David Starr is the principal of one of the most diverse elementary schools in Canada. The students at Edmonds Community School in Burnaby, BC come from all over the world. Their parents are often refugees who have fled some of the most dangerous places on earth -- places like Sudan, the Congo, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Afghanistan, and Iraq. And like their parents, these children have often witnessed harrowing events before finding safety in Canada.
In From Bombs to Books, David Starr shares the deeply moving stories of his students, their parents, and the staff at Edmonds. He describes the upheavals many of these families have undergone. He tells us about the teachers and other support workers who have embraced them and dedicated themselves to making a different in their lives. And he introduces his students, who are surprisingly hopeful and resilient, despite the many traumas they have faced.
Sometimes funny, sometimes touching and inspirational, From Bombs to Books shares the remarkable stories of the children, the families, and the staff at an exceptional Canadian school.
DAVID STARR has been the principal at Edmonds Community School, a kindergarten to Grade 8 school in Burnaby, BC, for three years. He is also a writer who won the 2008 Vancouver Province's "Serial Thriller" competition. David Starr, his students, and his staff at Edmonds have been featured in Now News, The Vancouver Sun, Vancouver Province, the Globe and Mail, and on CBC Radio and Global News.
In From Bombs to Books Edmonds School principal, David Starr, shares the deeply moving stories of his students, their parents and the staff at Edmonds who support them. He describes the upheaval many of these families have undergone and how they managed to flee some of the most dangerous lands and people on earth.
He paints portraits of students who are often troubled by what they have experienced but who are surprisingly happy, normal children who have put their family's grief and trauma behind them. He also describes teachers and social workers who have embraced these families and dedicated themselves to making a difference in their lives.
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate and thank Principal David Starr for writing his first book about the challenges faced by refugee students, their parents and teachers in an inner city school.
"..a very powerful book about courage, survival and belonging."
"This is the book to read to remind ourselves why we become teachers. . . The true life stories in From Bombs to Books are a reminder of the important work we all do when faced with the life challenges of children as they walk through the doors each day."
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