Deep,yet full of light and hope among the sad parts,this book about a Iraq refugee had me almost in tears sometimes. It took me a while to read it and really be absorbed by the complex structure,but soon I was really cheering for the main character and also wanting to hug her in the most heartbreaking moments. I really hope more people to enjoy this book as I did and get to know our brave protagonist.

Songbird is an amazing story where you'll find another look from family, friendship, feeling at home in another place. Is a lovely story about a girl who can't be in your home anymore, because is too dangerous, but in a particular way, Ingrid writes a story that must be read by anyone, specially by children because there is an subject extremely necessary for us.

Songbird by Ingrid Laguna is a children's book about Jamila, an 11-year-old Iranian refugee who, along with her mother and infant brother, is trying to adjust to life in Australia. She is worried about her father who is stuck in Baghdad, her mother keeps calling her home for her help as Jamila is the one of the two of them who can read English, and Jamila is not making any friends.

The premise of this book is solid; it also shows the pressure on immigrant children - usually the eldest daughter - to help out at home and the family's dependence on them, regardless of the effect on their education, social life, or mental health. It was the execution I have a huge problem with.

It seems to me that people excuse below-average writing just because it is a children's book. Well I say I have read other children's fiction or middle-school fiction that have top-notch writing.

This book was short, thank god, otherwise I honestly would not have finished it. Like I said, I loved what the author was trying to show - keyword: trying. Did not succeed. They tried to show friendship, compassion, struggle, loneliness, pain, and love, but everything was so disconnected thanks to the stiff writing that I felt nothing was being conveyed.

Would not recommend.

I think songbird was a very adorable children`s book. It teaches about the importance of not lying, of being the best person one can be, of that some people comes from places that isin`t as good and we should treat them with respect and understanding, and if we don`t understand - try to learn to and so much more.

A very moving story, a great introduction to refugees, war and torn apart families, with a beautiful ending. My 9 year old loved this and is desperate for my by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to review this book!

As a music person myself, I really enjoyed the music aspect of this story. The MC was such a sweet, positive, and strong character. I wish the story was a little longer because I just wanted more with this family.

I look forward to picking up more from this author in the future!!

Eleven-year-old Jamila, her mama and little brother Amir had moved from Iraq to Melbourne Australia, and now Jamila was going to a new school. She was just learning her English, but her mama was struggling to adapt to her new way of life. She constantly called the school for Jamila to come home, to help her with various situations. But Jamila, whom her best friend Mina had called Songbird in Iraq, joined the choir in school. And her beautiful singing helped her to fit in. She made a new friend at school, Eva, and was chosen to sing solo at the school concert. All Jamila needed now was her Baba to join them from Iraq…

Songbird is a beautiful story for children by Aussie author Ingrid Laguna; a story of being torn away from the life you’ve always known, from your friends and family, and about having to adapt. It’s about friendship, love, hope and kindness from people who help with the situation Jamila and her family were in. Helping the refugees of our country to belong is important – Songbird shines with that importance. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and Text Publishing for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free digital copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
Songbird tells the story of Jamila, a young girl who has fled from Iraq to Australia with her mother and baby brother. Not only does she have to face homesickness and missing her father and best friend who both stayed in Iraq, she must also serve as her mother's translator and helper, all the while trying to fit in at school.
Jamilla had a mostly positive outlook during the book, even though she had many struggles. I was so frustrated to see how her mother depended on her so heavily when the girl really needed to be in school. Unfortunately, I know that happens all too often in many instances where the parent does not speak the language of their new country.
I think this would be an excellent book for students in upper elementary or lower middle school.

This was the loveliest little story and I am SO SO SO happy I had the chance to read it! I can't recommend this book enough.

This little story brings lots of hope and inspiration. It's a book about family, friends and community, and I just really liked how heart warming it was! Jamila was shy due to moving from Iraq to Australia. Iraq was her home, and her Dad is there. She misses her home, even if it wasn't the safest. She's struggling in Australia because she's new and young - English is new and she doesn't fit in perfectly. But then she discovers singing and slowly finds that she does truly belong.

This is a great little book! it brings forth a perspective I don't have - a refugee in a new country, and especially as a child. This story of acceptance and learning is just so utterly sweet. You can se the passion Ingrid Laguna put into this story. I'd highly recommend picking it up if you haven't grabbed it already. It's such a delight! It warmed my heart up and made me feel so many feelings! Ugh, the feels!

Five out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Text Publishing for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

Songbird is a beautifully written book, the words flow almost like lyrics.
Jamila is a young girl trying to find her feet in a new country (Australia) having moved from Iraq. Her plight is sensitively handled and it is written in such a way that her troubles and tribulations are relatable and understandable even for those of us that have never been in such a situation.
Jamila came to Australia with her mum and younger brother, leaving their father behind in Iraq to follow on, the aching with which they all miss him is conveyed marvelously, my heart broke for Jamila numerous times during the story.
A really hard topic to cover sensitively has been written about and dealt with wonderfully in this book. An absolute must read, particularly with refugee week coming up.

Jamila is eleven-years old, and she along with her mother and baby brother have moved to Melbourne, Australia fleeing from their home in Baghdad, Iraq, and leaving Jamila’s father behind until he can join them. She misses her best friend Mina, who called Jamila Songbird for her love of singing, and writing her own songs. Singing takes her away from her worries about her father, and her struggles to make friends in her new school.

Her mother needs her help for many things, she knows very little English, and begins to call the school often, saying that Jamila needs to be excused for various reasons, and Jamila begins to feel further removed from school as the students begin to make fun of her, and pick on her.

When her school has choir auditions, she is anxious to audition, to be accepted, to feel a part of this new country, these people, and especially to find a friend.

This was an insightful, sensitive, sweet story about leaving a life, a language, family and friends behind, even temporarily. The struggles to find a new place and people that feel like home.

I love that this debut story for children was written by a teacher, who is also a musician, who teaches English to both children and adults, some of who are refugees like Jamila. This background really shows in the compassion that is evident throughout this story.


Pub Date: 30 July 2020

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Text Publishing

* I received a digital ARC from NetGalley to review.* A nice, wholesome story aimed towards younger Middle Grades. Includes diverse characters and is good example of overcoming obstacles.

I myself left my own country when I was 14 with my family to find a better life elsewhere.
My family also needed me to learn the new language and be the one to take care of everything.
I can say that I shed a few tears thinking about how I struggled to keep up with school, a new country a new language and the fact that I was no longer a kid, instead I became a teacher, a translator, a doctor, a mother, I had to be who my family needed me to be.
Loved the story it touched me so much..
4⭐

This story vividly presents a child’s eye view of the difficulties faced by Jamila, forced by conflict to leave everything that is familiar, including her journalist father, and settle in a new country, and brings sharply into focus the role that many immigrant children play in supporting parents who struggle with the language and culture of their new home. Although her school has clearly welcomed other children from different parts of the world, Jamila feels like an outsider until she joins the choir and continues with the singing she has always loved. Preparations for a concert give her a new focus and ultimately prove the catalyst in helping both Jamila and her mother begin to adjust to their new life in Australia.
This is a gentle life-affirming story, with believable and warm-hearted characters. Despite the trauma some of the children in the book have experienced, Jamila’s dilemmas in the book are those that all children will relate to, revolving around friendship, family and school. The language used suits the subject matter perfectly: simple and clear, but not simplistic. I found it an enjoyable, heart-warming read and would certainly like it in our (very multi-cultural) school library.

Thank you for the advance read of Songbird.

I was incredibly touched by this book, the story of Iraqi refugee, Jamila, and her family after migrating to Australia. The author handled difficult subjects respectfully and sensitively, and is incredibly moving.

Jamila is a wonderful character, and your heart can't help but swell with love for this brave girl who loves her family more than anything. She yearns for friendship, missing her best friend, Mina, terribly and she just wants to fit in.

Although a fairly short book, this is essential reading for children, but also for adults. Friendship and hope are the main themes in this book and it is one that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.

Songbird is a heartwarming story of an immigrant family from Iraq, and the struggles the main character, an 11 year old named Jamila, faces. I appreciated the gentle way those struggles were presented, and think this is a perfect book to add to your classroom shelf or introduce to your children. Songbird succeeds in not being heavy handed, and is a great way to open children's eyes and hearts to the struggles others can face, as well as to learn about other cultures.

This book would make an excellent read aloud in a classroom setting or at home.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book in digital format through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

A magical story and a really quick read! I loved reading "Songbird" and I wish I could find more books like it. The cover fits the story perfectly! My only problem with the book is that sometimes it can be hard to discern who is talking at the time.

A beautiful story about friendships and the struggle a little girl and her Iraqi family go through after migrating to Australia. I read this in one sitting!

Jamila is a character that you can't help but to adore, and hope that no harm ever comes her way. She loves her family more than anything, but she also knows what she wants and she strives to get it.

This book makes one feel sorrow at the harsh reality families—like Jamila's—from war-torn countries face, but also warmth at the endless hope she and her family have.

Songbird // by Ingrid Laguna

Songbird is the story of a young girl that flees her country of Iraq during wartime and finds a new life in Australia. Sadly, only her brother and mother were able to come with her while her father, uncle, and best friend had to stay behind. Follow Jamila as she learns her way around her new school with the difficulties of learning a new language, making friends and enemies, learning to be the better person, and learning to be comfortable being herself while also helping her mother at home.

I really enjoyed this book because it shows that children from other countries/religions/races/etc. are just like all other children when it comes to feelings, fears, struggles, and other things in their lives they may be going through. This book is an easy way to introduce a new language as well because the telling goes smoothly from Arabic to its translation without feeling clunky or breaking up the flow. Show your children how Jamila learns to be herself and how to handle the different obstacles she faces in her new country.

I loved this book! I am so thankful that this incredible author put this book out in the world. This is a tender, caring book about a girl from Iraq who has moved to Australia and is awaiting the arrival of her father. It focusses on the struggles of Jamila and her mom and brother (Amir) as they adjust to their new situation in a strange land. The book features Jamila as the main character who is struggling with homesickness, adjusting to a new school, helping her mom navigate life in a new country and trying to find her own way in the midst of the challenges. This book conveys a multicultural understanding as the flavor of the language, customs, religion, and food of Iraq is interwoven throughout this book. I spent time in Arabic speaking countries and this book brought back many nostalgic memories. Songbird is a book that is critical for this day and age with the topic of immigration, refugees, and family separation in the news spotlight. I look forward to sharing this book with my students. Kids NEED this book now more than ever. Readers who are in similar situations or who have experienced what Jamila is going through need to feel like they are not alone. Readers who may not be knowledgeable about Jamila's struggles need to understand. So....why is this book called Songbird? Is there any hope for if or when Jamila will see her father (Baba) again? You will have to read this sensitive, caring book to find out! For the author, my final word, after reading this book is Shukraan!!