The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees

Sibert Honor Medalist ∙ New York Public Library Best Of 2018 ∙ The Horn Book’s Fanfare 2018 list ∙ Kirkus Best Books of 2018 ∙ YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Winner

In the tradition of two-time Sibert honor winner Don Brown’s critically acclaimed, full-color nonfiction graphic novels The Great American Dust Bowl and Drowned City, The Unwanted is an important, timely, and eye-opening exploration of the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis, exposing the harsh realities of living in, and trying to escape, a war zone.

Starting in 2011, refugees flood out of war-torn Syria in Exodus-like proportions. The surprising flood of victims overwhelms neighboring countries, and chaos follows. Resentment in host nations heightens as disruption and the cost of aid grows. By 2017, many want to turn their backs on the victims. The refugees are the unwanted.
     Don Brown depicts moments of both heartbreaking horror and hope in the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis. Shining a light on the stories of the survivors, The Unwanted is a testament to the courage and resilience of the refugees and a call to action for all those who read.

• Escaping Wars and Waves: Encounters with Syrian Refugees (Graphic Medicine)
• Illegal
• Threads: From the Refugee Crisis
• Hey, Kiddo (National Book Award Finalist)
• Illegal
• A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919
• Merci Suárez Changes Gears
• The Poet X
• Spooked!: How a Radio Broadcast and The War of the Worlds Sparked the 1938 Invasion of America
• Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans