No Ballet Shoes in Syria

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I enjoyed the realism of a child migrant, the burden of adult responsibilities and uncertainty the only constant in her life. Another Twist in the Tale’is a rip-roaring sequel to Charles Dickens’‘Oliver Twist’, set in Victorian London and featuring Oliver’s long lost twin sister. He is recruited as a stand-in for an injured dancer when he collects his little sister from her ballet lesson.

No Ballet Shoes in Syria by Catherine Bruton is the perfect book to introduce children aged 9+ to important issues such as the refugee crisis. I cannot even begin to imagine what it must have felt like to go through something as heart wrenching as that.

I liked the fact that the asylum system and her individual case was so clearly explained but also the fact that despite their different experiences, she and the other girls found common ground and understanding. I really don’t know where to start with this book, it is so beautifully written and I absolutely loved it from the first page! The book addresses the challenges and difficulties faced through an engaging story of a child dancer. It is similar to ‘the boy at the back of the class’ because they both tell the story of refugee children.

These are totemic books, in a perenially popular genre of children's literature, and I think that No Ballet Shoes In Syria more than stands up to them. There’s also an abridged, accessible version for younger readers, for so many of whom Copeland is an icon.Her father asked her to as they struggled to survive when their inflatable migrant boat was upturned in a storm off the coast of Greece. My main critique of this book is that due to the author being white and British, the story lacks certain nuances that I feel would have elevated the story and garnered a stronger emotional response.

Not for me, for obvious reasons, but I can see the importance of a story like this for younger audiences. K. They are not only well-written books but they are important stories to have in a primary classroom, they reflect the heart-breaking realities that many children currently face but they also show how the kindness and understanding of adults and children can be so powerful. It is a sad book because of everything that happened to her in Syria and on her way but it is happy too. She has left her homeland behind, lost her father and is holding the rest of the fragile family together, responsible beyond her years. This is a comprehensive history of the ballet from its origins in the French courts, when the positions were more etiquette than art, and dancers were as much courtesans as artists.

It also carefully shows how you don’t know other people’s stories and you should be kind to all because you might not know what others are going through. This classic tale of children journeying through war-torn Europe towards Switzerland where they believe they will be reunited with their parents had a profound effect on me as a young reader, offering a remarkable insight into the reality of Europe laid waste by war. This particular middle grade book has so much depth, Aya goes through so much and it was a very eventful ride through the end. But when Aya explained what it meant, it left me feeling so ignorant and wanting to know more about the people that had dealt through and is going through this everyday.