This book is not only a Caldecott Honor Book, but has also earned the following awards: American Library Association Notable Children's Books, An Indie Next Kids' List Great Read, Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year, Parents' Choice Honor Books, Charlotte Zolotow Award / Honor Book, NCSS-CBC Notable Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, Publishers Weekly Best Children's Books of the Year, School Library Journal Best Books of the Year, and many more!
I had considered reading the book to my fourth grade class, however I scanned through the pages and thought it best not to because I have several refugee students that would be able to relate too much to fleeing to a new country because of war and poverty. Again, I believe it very important for people that experienced tragic events during their life to write about them and share with generations to come. I would very gladly share this book with my own children, but do not find it appropriate to use in my current classroom setting.
At the end of the book the author included an autobiography that explains how this story is based on a true story. It includes the only photograph he has of himself as a child, a map he drew after moving to Africa at the age of ten and a picture of the central marketplace in Turkestan that is actually included in the illustrations of the story.
Shulevitz is a very successful author and has written several other Caldecott Medal and Honor Books such as: The Moon in My Room, The Secret Room, Snow and so many others.
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