No Ballet Shoes in Syria

I am eleven years old and I LOVE this book. I recommend it to literally everyone. I would say maybe nine plus years old, because there are some really deep and gruesome parts in the book, but otherwise it's really really really good. I would actually love for there to be a second book because I want to know what happens and what her life is like after everything that happend.Thank you so much for this book!!!

Having seen the movie Cave last week, I was somewhat prepared for what this book offers. What I wasn't expecting was how seamless the two stories in it would be and how well Aya's experiences would be portrayed. Told in present day, followed in most chapters by flashbacks beginning before the war in Syria broke out, this is what happened to eleven year old Aya, her physician father, her shell shocked mother and her baby brother. You first encounter Aya while she's waiting to find out whether her family, minus Dad, will be granted asylum in Great Britain. The number of hurdles this young girl must face would make most adults quail. In addition to taking on the role of family spokesperson, as she's the only one who can speak English, her paperwork keeps getting lost, the volunteers handling asylum seekers are poorly trained, not to mention feeling overwhelmed, and there is the complication that the system believes her mother asked for asylum when they arrived in Greece after nearly drowning on the nighttime crossing from Turkey. If that were the case, they would be ineligible for a second asylum request. Two things help Aya keep up the struggle, one is her connection with other refugees at the center, who start bonding with her, as well as watching out for her mother and brother after she becomes their interpreter, the other is the familiar music coming from the second floor at the refugee/community center. It's some of the same melodies she danced to in Aleppo when she took ballet lessons before the family home was bombed and they had to flee. When she investigates, she is quickly befriended by Dotty, a bubbly girl who becomes interested in Aya's scary trip to safety. While their friendship blossoms, the elderly ballerina teaching the class, a refugee herself from Hitler's terrors in Czechoslovakia, sees the hidden promise in this plucky, but vulnerable Syrian refugee. The rest of the story, and it's an amazing one, alternates between Aya's memories of the long journey to safety and the challenges she and her family face in their quest to find some stability in an unsafe world. This is a book that deserves a place in all school and public libraries, not only because of Aya's pluckiness, but because it portrays just how precarious the plight of over 11 million refugees across the globe really is.

I read this book whilst trying to find new books to base English teaching around for my Y5/6 class and have found an absolute must-read.The author set out to help the next generation see past the label of refugee, and this has been achieved brilliantly. A thought-provoking story which draws you into Aya's life immediately, making it difficult to put down.Perfect for lovers of Ballet Shoes and When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, an essential read for anyone 9+ who likes hard-hitting but heart-warming stories.

Este Libro es muy bonito y tiene una cantidad perfecta tanto de triunfo como de tragèdia . Es un libro muy entretenido . El libro va sobre una niña que ha escapado de una guerra en Siria y vive en un campo de refugiados . Ella encuentra una escuela de ballet y empieza a ir a las clases pero no tiene tiempo de ir por sus problemas personales ...

Such a poignant story!! You can really feel the plight of war afflicted people. It is a book written with great feeling. Loved every bit of it --it is fast paced and actually unputdownable!!

A very clear way of giving children an insight into a topic so vast and complicated. An inspirational read and hugely recommended.

This book is one of the best I have read so far.I read it in two days it was so good!!It's one of the best books ever!