One School, One Book Program 2019

As part of Bigelow’s One School, One Book Program, staff and students will read Refugee by Alan Gratz this summer. The book tells the story of the refugee experience through the eyes of three young people.  Each of their experiences teaches us about the resiliency, courage, and hope of young people fleeing their countries in search of safety and freedom. 

Parents are encouraged to read and discuss the book with their child and can refer to the Bigelow Library’s One School, One Book page for support materials and summer reading assignments.  In addition, each child will receive a bookmark with their copy of the book that includes three questions students can think about while reading:

  • Which refugee story in the book do you feel most connected to?  
  • If you had to leave your home tomorrow, how would you feel?  
  • What were Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud hoping for throughout their experiences?  

At the start of the new school year, students will participate in small group discussions and activities related to the book in their advisory groups. Discussing these questions with your child will help prepare him/her for the fall activities. To simplify payment for the book, the cost of the book ($5) will be added to the amount for the first field trip in the fall.