Book Descriptions
for Marwan's Journey by Patricia de Arias and Laura Borràs
From The United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY)
Marwan's Journey is about Marwan having to flee his home for unknown circumstances. Throughout his journey, Marwan describes the actions and the emotions of fleeing his home. He describes his home as being a place where his father told stories of his “homeland” and that “a ray of sunlight that shone every morning on my pillow.” Marwan misses his home and it's not just him who is seeking refuge, others are walking the same journey across the desert. The story ends with Marwan promising that one day he will return home. When Marwan returns home he hopes to create that garden and ray of sunlight that he had when he was younger.
USBBY Outstanding International Books- Grade K-2, 2019, A Bank Street Children's Book Committee Best Book of the Year, A 2018 Kirkus Best Book, A National Council of Social Studies, CBC Notable Trade Book, A Special Mention at the Bologna Ragazzi Awards in Italy in 2017, NCSS/CBS Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People, 2019.
Author lives in Brazil.
Spanish. Originally published in Spanish as Camino de Marwan by Amanuta in 2016. English translation by Patricia de Arias published in the United States by Minedition in 2018.
© USBBY, 2022. Used with permission.
From the Publisher
A 2018 Kirkus Best Book * A National Council of Social Studies * CBC Notable Trade Book * An Outstanding International Trade Book (USBBY) * A Bank Street Children’s Book Committee Best Book of the Year
One night they came... The darkness grew colder, deeper, darker, and swallowed up everything... Marwan is a young boy on a journey he never intended to take, bound for a place he doesn’t know. On his journey, he relies on courage and memories of his faraway homeland to buoy him. With him are hundreds and thousands of other human beings, crossing the deserts and the seas, fleeing war and hunger in search of safety. He must take one step after another—bringing whatever he can carry, holding on to dreams. This is the journey of one boy who longs for a home, and we follow his path, walking hand in hand with him as he looks forward with uncertainty and hopes for a peaceful future. This beautiful, heartfelt story gives a human face to the plight of refugees all over the world. Marwan’s journey is everyone’s journey.
One night they came... The darkness grew colder, deeper, darker, and swallowed up everything... Marwan is a young boy on a journey he never intended to take, bound for a place he doesn’t know. On his journey, he relies on courage and memories of his faraway homeland to buoy him. With him are hundreds and thousands of other human beings, crossing the deserts and the seas, fleeing war and hunger in search of safety. He must take one step after another—bringing whatever he can carry, holding on to dreams. This is the journey of one boy who longs for a home, and we follow his path, walking hand in hand with him as he looks forward with uncertainty and hopes for a peaceful future. This beautiful, heartfelt story gives a human face to the plight of refugees all over the world. Marwan’s journey is everyone’s journey.
Publisher description retrieved from Google Books.