Four Feet, Two Sandals

by Karen Lynn Williams, Khadra Mohammed, and Doug Chayka

A truck comes to the refugee camp where ten-year-old Lina lives with her mother and... read more

A truck comes to the refugee camp where ten-year-old Lina lives with her mother and baby brothers on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. From the truck, relief workers throw clothing to the crowd. Lina, who has gone barefoot for two years, is delighted to discovers a yellow sandal adorned with a blue flower. It fits her foot perfectly. Looking up, she sees a girl her age with the other sandal. The two girls work out a comprise: “You wear them both today, and I will wear them tomorrow.” As the young girls take turns with the sandals, they share the stories the brought them both to the camp. Doing the washing, waiting in the water line, and tending to Lina’s brothers, they continue to share their dreams and memories. When Lina finds out that her family is on the list to go to America, the girls find a way to keep their friendship, and the pair of sandals, unbroken in a moving story that brings life in one small corner of the world into fuller relief for readers here. (Ages 7–11)

© Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2008

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