Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/reading-matters-celebrating-childrens-books-about-survival/5026649/
We see it every night on the news: the bloody aftermath of history being made. It disturbs us all; old and young wonder what more we can do. For our children’s sake, we hold on to whatever hope we can muster. Here are some recent books to share with older children about those who have lived through some of the worst the world has to offer, and have healed from their history and thrived.
On a memorable day in 1985, Kao Kalia Yang’s father dressed the 4-year-old in her best clothes, put her on his back and climbed to the top of the tallest tree in Ban Vinai refugee camp in Thailand. The little Hmong girl, born to Laotian parents, had never seen anything outside the camp, and from the treetop she could see mountains beyond mountains, a bigger world than she had ever imagined. Her father’s gift was hope that his daughter would travel far from that place of war and hunger to a new and beautiful life. From the Tops of the Trees is a true story of family love and survival.
From the Tops of the Trees by Kao Kalia Yang, illustrated by Rachel Wada (Carolrhoda, 2021) Ages ...