From Far Away Book Review

From Far Away

Robert Munsch; Saoussan Askar

Rebecca Green

Annick Press

Children’s Fiction, Picture Book

Publication Date: August 8, 2017

Saoussan is a second grader, she is seven years old, she came from far away, and she frames her story as if she is talking directly to the reader, her reading buddy. Saoussan tells her story of coming to Canada from her home country where a war started. With the war came bombings, a lack of food, and people being shot at. When she gets to Canada her father tells her to be good and listen in school, but Saoussan doesn't speak English, so she can't understand the teacher or the other students. School it difficult at first and she doesn't want to go back, but over time, Saoussan begins to learn English and becomes the best reader and speller in her class. She's so good at speaking English that her teacher complains that she never stops talking to her friends! Saoussan shares bits and pieces of her new life, giving a glimpse of what it is like to immigrate to a new country.

From Far Away gives a personal look at immigration and humanizes a sometimes abstract concept. The book addresses issues like violence head on by stating more than once that people were shot at in Saoussan's unnamed home country, but it is not graphic, just realistic. From Far Away is a good book for introducing or reinforcing the concept of immigration for elementary-aged children.

If you’re interested in reading From Far Away, you can purchase a copy here on Amazon. 

*A copy of this book was provided free of charge for an honest review.