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No Ballet Shoes In Syria

Written by: Catherine Bruton @catherinebruton

Cover illustration by: Kathrin Honesta @kathrinhonestaa

Map illustration by: Ray Tierney

Published by: Nosy Crow @NosyCrow

Published on: April 2019

Price: £7.99

First line: Aya could hear the music floating through the walls.

Genre: Contemporary, Refugee, Ballet, Friendship

Age: 9+

Thanks to my school for the copy.

What’s it all about? Aya is torn from her home in Aleppo, Syria due to the war. She travels with her family to Turkey. During the crossing to Greece, she loses her dad, but her mother and baby brother (Moosa) make it and eventually end up in England. Aya is left in charge as her mum is mentally ill. The other refugees help and support Aya but the responsibility and anxious waiting become a lot to take on board. The story is told in a series of interspersed flashbacks from her childhood in Syria to her new life in Manchester. Soon, Aya discovers that there is a ballet class in the same building where she is waiting for with her family to claim asylum. She makes new friends but faces new challenges to fit in. However, a connection with dancing ballet previously in Syria helps her.

Why should I read it? Initially, I wasn’t that keen to read the story, and I only did so because I had to teach it. Aya is such a brilliant character. Reading the author’s notes at the back of the book, it is interesting to hear that she often struggled to find Aya’s voice. But I thought she captured it perfectly. The fear, the worries, the sudden and guilty moments of happiness. The voice of a child making friends mixed with the child pretending to be an adult and making grown-up decisions. The story is well paced, with Aya gradually revealing to the reader how she ended up in Manchester – this really kept me reading, wanting to find out. The chapters were nice lengths and the flashbacks, although emotional, weren’t too heavy or too much all at once. Having just lost my own dad, I really resonated with the character’s feelings. Even though this type of story could be too soppy or make-believe, the happiness that does occasionally come through doesn’t feel forced or fake. The author said she did a lot of research, and this shines through. No spoilers, so you’ll have to read it to find out what happened to dad.