Hello my name is Emaan and I am 11 years old. When I read this book I learned to be kind to our newborns and family, always be very thankful to everyone, and we should always share. I also realized how lucky I am to be born in an area which is safe and that some people are born in areas that are at war, I am very glad I have read this book because I learned a very big lesson!

It really centers around finding the good in the circumstances that life brings about, whether it is as simple as a three-day power outage or as heavy as the loss of someone you love. Not only is it clean and appropriate for the age range, but the lessons in it come in folds. Family, readjustment, caring, kindness to neighbours, gratitude are all intertwined so beautifully. ⭐ The author accurately depicts the difference in reactions between Yusuf and Ahmed. For Yusuf, a simple inconvenience triggers big disarray in his life compared to Ahmed, who has had to live through loss and can positively live his life in gratitude. I love how the two different perspectives are shown simultaneously through child characters. This is an easy chapter book read, and the Islamic aspects of their identity are shown so naturally in within the family. They go to the masjid to pray and sometimes pray at home, the women are in hijab but nowhere in there the 'identity crisis' is ever mentioned which I love. We consume countless books that revolve around the struggles of Muslim identity, so this book is so refreshingly unapologetic. ⭐ @Ruqayas.bookshelf has become one of few, if not only, trusted publishers that offer amazing books pictures books for our kids. This is the only chapterbook they currently have published. Because clean and appropriate books in this range are difficult to find, my ultimate wish is that they would bring more options for chapterbook readers.

After my son (7 at the time) read this book, he handed it to me and said ‘mommy, you should read this book too’. That’s the first and last time he’s done that (he’s 8 now) This eye opening story of an immigrant family coming to Canada is heartwarming and eye opening. For a long time I would try to describe life for Syrian immigrants to my children, however I was unable to help them grasp the true struggle these people face on a daily basis. This book did just that. The story is short enough to keep your child’s attention and detailed enough to touch their heart. Must read, I would love for it to be available at our local library.

Presenting the stories of refugees to young children often involves a balancing act of fact, emotion, and restraint, all while finding the common ground to create empathy in the reader. Increasingly on bookshelves are successful picture books that use illustrations to build bridges of understanding and bright colors to convey hope. For older children there are books that can devote time to explain issues or offer first hand accounts along with political back stories and historical events. For elementary age children 2nd and 3rd grade particularly, chapter books on refugees are not very common. Children this age seem to relish in silly outlandish characters with a few font happy sentence and pictures on each page or stick to series that are easily predictable as they present tidbits of history or simple mysteries. All reasons to encourage your child to read Blackout! and break the monotony and gain some empathy. As delicate as the subject matter is, the book manages to resonate with most children how good they have it and how fortunate they are, without getting preachy or pretentious.