A thought-provoking and heart-wrenching account based on the true stories of five young refugees, in search of a safe haven. Their countries of origin are Germany, Vietnam, Cuba, Afghanistan, and Côte d'Ivoire. What sets this book apart from others on refugees is its appealing and engaging design, including sidebars, fact boxes and timelines, providing the reader with background information while reading the stories.

Timely tale. I feel for the refugees and what they are going through. First the Middle Eastern ones crossing the Mediterranean to Europe on small, leaky boats and now the ones from Central America making their way through Mexico to the U.S. Tragic story that repeats to frequently. These poor children and what they go through , it's heartbreaking. 7th, maybe 6th grade, should read this book. It really should be discussed in every classroom, if it hasn't been.

One of the consequences of war is a high number of people who are forced to leave their homeland because of danger and/or persecution and seek asylum in other countries. Today, we see people seeking asylum from places like the Middle East, Mexico, and Central American countries. Many young readers may think that these stories they have been hearing about in the news and on TV about people fleeing their homeland are a new phenomena.

But, in fact, there have been a number of times that people left their homes to seek safety in the past. In Stormy Seas, readers will learn about five different young boat refugees who were forced to escape their homelands between 1939 and 2006.

The first story involves Ruth, an 18 year old Jewish girl who was lucky enough to get passage on the SS St. Louis in 1939, believing she was leaving behind the persecution of Jews in Nazi Germany for safety in Cuba. But after arriving in Havana, Cuba refused to let the desperate passengers disembark, and when others country, including the US, refused to accept any of them, the ship was forced to return to Europe.

In 1979, the mother of 14-year-old Phu knew she had to get her son out of communist controlled Vietnam before he was forced into the army and certain death. Phu's mother paid a smuggler $3,500 for passage in an overcrowded boat, a dangerous trip made worse by pirates who stole everyone' money, jewelry, and food.

For José, 13, and his family, escaping Cuba really was a matter of life and death. His father had already been arrested twenty years earlier for plotting to overthrow Fidel Castro's communist government and now, in 1980, the family knew it would carry a stigma of suspicion forever if they remained in Cuba. Delays and rough seas made the 90 mile trip in an overcrowded boat very dangerous, as people became sick and stressed, and the boat began to take on water.

When the Taliban took over Afghanistan, life became dangerous for anyone who disobeyed their strict Sharia law. But for Najeeba, 11, and her family, the danger was even greater because they were member of the Hazara minority and as such, risked being killed. Najeeba's parents paid a smuggler $35,000 to get them passage to Australia and what they hoped would be safety. The family left Afghanistan in an overcrowded fishing boat that soon sprung a leak.

Lastly is the story of Mohamed, 13, from Maple, Ivory Coast in Africa. Mohamed's parents had been killed in a bombing and rebel forces had taken over his village. His older brother had already fled and Mohamed knew it was time for him to go, too. He walked to a refugee camp in Guinea, worked to save enough money to pay human traffickers for passage to Libya to be able to cross the Mediterranean Sea for asylum in Europe. And so once again, a child boarded an overcrowded boat hoping to find peace and safety at the end of his journey.

Mary Beth Leatherdale presents each one of these stories with compassion and understanding. She follows through, telling readers what became of each of the young people profiled and gives important statistics about their country and the refugees who left, and who were not always welcomed in the countries where they sought asylum. Their stories will certainly resonate with today's readers. There are also sidebars that give more information about each person's homeland and why they had to leave, and back matter that includes a timeline of people who sought asylum by boat, as well as resources for further reading.

Each of the young people survived their harrowing journeys and made new, successful life for themselves and their families. Their resilience, determination, and courage is so inspiring, and, I believe, they will also foster more empathy for today's refugees.

This book is recommended for readers age 10+
This book was an EARC received from NetGalley

I quickly grabbed this for our library. Love the stories told.

This is a great informational read! My 11-year-old son is a huge history reader and really enjoyed this one.

Stormy Seas is a timely look at young refugees of the past, especially considering the current refugee crisis in which more than five million people have fled Syria, half of whom are children. This book helps to show us that refugees are not new at all -- the young people featured in this book fled from Germany, Cuba, Vietnam, Ivory Coast, and Afghanistan, all due to violence, government oppression, or other threat of persecution.

Each of the five sections shares the story of one person's flight, the reasons for leaving, and a first-person account of their time on the boat. We are then given a summary of what has happened to them since these events. More than one of these desperate refugees were turned away from the country they had initially been trying to reach.

This book is well designed, with many photos and quotes set off from the main text, as well as maps and other illustrations to create visual interest. But what interested me the most were the stories of these refugees, who are humanized in these pages rather than appearing as statistics.

In the introduction, the author tells us:

"If you're reading this, you--like me--have probably won the lottery. Not the giant-check, instant-millionaire kind of lottery. The other lottery win--the really valuable one. That random, lucky break that means you were born in or immigrated to a relatively peaceful and prosperous place in the world."

It's not always something we're forced to think about, but this book helps young adults appreciate their situation by sharing the stories of others, and hopefully encourages empathy in our response toward those who simply want to survive.

(Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy.)

STORMY SEAS by Mary Beth Leatherdale tells the refugee stories of five young people from around the globe.

Using collage-based design, this highly-illustrated book shares the true stories of boys and girls who sought to escape violence or poverty by sailing to a new country. Fact boxes, sidebars, timelines, and other informational asides contribute to the value of this work of nonfiction for both literature activities and social studies reports.

Librarians will find this timely book to be popular with upper elementary and middle school youth. The unusual illustrations are an added draw for young readers.

Published by Annick Press, an imprint of Ingram on April 11, 2017. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Refugees are a hot topic right now. This is not the first time people have been fleeing war or persecution, however, and not even the first time in our lifetime. Stormy Seas tells the stories of five different young people who have been forced to flee their homelands during the past 60 years. They came from Nazi Germany, Cuba, Afghanistan, Vietnam and Ivory Coast—places far apart across the globe, but with similar reasons. These short stories bring the plight of refugees to life for children.

A wonderful introduction to the topic of refugees. With different backgrounds and situations spanning early 20th century to pesent, a summary of young children's journeys are told. Sadly, the conditions for desperate refugees have not improved over time - each person was desperate enough to leave their homeland in an unsafe and inhumane manner, and each story was of hope for something better. The powerful mixed-media illustrations tell the story as much as the text. A great springboard to discuss empathy, tolerance, humanity, compassion, victims of war and hate, and immigration.

This book tells the story of 5 children throughout the 20th and 21st centuries who risked their lives in boats trying to make a better life for themselves and their families. With the addition of the beautiful illustrations and heartbreaking information this book is informative and interesting for both adults and children.

To read about the horrors and realities that so many people face in our world is necessary and this book does a wonderful job at showing you real stories and real numbers of the people who try to make their lives better, only to be turned around at the place they have put all of their hope into.

A brilliant insight into the plight of refugees aimed at younger readers. This will be a quick read for most and the combination of pictures, descriptions and narrative are ideal for further classroom, or bedtime, discussions.

I received an e-copy of this book from Netgalley and I'm very pleased to have read it.

This is a great book that I'm going to recommend to the librarians in the school I work at as well as the schools my sons attend. It tells the stories of 5 people who fled their countries by boats when they were children. It tells why they left, where they went and what happened to them later in their lives. I really enjoyed the collage aspect of the art as well.

This book brings us the stories of the hundreds of people who risk their life in search of a better life. As the daughter of a Cuban immigrant who came to the U.S. legally and having heard my uncle's story of leaving Cuba in a car tire and the perils he faced along his journey, I think this book is a must in many U.S. households especially under the current administration. I would hope that reading these very real stories would create empathy and understanding for refugees and their plight.

'Stormy Seas: Stories of Young Boat Refugees' by Mary Beth Leatherdale with illustrations by Eleanor Shakespeare follows the stories of 5 young refugees on dangerous sea journeys.

The five journeys include a young lady fleeing the Nazis and sailing for Cuba, A 14-year old Vietnamese boy fleeing for life in the United States, and A young woman fleeing the Taliban for life in Australia. In all cases the journeys were complicated by things storms, overcrowded boats, or countries that wanted to turn them back. Each story tells what happened to the person.

The book ends with an timeline of refugees from World War II to the present. There is also a list of references of groups that work with refugees or have history about them.

It's aimed at younger readers and it's done very well. The seriousness of the peril is there without going into graphic details. Historical context is given as well as timelines. I really appreciated getting to read this book.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Annick Press Ltd. and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

I'm still reveling from the gorgeous beauty juxtaposed with the heartbreaking stories of despair and triumph.

Stormy Seas
By Mary Beth Leatherdale
Illustrated by Eleanor Shakespeare
Rating 5
Synopsis

The phenomenon of desperate refugees risking their lives to reach safety is not new. For hundreds of years, people have left behind family, friends, and all they know in hope of a better life. This book presents five true stories about young people who lived through the harrowing experience of setting sail in search of asylum: Ruth and her family board the St. Louis to escape Nazism; Phu sets out alone from war-torn Vietnam; José tries to reach the U.S. from Cuba; Najeeba flees Afghanistan and the Taliban; Mohamed, an orphan, runs from his village on the Ivory Coast. Aimed at middle grade students, Stormy Seas combines a contemporary collage-based design, sidebars, fact boxes, timeline and further reading to produce a book that is ideal for both reading and research. Readers will gain new insights into a situation that has constantly been making the headlines.

This book is heart and gut wrenching. So much so, that I found myself in a quandary in how to begin. This is a story that needs to be told and told again and again. This is our world’s history from the 1600’s (and probably long before) to the present day...over 400 years of children and families seeking a safe place to live. I’m not going to get into the politics, ethical, religious and social issues of the circumstances involved. These are stories of five children out of how many???? I have absolutely no idea,,,too may to be sure. This book is not a fairytale and there is no princess. It is not fantasy or make-believe either. This is a story about real children who live in real danger every single day. It is a story about parents who are trying their best to save their children and to give them a chance at a better and longer life.

First there is Ruth who was !8 when she had to flee Nazi Germany in 1939 and who, in a circumvented way, eventually ended up in the USA.

Next is Phu who had to leave Vietnam at the age of 14. He arrived here in the USA in 1980.

Jose had a much shorter journey; but by no means any safer. He fled Cuba for the USA in 1980. He was 13.

Najeeba left Afghanistan at the tender age of 11. She arrived in Australia in 2000.

Then there is Mohamed who found his way to Italy in 2006. He was 13.

How these five children arrived at their final destinations is so vividly told that a child of the same age as these child refugees would be able to understand their stories AND, I think, THAT is what is important. The art work by Eleanor Shakespeare is beyond amazing as it brings visualization to each story. It is important to read every single page from the introduction to all of the time lines to fully begin to grasp the seriousness, gravity and danger of each story. These are only five stories out of thousands, hundreds of thousands through out the years who have had to flee their homeland with their parents or alone to just stay alive. I can't imagine nor fathom such a situation or environment.

Parental Note: This book is recommended by the publisher for children 10-12. I had to give this some serious thought as I have a 10 year old granddaughter. My recommendation would be to read this book WITH your 10 year old child. For children older, I suggest you read the book first in order to be prepared to answer any questions and for some serious discussions. Again, I reiterate, this is not a fairytale nor fantasy...this is real life for so many children. A story that our own children should know about.

I was sent an early copy of this book in exchange for my independent and honest review.
A beautifully illustrated non fiction book that clearly portrays the plights of refugees from various different parts of the world,past and present.
This collection of stories had a moving effect on me and was very thought provoking.
I feel that it is an ideal resource to teach children about others that are less fortunate than themselves and why most refugees flee their country of origin due to danger and fear.
It also highlights that this concept is not new and yet we still have a considerable amount of people who seek refuge. It is an important read, more so in today's current climate.
The more people that can be accurately educated about this awful dilemma the better and this book helps deliver just that.
Although it is simply written with a middle grade target audience it is also suitable for adults.
I believe that children should be introduced to many different aspects of diversity and humanity, and this publication deserves its place in any library,public,school or home collection.

This was a very interesting book giving first hand accounts of the struggles 5 young people were forced to make in their quest for a better life. Written for middle school aged children i think it hit that mark nicely. With illustrations that depicted the struggles along the way.

While there are 5 stories here the author does outline others in similar situations which could lead to further discovery and interaction between student and teacher/parents.

A great book for the age level to open their eyes to what is and has gone on in this world and how it affects all ages.

Thank you to the published (via Netgalley) for an advanced copy of this book.

Unfortunately Stormy Seas comes at an unsympathetic and ugly time for refugees in the United States and EU. It is a time where angry debates, pernicious laws and frankly hate speech and actions are directed towards them. Right now gates are closing to Syrian refugees and borders are tightening or closed to those who are desperate and fearful for their lives. It makes me heartsick. Fortunately we have Stormy Seas to remind us that this has been an historical struggle that has happened since the 1600's and probably before. She shows us how all over the country, yours and mine, children were turned away despite being in danger and this has happened over and over again. Her focus in on children who are young boat refugees. Some came with family and some did not. Their fear and suffering are evident yet these young children find a place and some peace as they become citizens in their new country. The book is visually arresting. Using collage, picture, paint and a myriad of styles the pictures shows us the perils and promise of their harrowing journeys.

Thank you to Netgalley who gave me this book to review for an honest opinion.

This is a stunning and captivating book. The topic is extrememly timely with the question of allowing refugees into the country in the news all the time and this book does a great job of putting that struggle into historical context. The images are a great combination of old photographs and bold artistic and graphic elements. The background given for the stories presented does not flinch away from the hard truths of its subjects lives and the fate of those on their ships but I don't think it's too graphic for it's upper elementary focus.