Mohammed's Journey: A Refugee Diary(Refugee Diary)

Mohammed was born in Kirkuk - the Kurdish part of Iraq. He speaks Kurdish, and now English too. Saddam Hussein persecuted Mohammed's people long before he was born but Mohammed's journey started in October 2000 when Saddam's soldiers came to his house, beat him and his mother and took his father away. Mohammed never saw his father again. This is his story. From that terrible night, to the escape from Iraq by bus, on horseback, in a small boat on a raging river and finally, hiding in a lorry on a ship. It covers his journey from Kirkuk to the Iraq-Iran border, through Iran, into Turkey and then on to England and safety. Mohammed and his mother we were granted 'leave to stay' in England in 2002. Other titles in the series: Gervelie's Journey, Hamzat's Journey To read a speech from the authors given at the booklaunch, click here

About the Author :
Anthony Robinson is an author of children's books and an author, consultant and teacher in English Language Teaching. He has lived and travelled all over the world, from his original home in Australia to Southeast Asia and Europe, from Japan to Edinburgh, and now lives in Cambridge. He is particularly interested in comparing and contrasting real children's lives, be they refugees who have fled their own countries, children living normal lives in vastly different cultures, or children living in difficult circumstances. To see Anthony's pages on the Cambridge Wiggly Pencil website, click here To see Anthony's pages on the Cambridge Wiggly Pencil website, click here June Allan can't remember a time when she didn't love drawing. Her Mum says she used to sit and draw in her pram! After graduating from Edinburgh College of Art in 1971 with a Diploma specializing in Painting and Glass Design, she taught in various secondary schools until 1986, when she started to paint portraits professionally. In 1999 she ventured into the field of children's book illustration, and since then has illustrated many children's books. June lives in Edinburgh with her husband and two children, two guinea pigs, Holly and Fern and lots of goldfish. Annemarie Young is an author, publisher and editorial consultant, in children's books and primary education. She has lived and travelled all over the world, from her original home in Australia to Southeast Asia and Europe, from Egypt to Edinburgh, and now lives in Cambridge. She has worked with over 100 children's authors and illustrators from all corners of the globe, and loves the whole process of publishing, from the first exciting ideas, to the often heated discussions about how to realise those ideas, all the way to checking colour proofs and finally seeing the printed book. To see Annemarie's pages on the Cambridge Wiggly Pencil website, click here

Review :
With photos and realistic illustrations, this is a tribute to the resilience of people who fight against all odds for a better life. Irish Examiner A harrowing tale which should make readers proud of the welcome our country extends to people desperately in need of safety and freedom. Northern Echo June Allan's poignant illustrations are supplemented by photographs and there's a spread about the recent history of Iraq. This thought-provoking story would make a useful teaching aid. Glasgow Herald The concept is excellent and it is important for children to understand what life as a refugee would be like. School Librarian The full import of this [situation] can hardly be conveyed in a book that is intended for a pre-teen audience, although it is good to see it attempted. The matter-of-fact text and the restrained illustrations resist the exploitation of suffering and indignity and offer enough support to the text to provoke the reader's empathetic imagination. Colour photographs mounted as if in a scrapbook of snap shots, remind us that this is happened not so long ago and is still happening to children who sit in British classrooms. Books for Keeps Children living in more politically stable countries can learn a lot from these books and appreciate better what it means to be free. The clever combination of photographs and watercolour illustrations, plus the useful glossary of facts, provide a wealth of authentic detail. Carousel This book is a 'must' for KS2 and early teenage readers, to help them understand that behind the word 'refugee' there is a suffering person who wants to be safe and free. For children who have suffered similarly, it provides a shared experience with which they can readily identify. English 4-11