208 books
—
44 voters
Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “Azzi in Between” as Want to Read:
Azzi in Between
by
Azzi and her parents are in danger. They have to leave their home and escape to another country on a frightening journey by car and boat. In the new country they must learn to speak a new language, find a new home and Azzi must start a new school. With a kind helper at the school, Azzi begins to learn English and understand that she is not the only one who has had to flee
...more
Hardcover, 40 pages
Published
June 18th 2012
by Frances Lincoln Children's Books
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Reader Q&A
To ask other readers questions about
Azzi in Between,
please sign up.
Be the first to ask a question about Azzi in Between
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30

Start your review of Azzi in Between

Excellent perspective on what it means to be a refuge from the perspective of a little girl who can't understand why her grandmother is no longer with her. Heartfelt and honest with wonderful art.
...more

Azzi In Between first came to my attention following it winning the inaugural Little Rebels Children’s Book Award . This, coupled with the review it got over at Playing By The Book meant that it was one book that was very much on my radar.
And I'm so glad it was.
There's a problem (do I mean problem? issue, maybe, concern, maybe) with books of this nature sometimes becoming too overly didactic. I don't mind that at times but I do mind it when the ideology becomes overwhelming for the reader. Ther ...more
And I'm so glad it was.
There's a problem (do I mean problem? issue, maybe, concern, maybe) with books of this nature sometimes becoming too overly didactic. I don't mind that at times but I do mind it when the ideology becomes overwhelming for the reader. Ther ...more

1/25/14 ** This picture book, written and illustrated in frames, as a graphic novel would be, tells the story of Azzi, a refugee from an unspecified* middle-eastern country to a western country. The story is a little more nuanced than some, with several moves, leaving a grandmother behind and then having her come join then. It seemed to go longer than I intuitively expected, with two narrative peaks. The structure fit "real life" better than some fiction does.
This book would help American childr ...more
This book would help American childr ...more

The winner of 2013's Little Rebels prize for radical children's book, this graphic novel tells the story of Azzi and her family who leave their war-torn country, and manage a difficult and dangerous journey to safety. They leave behind all their possessions, and worse, they leave Azzi's beloved grandmother. The family have left a beautiful house and garden, but in the new country they live in one room. Eventually, Azzi makes friends and learns the language, and the book ends on an optimistic not
...more

I really enjoyed this book. I think that it is very relevant at the moment, and it would be a good book to address any ideas or misconceptions children may have about refugees. It has been written in such a way, that children could read it and understand it alone, and the illustrations can also be used to help children understand the story. It shows the differences in countries and cultures, and children would be able to notice similarities and differences between Azzi's life and their own lives
...more

There should be more children's books/graphic novels along these lines. Telling the story of real-life issues that many young people go through all over the world- living through war, having to flee, moving to a country where they do not speak the language. I enjoyed the art & story but wish the structure of the comic had been more creative, but understand that it is likely serving as an introduction to the genre.
...more

This is a nice introductory story about refugees. I love the hopeful ending of Azzi and her family reunited and settling in. However, it lost one star for not including the spicy bean recipe.

Wow, what a powerful and emotive story. I picked this book up thinking it could be good to promote a multi-cultural classroom but it was so much more than that!
The story follows the journey of Azzi, a young girl, forced to leave her home and country due to the dangers of war. We experience her struggles to adapt to her new life and how she copes with missing what she had to leave behind.
I love how Garland has structured this story, it is set out in a comic strip-like style and I think this make ...more
The story follows the journey of Azzi, a young girl, forced to leave her home and country due to the dangers of war. We experience her struggles to adapt to her new life and how she copes with missing what she had to leave behind.
I love how Garland has structured this story, it is set out in a comic strip-like style and I think this make ...more

I work with lots of refugee kids and this gave me a real insight to what it is like for them.
From the perspective of a little girl (age not determined but early primary school), it paints a picture of what it was like for one so innocent, just having fun as kids do but watching the soldiers and listening to helicopters and guns, then the escape. But most of the story is focussing on her life in a new country, where everything is different but all she wants is for her family to be happy and toget ...more
From the perspective of a little girl (age not determined but early primary school), it paints a picture of what it was like for one so innocent, just having fun as kids do but watching the soldiers and listening to helicopters and guns, then the escape. But most of the story is focussing on her life in a new country, where everything is different but all she wants is for her family to be happy and toget ...more

Very highly recommended for children, teachers and parents. My children loved the story, found it exciting and interesting and have a much better understanding now of the experience of refugees. This is a long book compared with most picture books and this length allows the author to explore Azzi's journey in detail. It's not just about a perilous journey to a new country, but also her struggles with a new language and culture.
...more

Azzi and her parents escape from an unnamed country at war, leaving behind her beloved Grandma. They find refuge in another country, and Azzi starts school and learn to speak English. But, life is hard for the little family. Azzi's father especially misses his garden. And then, Azzi thinks of a way to bring a bit of home to their new country.
The warm, bright colors depict the destruction of war, as well as the warmth of welcome of a new country. ...more
The warm, bright colors depict the destruction of war, as well as the warmth of welcome of a new country. ...more

I was really impressed with this book--it showed just enough of the child's view on war and on being a refugee to make the reader anxious and afraid, but not so much that it would overwhelm or trigger a kid. I especially liked how the effort to learn English was described throughout the book. I look forward to seeing what my graphic novel gurus think of this one at the library.
...more

This was an amazing book that clearly displays the emotions and events that could take a place for a family who have to leave a country. This follows the story with more detail then 'The Journey' and would be more usual to share with a class. This would be perfect for a class that has a new starter in their class, or just to help a child's own moral compass.
...more

very touchy story and very expressive illustrations, a lot to tell and to explain to your kids behind its lines , about war, homeland meaning , the refugee's suffering, family and hope. My son and I really enjoyed reading this deep story together.
...more

A quite brilliant and sensitively written account of a child's journey as a refugee. It prompts many good discussions about how one might feel as a refugee with the hardships possibly encountered when having to escape from war and other dangers. A must read for every child and parent.
...more

A sensitive, hopeful story about a refugee family told from a young child's perspective in graphic format.
...more

A story that follows a child named Azzi, who is forced to seek safety by fleeing her home within a war-torn country, and yet remains unstable and uncertain. Similarly to other refugee stories that I have read, Garland highlights the underlying sense of unfamiliarity within a country speaking a different language. However, I felt that there was greater emphasis placed upon yearning for familiarity through familial love, rather than craving the culture present in the home country. To me, it was th
...more

This is a fantastic picture book which is set out similarly to a comic strip which provides so much extra detail and tells the narrative in its own way. It tells the story of Azzi, a refugee who fled from her own country which was experiencing war to come and live in England. It's very emotive and it's a sensitive topic, children may be refugees themselves who may want to share their experiences or what they went through could be too difficult to talk about so as a teacher, you would have to kno
...more

Garland's book about Azzi and her family will be relatable to many children and families in the UK. This book will be great to show children to widen their understanding of the variety of backgrounds, cultures and experiences others have. It would be great to point out the similarities to Azzi's life to their own, to be able to empathise with Azzi and how the journey she has had is tough. The graphic novel-style picture book is heartbreaking but something children need to recognise as normal in
...more

Nov 07, 2017
Ben Cooke
added it
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

This book would be great to read to a class that has children who have recently moved to England due to war in their home country. It shows the challenges experienced by these children in leaving their home country and settling down in a new one, as well as how we can make these children feel welcome at school. It offers many discussion points in PSHE; drama and writing opportunities in Literacy; and learning about plants in Science.

I’ve given this 5stars, but really it’s like 4.5. This is a beautifully told, beautifully drawn story of a young girl who becomes a refugee and flees her home country with her parents. It’s aimed at children so I can see why some of the more horrific aspects of life as a refugee are left out, but this meant it didn’t have the punch-in-the-gut impact I was hoping for. It was still a very good book for kids to read to gain an understanding of what other children are going through.

Mar 08, 2019
Erin Murray
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
acceptance,
community,
journey,
immigration,
key-stage-2,
change,
eyfs,
reading-diary,
key-stage-1,
science
What a lovely book about a refugee and her family seeking refuge in a new country, the themes discussed are done so in a very good manner to not only facilitate discussion but children who read this to have empathy for others. I thought the layout of the book in a 'comic book' manner was a unique element which really complimented the book.
...more

this story ,about this girl named azzie escaping her country because of war and leaving her grandmother behing, she has to learn new language and her dad has to find a job or they won't have enough money to stay and they will have to go back to their country at war, is very good because i like adventure books and this one is very exiting, i do recommend this book!!!!!!
...more

I read this book with the small group of under 5's I look after as part of a topic about refugees.
They had seen pictures in the news and wanted to know what was going on, so I set out to find a book they could understand and would help them to learn a little about what was happening. It wasn't easy, for some reason not many children's authors seem to write about young children having to leave their homes and undertake a frightening and dangerous journey to a country they're completely unfamiliar ...more
They had seen pictures in the news and wanted to know what was going on, so I set out to find a book they could understand and would help them to learn a little about what was happening. It wasn't easy, for some reason not many children's authors seem to write about young children having to leave their homes and undertake a frightening and dangerous journey to a country they're completely unfamiliar ...more

Azzi enjoys her life with her friends in family in her country as the war creeps ever closer to her front door. One day the family receives a phone call in the middle of the night that springs them into action and out of the life Azzi knew, leaving her grandmother behind. They travel to a boat that takes them to a new unfamiliar country where they know no one. Azzi is tasked with learning a new language, growing used to her new surroundings, making friends, remembering her old home, and wonderin
...more
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
There is more than one author with this name.
Sarah Garland has written and illustrated over forty picture books and adventure stories for young children. She is best known for her warm and witty portrayals of family relationships, and for her outstanding work for preschool picture books.
She lives in the beautiful village of Chedworth in the Cotswolds with
her husband, artist David Garland.
Sarah Garland has written and illustrated over forty picture books and adventure stories for young children. She is best known for her warm and witty portrayals of family relationships, and for her outstanding work for preschool picture books.
She lives in the beautiful village of Chedworth in the Cotswolds with
her husband, artist David Garland.
Related Articles
Tami Charles is a former teacher and the author of picture books, middle grade and young adult novels, and nonfiction. As a teacher, she made...
44 likes · 65 comments
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »