The Year the Maps Changed by Danielle Binks

Each of the adults and children who become supporters of the refugees are heroic in their own ways. Nora’s character gains strength as the book unfolds and she fights for her and her unborn child’s rights to stay after the Australian government decides to send the asylum seekers back. Fred becomes involved with several of the arrivals, including Nora, a pregnant woman who shares a hospital room with Anika. Some locals welcome the newcomers others don’t. The students receive a firsthand geography lesson when Australia accepts Kosovar Albanian refugees from war-torn former Yugoslavia but forces them to stay in a remote quarantine station. Khouri, who emphasizes the human aspects of geography, becomes an important character as the book moves beyond the scope of the single family. Worse, a new baby is on the way, and Sam ends up in Fred's class when their tiny school combines grades. Now, Luca brings Anika and her 10-year-old son, Sam, into their lives.

But what starts as a few friendly words in Albanian will soon change their lives forever, not to mention completely redrawing Fred's personal map of friends, family, and home, and community.It’s 1999 in a sleepy town in Victoria, Australia, and Winifred’s life is about to change.įred, 11, has been raised by her caring police officer stepfather, Luca, and beloved maternal grandfather, Pop, since her mother died when she was 6. Others, however, feel differently, causing friction within the community.įred, who has been trying to navigate her own feelings of displacement, ends up befriending a few refugees.

Some people in town, like Luca, think it's great and want to help. Soon after learning about the baby, Fred hears that the town will be taking in hundreds of refugees seeking safety from a war-torn Kosovo. According to Fred's teacher, maps don't always give the full picture of our history, but more and more it feels like Fred's family is redrawing the line of their story.

Her birth father was never in the picture, her mom died years ago, and her stepfather, Luca, is now expecting a baby with his new girlfriend. If you asked eleven-year-old Fred to draw a map of her family, it would be a bit confusing. 'Timeless and beautiful, and it deserves to be read by people of all ages.' -Printz Award-winning author Melina Marchetta Wolf Hollow meets The Thing About Jellyfish in Danielle Binks's debut middle grade novel set in 1999, where a twelve-year-old girl grapples with the meaning of home and family amidst a refugee crisis that has divided her town.

The Year the Maps Changed by Danielle Binks