No Ballet Shoes in Syria - Catherine Bruton

No Ballet Shoes in Syria - Catherine Bruton.

Aya is an eleven year old asylum seeker who has just moved to Britain with her mum and baby brother from Syria.  Whilst making their regular trips to the community center, Aya stumbles across a ballet class which makes her yearn to return to the thing she loved most before the war: dancing.  Taken under her wing by the ballet teacher, Aya finds that life is tough as she tries to earn a place at a prestigious ballet school.  Can her talent help her to succeed and what will happen to her family?

K's opinion:

Normally, I wait until O has read a book as well before doing a full review like this but I just couldn't wait with this book!  Having finished it this morning, the story and the characters are still with me so I wanted to share my thoughts on the book today:

No Ballet Shoes in Syria is an insightful story full of emotion that shows the turmoil that so many children who are asylum seekers must face.  Aya tells her story beautifully, switching between her present situation in Manchester, her past-life in Syria and the difficult and turbulent journey she and her family were forced to make.  It allows young readers (suitable for children aged 9+ in my opinion) to understand the traumas of asylum seekers in an age appropriate and wonderfully written way.  The contrasts between Aya and the other girls in the ballet class show the sacrifices she and her family have had to make and the responsibility that now lies on her shoulders.  

The book is current yet told in a way that makes it feel timeless and is perfect for fans of Onjali Rauf and Noel Streatfield.  It's a story of hope, love and 'the kindness of strangers' which broke and warmed my heart in equal measure.  There are so many important lessons to be learned from this book and, when it's published in May, it needs to be in every school in the country.  I can't recommend this book enough.