Recommended Books: Refugee, by Alan Gratz

Alan Gratz joins Welcoming Falls Church on October 28, 2020, for a virtual discussion of his New York Times bestselling novel, Refugee. This award-winning book follows three children at three different points in time, all connected by the same goal: escape. Refugee is appropriate for children 8 years and up and provides an unflinching look at the lengths some young people must go through to find safety. Gratz’s presentation is family-friendly and will include a 30-minute talk about Refugee as well as a 30-minute Q&A session.

Our hope is that it will deepen Gratz fans' love of the book and appreciation for the topic. For students that have not read the book, our hope is that it will inspire them to explore the history of how our nation and our community have welcomed so many refugees over the years. 

Online discussion with Alan Gratz. This talk will be streamed twice - 11am-12pm, during the school day (in partnership with Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School), and 4-5pm, for families, community organizations, and others that are seeking some inspiration. October 28 is National Immigrants' Day and the anniversary of the dedication of the Statue of Liberty. Join us to celebrate how welcoming immigrants and refugees - more important than ever in our community!

Email us for login information, to submit questions, or additional information about the program.

Video trailer for Refugee

Book club resources. This is a great book club book if you have an enthusiastic young reader! We are grateful to our friends at the Mary Riley Styles Public Library for their organization of a book club about Refugee in 2019, and to the Thomas Jefferson Public Library for sharing information about this program with their young readers. See here to download a book club discussion guide.

Getting the book. We always love recommending our local bookstore partner, One More Page Books, which should have the book in stock. Want to start reading right away? Join the Welcoming Falls Church Book Club on Amazon and purchase your book online.