political refugees

"There are two versions of H?ctor: the public and the private. It's the only way to survive in communist Cuba--especially when your father was exiled to the U.S. and labeled an enemy of the people. H?ctor must always be seen as a fierce supporter of the regime, even if that means loudly rejecting the father he still loves. But in the summer of 1980, those two versions are hard to keep separate. No longer able to suppress a public uprising, the Cuban government says it will open the port of Mariel to all who wish to leave the country--if they can find a boat. But choosing to leave comes with a price. Those who want to flee are denounced as traitors by family and friends. There are violent acts of repudiation, and no one knows if they will truly be allowed to leave the country or not. So when H?ctor's mother announces that she wants the family to risk everything to go to the United States, he is torn. He misses his father, but Cuba is the only home he has ever known. All his dreams and plans require him to stay. Can he leave everything behind for an unknown future? In a summer of heat and upheaval, danger and deadly consequences, H?ctor's two worlds are on a collision course. Will the impact destroy him and everything he loves?"--From the publisher's web site.

"Continuing this . . . middle grade nonfiction series, a young woman once persecuted by the Taliban shares her journey to becoming a community activist. As a girl and as part of an ethnic minority in Afghanistan, Freshta Tori Jan was persecuted relentlessly. Her family faced kidnappings and daily murder attempts on the bus, on the way to school, in the workplace, and beyond. Freshta's school was shut down by the Taliban, and many of her friends were murdered and shot. Her journey through poverty, terrorism, and other forms of injustice has enabled her to be a voice for those unable to share their stories and those unable to receive the opportunities she has sought. She believes in empowering youth in order to bring about change and be the leaders of today and tomorrow"--Provided by publisher.

Roser, a pregnant widow, and Victor, an army doctor and the brother of her deceased love, flee the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War in seach of a place to call home.

"In this ... insider's view into contemporary North Korea, a high-ranking counterintelligence agent describes his life as a former poet laureate to Kim Jong-il and his ... escape to freedom"--Provided by publisher.

When Prospero, the deposed Duke of Milan who is exiled on a remote island with his daughter Miranda, causes those responsible to become shipwrecked on his island, Miranda falls in love with the son of his enemy.

A graphic novel chronicling the lives of the author and illustrator's parents in East Germany, before the Berlin Wall fell, while the Socialist Unity Party of Germany was in power. Explores the hardships of life under communism and why the author's parents tried to leave and get into West Germany.

Closely examines the people, the politics, and the policies driving one of the most important issues of the day.

Roser, a pregnant widow, and Victor, an army doctor and the brother of her deceased love, flee the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War in seach of a place to call home.

"Many people attempted daring escapes over the Berlin Wall, and most failed, giving their lives for the hope of freedom. This is the true story of one child, Peter Wetzel, and his family's daring escape from East Berlin to West Berlin via handmade hot air balloon in 1979"--Provided by publisher.

The author, born in Phnom Penh in 1962 to a high Cambodian official, discusses her experiences after the Khmer Rouge takeover in 1975 which resulted in the deaths of over two million people, and tells how she and her surviving family members survived until reaching a refugee camp in 1980.