Flight: A Refugee Story - by Alan Gratz (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Daniela López loves Honduras--she loves the land and the wildlife, she loves her family's coffee farm, and most importantly, Honduras is home. Until a blight ruins their crops, and any hopes for a future.

Daniela's family decides to take a risk and make for America, where they hope to find new lives as refugees.

But after Daniela and her little brother are separated from their parents, they must brave the infamously dangerous trek through Mexico alone, with only each other for support. Together, they face a perilous journey atop a train and through villages where they are not always welcomed, with gangsters and potential spies haunting their every step.

Will Daniela and her brother survive to see America and begin their new lives?

This timely, gripping story from beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author Alan Gratz examines the treacherous journey faced by refugees searching for a better life, and the courage it takes to survive.

Review Quotes

Praise for War Games:

* "[A] smartly plotted page-turner... Well-researched historical facts add tooth to this cinematic novel's shocking twists and turns... [a] riveting adventure." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Gratz goes big on the Mission Impossible-style heist... A lengthy and detailed author's note provides valuable historical context... Fast-paced and plot-driven." -- Kirkus Reviews

Praise for Resist: A Story of D-Day:

"Gratz makes the danger of being a civilian caught between occupiers and invaders on that fateful night (or any other time) breathlessly palpable... Tense, nonstop adventure in a historic setting." -- Kirkus Reviews

Praise for Heroes: A Novel of Pearl Harbor:

A New York Times Bestseller

* "Gratz does his usual splendid job of creating the visceral drama of battle alongside fully realized characters. He handles the theme of heroism well, while not straying into the didactic, and is especially good at depicting the enduring friendship of the two boys as, together, they experience the day that will live in infamy." -- Booklist, starred review

"Vivid... fast-paced. The humanity of the characters and the on-the-ground perspective evoke sympathy for those who perished in the attack... A propulsive wartime story with an earnest protagonist at its heart." -- Kirkus Reviews

"[A] gripping, well-researched account of courage and friendship... powerful." -- Publishers Weekly

Praise for Two Degrees:

A New York Times Bestseller

An ABA Indie Bestseller

A USA Today Bestseller

A Junior Library Guild selection

A Barnes & Noble Best Book of the Year

"A Hollywood thriller of a book... essential for this moment." -- The New York Times

"Gratz renders pulse-pounding ecological tales and high-stakes calamity with the brisk pacing of a thriller... gripping [and] timely." -- Publishers Weekly

"Gratz plunges his middle schoolers into desperate, life-threatening straits in three wildly dangerous scenarios... delivered with wrenching, dramatic urgency." -- Kirkus Reviews

"A seamless, thrilling adventure... important." -- Booklist

Praise for Ground Zero:

* "The plot starts at a heart-pounding pace and never relents... In a superbly structured plot, the two protagonists experience similar perils, and both respond with determination and hope... A contemporary history lesson with the uplifting message that humanity's survival depends on us working for, not against, one another. A must have." -- School Library Journal, starred review

* "The pace is quick (don't blink or you'll miss something!), its emotions deeply authentic, and the highly visual settings resonate with accuracy. With a moving author's note, pertinent back matter, and a surprise twist which brings the book full circle, Gratz delivers another winning read." -- Booklist, starred review

"Gratz's deeply moving writing paints vivid images of the loss and fear of those who lived through the trauma of 9/11." -- Kirkus Reviews

Praise for Allies:

* "A tour de force of war fiction." -- Booklist, starred review

* "Both an excellent, inclusive narration of important historical events and a fast-paced, entertaining read." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* "A tautly paced and multifaceted portrait... This gripping novel offers memorable insights into the contributions and alliances of everyday people." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review

* "A vivid and detailed snapshot of the D-Day invasion from multiple complex and diverse characters... meticulously researched [and] honest." -- School Library Journal, starred review

Praise for Refugee:

A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year

A Kirkus Best Book of the Year

"Unflinching and sympathetic." -- The New York Times

"Grade A: A stunning, poignant novel." -- Entertainment Weekly

"Harrowing, timely." -- People Magazine

"A gripping, visceral, and hold-your-breath intense story." -- John Green, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Fault in Our Stars

* "Gratz accomplishes a feat that is nothing short of brilliant, offering a skillfully wrought narrative laced with global and intergenerational reverberations that signal hope for the future... Poignant, respectful, and historically accurate while pulsating with emotional turmoil, adventure, and suspense." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* "[A] hard-hitting novel... Filled with both tragic loss and ample evidence of resilience, these memorable and tightly plotted stories contextualize and give voice to current refugee crises, underscoring that these journeys are born out of a desperate need for security and safety." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Gratz, who is known for well-written and well-researched historical fiction, doesn't disappoint. His latest is timely and moving... This compelling novel will help young people make senes of today's refugee crisis. Meant to be read, discussed, and shared widely." -- School Library Journal

"Some novels are engaging and some novels are important. Refugee is both." -- #1 New York Times bestselling author Ruta Sepetys

"This heart-stopping novel is not only compelling -- it is necessary." -- Judy Blundell, National Book Award-winning author of What I Saw and How I Lied

"An incredibly important, heartrending, edge-of-the-seat read, bringing light to the plight of immigrants who search for safety and freedom." -- Pam Munoz Ryan, author of the New York Times bestseller and Newbery Honor Book Echo

"With urgent, clear-eyed storytelling, Gratz's Refugee compellingly explores the desperation and strength that unites those struggling for a place to call home." -- Eliot Schrefer, New York Times bestselling author of two-time National Book Award finalist of Rescued and Endangered

"Full of struggle, heroism, and non-stop adventure, Refugee is not only an important book, it's a terrific story." -- Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, author of the New York Times bestseller and Newbery Honor Book The War That Saved My Life

About the Author

Alan Gratz is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of several highly acclaimed books for young readers, including Heroes: A Novel of Pearl Harbor, Two Degrees, Ground Zero, Allies, Grenade, Refugee, Projekt 1065, Prisoner B-3087, Code of Honor, and Captain America: The Ghost Army, an original graphic novel. Alan lives with his family in the Pacific Northwest. Look for him online at alangratz.com.