I appreciated the choice of using poetry to express the life and experiences of a young refugee in Darfur. It gave me a much clearer understanding of what life is like, and how challenging it must be to deal with all the experiences and feelings people have under these beyond difficult situations.

This book, although it had some beautiful verses, was unnecessarily long and slow, and for most of it, Amira was very whiny (and understandably so, but it was just getting annoying). At one point I even found myself thinking "I wouldn't care if she dies, at least she'd be out of this horrible place". Well (SPOILER ALERT) I'm pretty sure she does die, but THAT'S THE WORST PART because the ending is so unclear. The last page is just this random verse about her flying away from Kalma and I'm not sure if that means she died? Does anyone else find this weird or am I just stupid? Most of these 320 pages were a waste of my time.

Loved this book. The everyday struggles between Amira and her mother about Amira's desire for an education and her mother's traditionalist desire for marriage preparation for her daughter combine with the added struggle of surviving a brutal Janjaweed attack on their village in Darfur and being forced to live in the confines of a refugee camp in this beautifully rendered tale told through easy-to-read prose poetry and line drawings. Appealing to upper elementary through high school.

Beautifully written, shows the many faces of wartime through prose-poetry. Invites young people to express their own struggles through art.

An encouraging story of a young Sudanese refugee's experience. Poetic verse and captivating gray-toned illustrations make this an appealing title for reluctant readers. Includes a historical note, glossary, and pronunciation guide. Grades 5-7