaks to the fact that he did not want to give names because the specificity would draw too much attention to the individual versus the whole people who were experiencing the horror. In the back matter, the author summarizes the camp visits he took to fully understand the situation in 2017. Also in the back matter, the author provided source notes, and a bibliography for his work.

I think there is something very special in the way that Brown has captured the experience and the information that needs to be provided in a work of this caliber. The art and the words combined show the information and experience that helps the reader understand and sympathize with the subject rather than just looking at the facts. The use of realistic graphics, combined with illustration, and maps for a better understanding of where and how the refugees are moving make this book extra special.

If you enjoyed reading The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees:

  • Drowned City by Don Brown 
  • The Great American Dust Bowl by Don Brown 
  • Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi 
  • Outcasts United by Warren St. John
Source: 
Skuenn. (2019, February 08). Nonfiction Award. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/yalsa/nonfiction-award

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