Two local teens have co-authored a children’s book that will bridge the gap between cultures and help young readers appreciate the courage, hope and resilience of refugee children as well as their dreams of making a new start in the United States.
“New Beginnings: Refugee Children’s Tales of Hope and Resilience” by Carter Magnano and Sarah Park tells the stories of six students, ages 8-12, and one young adult whose families came here from countries like Afghanistan, South Sudan, Eritrea and Ukraine to escape war, persecution and hardship.
Carter, who attends Ponte Vedra High School, and Sarah, who attends The Bolles School, are co-presidents of JaxTHRIVE, a student-led nonprofit that offers tutoring and other resources to refuge children. This experience inspired Carter and Sarah to write the book.
Interviewing the children and their families, the young authors were moved by what they heard.
“When I was speaking to them, I was imagining myself in their shoes, especially the parents,” said Carter. “As they were telling me the stories, it really hit me hard.”
Because the students were still learning English, the authors asked some of them to draw pictures to communicate their experiences. The writing process took about two months. In the end, “New Beginnings” ran 46 pages and was published by Global Publishing.
Sarah said she hoped young readers will learn the importance of empathy, kindness and embracing others.
“They’ll realize how much the young children have been through, but also how resilient they are,” she said. “Their dreams are very relatable and somewhat universal. And they are so motivated and hard-working to try to achieve their dreams. Hopefully, (the book) highlights the power of their resilience, and by sharing their experiences, we can create a more compassionate world.”
The book is available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. All proceeds will go to support the refugee children at JaxTHRIVE.
