"The Unwanted: Stories of The Syrian Refugees"
Written and illustrated by Don Brown
Reviewed by Leslie, Jesus, Nikita, and Timothy
Review:
Don Brown’s graphic novel, The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees is a superb exploration and account of the Syrian refugee crisis that began in 2011 when thousands of Syrians fled Syria due to the terror of the Syrian Civil War. Don Brown begins the graphic novel by setting the scene of the igniting incident of the crisis, painting a picture of a country and a community of people on the cusp of revolution. Then, throughout the rest of the story Brown follows the Syrian people that have fled their country through the many trials and tribulations that they face on their journey towards a refugee and safe haven. Brown details the different pains and horrors that the refugees experience in search of asylum - focusing on the group of refugees as a whole rather than just a few specific characters - through the combination of his simplistic, but effective, watercolor illustrations and his informative text box narration. The Unwanted is an excellent historical refugee narrative for young adults as the combination of text and correlating illustrations streamlines various complicated concepts and sensitive facts about the Syrian refugee crisis, but presents them in a way that is understandable for young adult readers. The Unwanted is an excellent historical refugee narrative for young adults as the combination of text and correlating illustrations streamlines a lot of complicated ideas and sensitive facts about the Syrian refugee crisis and presents them in an way that is accessible for young adult readers while still being accurate and never shying away from the harrowing situations that the refugees had to face.
Don Brown has published numerous non-fiction books for young readers that tell the story of important people and events from throughout the vast history of the world. A common element that permeates all of his works, especially in The Unwanted, is that he puts a human face on the larger-than-life events and people affected. He relates the history from the perspective of the people living it, making the struggles and triumphs of the people whose stories he is narrating recognizable on a human level. He does this to great effect in The Unwanted. In his portrayal of the crisis, Brown is empathetic, giving the people whose trek has often been cheapened in the media by sensationalist news headlines their own voice. He challenges the opinion-oriented media coverage of the crisis to allow the experiences of the refugees to manifest. Part of the way he does this is through his insertion of direct, concise dialogue. Much of the story is told simply through the synthesis of informative text boxes and the illustrations alone, but there are moments when he gives a personal story of real-life refugees. By doing this, Brown sets up space in the text for the refugees to take control of the narrative and directly speak about their feelings and experiences firsthand. Another way that Don Brown effectively conveys empathy in The Unwanted is through the book's visuals. His distinctive watercolor illustrations are simple but are very evocative on their own. Each image he draws contains a wide range of emotions and tells a story in and of itself. They vividly set the mood and the setting of the refugee crisis. Brown’s illustrations for the book are unique, selectively using color (for example, red to represent fire and blood and the neutral colors representing real-life Syria post-war) or not using color to show both the beauty of Syria before it was overtaken by war and the horror of the journey the Syrian refugees are on.
Together, all of these aspects create a moving and informative non-fiction narrative of the Syrian refugee crisis for young adult readers. Students in junior high or high school can learn from this graphic novel to be more informed on the facts and harrowing details of this major event that is still affecting millions of displaced people in the world today.
Don Brown’s graphic novel, The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees is a superb exploration and account of the Syrian refugee crisis that began in 2011 when thousands of Syrians fled Syria due to the terror of the Syrian Civil War. Don Brown begins the graphic novel by setting the scene of the igniting incident of the crisis, painting a picture of a country and a community of people on the cusp of revolution. Then, throughout the rest of the story Brown follows the Syrian people that have fled their country through the many trials and tribulations that they face on their journey towards a refugee and safe haven. Brown details the different pains and horrors that the refugees experience in search of asylum - focusing on the group of refugees as a whole rather than just a few specific characters - through the combination of his simplistic, but effective, watercolor illustrations and his informative text box narration. The Unwanted is an excellent historical refugee narrative for young adults as the combination of text and correlating illustrations streamlines various complicated concepts and sensitive facts about the Syrian refugee crisis, but presents them in a way that is understandable for young adult readers. The Unwanted is an excellent historical refugee narrative for young adults as the combination of text and correlating illustrations streamlines a lot of complicated ideas and sensitive facts about the Syrian refugee crisis and presents them in an way that is accessible for young adult readers while still being accurate and never shying away from the harrowing situations that the refugees had to face.
Don Brown has published numerous non-fiction books for young readers that tell the story of important people and events from throughout the vast history of the world. A common element that permeates all of his works, especially in The Unwanted, is that he puts a human face on the larger-than-life events and people affected. He relates the history from the perspective of the people living it, making the struggles and triumphs of the people whose stories he is narrating recognizable on a human level. He does this to great effect in The Unwanted. In his portrayal of the crisis, Brown is empathetic, giving the people whose trek has often been cheapened in the media by sensationalist news headlines their own voice. He challenges the opinion-oriented media coverage of the crisis to allow the experiences of the refugees to manifest. Part of the way he does this is through his insertion of direct, concise dialogue. Much of the story is told simply through the synthesis of informative text boxes and the illustrations alone, but there are moments when he gives a personal story of real-life refugees. By doing this, Brown sets up space in the text for the refugees to take control of the narrative and directly speak about their feelings and experiences firsthand. Another way that Don Brown effectively conveys empathy in The Unwanted is through the book's visuals. His distinctive watercolor illustrations are simple but are very evocative on their own. Each image he draws contains a wide range of emotions and tells a story in and of itself. They vividly set the mood and the setting of the refugee crisis. Brown’s illustrations for the book are unique, selectively using color (for example, red to represent fire and blood and the neutral colors representing real-life Syria post-war) or not using color to show both the beauty of Syria before it was overtaken by war and the horror of the journey the Syrian refugees are on.
Together, all of these aspects create a moving and informative non-fiction narrative of the Syrian refugee crisis for young adult readers. Students in junior high or high school can learn from this graphic novel to be more informed on the facts and harrowing details of this major event that is still affecting millions of displaced people in the world today.
Biography:
(Photo was taken from goodreads.com)
Don Brown is an award-winning author and illustrator of more than two dozen history books for
kids and young adults. He has been known for not being afraid to tackle complex
topics in the graphic novel format. Some of his best-known non-fiction works include: The Great American Dust Bowl, which was nominated for the Texas Blue Bonnet
Award, and focused on the issues brought about due to the drought of the 1930s,
and Drowned City, which touched on the Hurricane Katrina disaster. Brown’s
texts present information in a digestible manner, with thorough research that
even includes first-hand accounts of characters in the story. In fact, in the The Great American Dust Bowl, Brown included factual accounts of farmers and
wildlife fleeing for their lives and in Drowned City, he focused on the
devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina and the human responsibility involved
in the disaster. Tackling these large
historical themes prepared Brown to grapple
with the Syrian refugee crisis in his most recent nonfiction graphic novel, The
Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees. In addressing the humanitarian
crisis, Brown felt that it was important to include real voices in the novel in
order to highlight the reality that these people are facing. While
working on the graphic novel, after visiting the refugee camps in Greece where
many Syrian refugees were taking temporary (Photo was taken from colonialsd.org)
shelter, Don Brown said that he was “determined to tell the refugees’ stories with both accuracy and sympathy”(Kirkus Review Interview). In terms
of his artistic focus, he has used watercolor paintings to depict all sorts of emotions like joy and pain, and The Unwanted is no different from his previous works. However, it is important to note that every brush used is purposeful as he declares, “Any particular vignette, there’s something I’m trying to convey, either of terror or want or hunger or fear. So I’m trying to figure out how to make the art advance that particular element of the vignette”(Yalsa interview). Although the humanitarian crisis is raw and enormous, Brown believes that children have a capacity for complex and troubling information and this graphic novel is evidence of that. Don Brown’s The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees won the 2019 ALA YALSA Award for nonfiction and was an ALA Sibert Award nominee. He has a couple of more graphic novels coming soon about people going to the moon and the Spanish influenza. He lives in New York with his family and makes presentations to kids around the country.
shelter, Don Brown said that he was “determined to tell the refugees’ stories with both accuracy and sympathy”(Kirkus Review Interview). In terms
of his artistic focus, he has used watercolor paintings to depict all sorts of emotions like joy and pain, and The Unwanted is no different from his previous works. However, it is important to note that every brush used is purposeful as he declares, “Any particular vignette, there’s something I’m trying to convey, either of terror or want or hunger or fear. So I’m trying to figure out how to make the art advance that particular element of the vignette”(Yalsa interview). Although the humanitarian crisis is raw and enormous, Brown believes that children have a capacity for complex and troubling information and this graphic novel is evidence of that. Don Brown’s The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees won the 2019 ALA YALSA Award for nonfiction and was an ALA Sibert Award nominee. He has a couple of more graphic novels coming soon about people going to the moon and the Spanish influenza. He lives in New York with his family and makes presentations to kids around the country.
Instructional links:
1.) Map of Turkey to Greece: This link is an article that has real-life pictures of refugees fleeing as well as a map that shows the distance that refugees travel oversea from Turkey to Greece via dinghy boats (more than 250 miles). This will help students recognize the vast difficulty and struggle the refugees have faced.
2.) Real-life Raqqa, Syria after bombs: This is an article of a woman revisiting Raqqa, Syria which she remembered as being the most beautiful city, now in ruins. The author, Don Brown, used neutral colors in the book with grays, tans, and browns because that is how everything looks now.
3.) 26 Before and After War Pictures: This page shows before and after war pictures of Syria, and illustrates the change in architecture, vegetation, and overall atmosphere. This will remind students that Syria is a place, not just a desert, that used to be beautiful but is now destroyed from war.
4.) Graphic Novels: This is a page that explains what graphic novels are, how to read them, and why they are important.
5.) Don Brown website: This link is a page all about Don Brown and his work. It will help the readers get to know the author.
6.) Timeline of the Syrian War: This article discusses the timeline of events during the Syrian War. This will help the readers conceptualize the length of the crisis.
7.) Don Brown Interview: This is a written interview with Don Brown about his works.
8.) Ted Residency: A Poem for Syria: This is a video of a poem about Syria that was featured on a Ted Talk. It will help liven the lesson about the graphic novel and give the students a new perspective.
Learning Activity/Lesson:
Bibliography:
Preview:
Two instructional activities are to be conducted. One will allow students the opportunity to learn and understand the geography centered around the routes most frequently taken by those seeking refuge. Students are to draw out the trails taken by refugees as well as indicate the locations where the majority of refugees have been known to take refuge in. The next activity will allow students to learn the text in its historical context, outlining the series of events that have occurred/are still occurring in Syria. This will allow them to visualize and understand why everything has occurred the way it has in Syria. With the handouts provided, students will get the opportunity to understand geographical routes taken by Syrian refugees, as well as the history and timeline events during the ongoing crisis in Syria.
California Common Core Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.3- Analyze how the author
unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events, including the order in which
the points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections
that are drawn between them.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.7- Analyze various accounts of a subject told in different mediums (e.g., a person’s life story in both print and multimedia), determining which details are emphasized in each account.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.4.A- Present claims and findings (e.g., argument, narrative, informative, response to literature presentations), sequencing ideas logically and using pertinent descriptions, facts, and details and nonverbal elements to accentuate main ideas or themes; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3.D- Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using an effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
Instructional Resources:California Common Core Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.7- Analyze various accounts of a subject told in different mediums (e.g., a person’s life story in both print and multimedia), determining which details are emphasized in each account.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.4.A- Present claims and findings (e.g., argument, narrative, informative, response to literature presentations), sequencing ideas logically and using pertinent descriptions, facts, and details and nonverbal elements to accentuate main ideas or themes; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3.D- Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using an effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
Bibliography:
Danielson, Julie. “Stories of the Unwanted with Don Brown.” Kirkus
Reviews, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston., 2 Aug. 2018, www.kirkusreviews.com/features/stories-unwanted-don-brown/.
Ortega, Katrina. “#ALAMW19
Recap: Interviewing Don Brown, Author of The Unwanted, 2019 Nonfiction Award
Winner.” The Hub, American Library Association, 6 Feb. 2019, www.yalsa.ala.org/thehub/2019/02/05/alamw19-recap-interviewing-don-brown-author-unwanted-2019-nonfiction-award-winner/.
