Dear World: A Syrian Girl's Story of War and Plea for Peace

by Bana Alabed Narrated by Lameece Issaq

Overview

“A story of love and courage amid brutality and terror, this is the testimony of a child who has endured the unthinkable.” -J.K. Rowling

“I'm very afraid I will die tonight.” -Bana Alabed, Twitter, October 2, 2016
“Stop killing us.” -Bana Alabed, Twitter, October 6, 2016
“I just want to live without fear.” -Bana Alabed, Twitter, October 12, 2016

When seven-year-old Bana Alabed took to Twitter to describe the horrors she and her family were experiencing in war-torn Syria, her heartrending messages touched the world and gave a voice to millions of innocent children.

Bana's happy childhood was abruptly upended by civil war when she was only three years old. Over the next four years, she knew nothing but bombing, destruction, and fear. Her harrowing ordeal culminated in a brutal siege where she, her parents, and two younger brothers were trapped in Aleppo, with little access to food, water, medicine, or other necessities.

Facing death as bombs relentlessly fell around them-one of which completely destroyed their home-Bana and her family embarked on a perilous escape to Turkey.

In Bana's own words, and featuring short, affecting chapters by her mother, Fatemah, Dear World is not just a gripping account of a family endangered by war; it offers a uniquely intimate, child's perspective on one of the biggest humanitarian crises in history. Bana has lost her best friend, her school, her home, and her homeland. But she has not lost her hope-for herself and for other children around the world who are victims and refugees of war and deserve better lives.

Dear World is a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit, the unconquerable courage of a child, and the abiding power of hope. It is a story that will leave you changed.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

11/06/2017
Eight-year-old Alabed delivers a gripping first-hand account of the war in Syria, which began when she was three and led to her creating the now-famous Twitter account that brought her story to the world. This memoir, written with the help of her mother, Fatemah, provides striking detail and a plea for the world’s help. Alabed describes how her family’s peaceful life in Aleppo was shattered when her father was taken by the secret police when she was three years old, relaying her family’s confusion and fear with clarity. The writer also recalls being worried about losing her Barbie boots, and the guilt she felt over that worry. Alabed moves easily between normal moments, such as watching cartoons with her brother and sharing a tomato with her family during the siege, and shocking ones, such as hearing her first bomb explosion and coming to recognize the sound of different munitions. Fatemah’s voice also enters the book at a few points, to worry aloud about the future for her country and her daughter. Alabed’s book is remarkable for the clarity of her voice, given her age and harrowing experiences, which culminated in the family’s 2016 escape to Turkey. The story she shares can sometimes be hard to read, but it gives a valuable perspective on war that Americans don’t often see. (Oct.)

From the Publisher

"A modern-day Anne Frank.... just a year after she began tweeting, she has published a book, Dear World, out Tuesday, that tells the story of a young life circumscribed by war—a life where schools are bombed, friends die, parents are taken away for days at a time, food and water are scarce (if available at all), and a trip to the playground is a distant memory."–The New York Post



"Told from a child's perspective, the story is stripped down to its simplest elements, throwing the tragedy of the thing into sharp relief."–Glamour/The Girl Project



"She continues to tell her painful yet hopeful story in Dear World....giving a fuller picture of how their family, along with many others, have been affected by the ongoing war."–Bustle



"A harrowing memoir of life under siege....an unadulterated account of war through the eyes of a child."–REUTERS

School Library Journal - Audio

01/01/2018
Gr 7 Up—Bana may be seven years old, but owing to the war in Syria, she has needed to grow up quickly. Her family has been devastated and she has been exposed to truths that most seven-year-olds are never aware of. She was encouraged to express her concerns to the world on Twitter and she quickly gained a large following. Dear World is told in Bana's own words with some additional chapters written by her mother. They wanted to tell their story in the hopes that the world would not underestimate the atrocities that are taking place. Lameece Issaq's narration brings the listener into Bana's world. VERDICT This timely audiobook will make a good supplemental addition to a middle school, high school, or public library collection.—Elizabeth L. Kenyon, Merrillville High School, IN

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170888375
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster
Publication date:	10/03/2017
Edition description:	Unabridged

Read an Excerpt

Dear World
My mummy told me I was born with a smile on my face. She says that I was always happy, even though I never wanted to sleep because I didn’t want to miss anything.



I had many reasons to be happy when I was little. My baba always took me swimming at Alrabea Pool, which was my favorite thing to do. Going to the swings was my second favorite thing to do. I would also go to the market with my uncles to get Jell-O. (Always red, because that is the best flavor.) My family would go to eat at restaurants, and I would get to talk to many different people. Or we would eat dinner all together many nights at Grandma Alabed’s house, and there were always a lot of people there because I have so many aunts and uncles and four grandparents and two great-grandmothers. I had many books I loved to read, especially my favorite, Snow White. I love all stories about princesses.



And another big reason to be happy: my baby brother. I prayed that Mummy would have a girl, because I wanted a sister very badly. But my brother was tiny and cute, with thick black hair that was soft like a doll’s—so it wasn’t so bad that he was a boy. When Mummy was pregnant, I picked out a name for a sister: Warda, which means “flower,” because another thing I love is flowers. But you can’t call a boy Warda. Instead the name we gave him is Liath (which means “Lion”) Mohamed. We call him Mohamed.



I was only three when Mohamed was born, but I took care of him. I would bring Mummy nappies when she needed to change him, share my toys with him, and say “Shush, shush” when he was crying.

At night I got to hold Mohamed in my lap, and Mum would sit next to us on the sofa in the living room and read to us. Baba would come in and sit in his favorite chair and listen to Mummy read too. When she was done with the story, I would go over and climb into Baba’s lap while Mummy put Mohamed to bed. Mum would tell Baba that he should take me to bed too, but we both liked it better when I fell asleep on his chest. He would tell me stories from when he was little and some that he made up. My favorite was the one about a mummy sheep who leaves her babies at home and tells them not to open the door for anyone unless they know the secret word, and then a wolf comes and tricks the babies into thinking he is their mother. They open the door, and the wolf eats the sheep! I hate that part. But the mummy gets the sheep out of the wolf’s stomach and puts rocks in there instead.



I could feel Baba’s voice through his chest as he told me the stories, and it would make me feel warm inside. The best place to be was in Baba’s lap.

So, not many bad things happened to my family. Mummy would say that we are blessed. I thought my family would always be happy.

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