Definition:

A friendship occurs when two or more people are able to experience respect, trust, and kindness in their relationship. 

In short:

Build bonds that last forever.

Summary:
This book was the inspiration of two women who collaborated to write a children’s book about refugee camps. Khadra Mohammed, a refugee in the USA, longed to read a story about refugee girls like her, but there weren’t any. Karen Lynn Williams was not a refugee but had spent time in third world countries and understood the plight of refugees. The two decided to tell this heartwarming story, which illustrates the difficult life in these camps, especially for children. It is about two girls who meet each other in a camp in Peshawar, a city on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Their friendship begins with an agreement to share one pair of sandals - “four feet, two sandals.”  When one of the girls leaves the camp to go to her new country, they each keep one sandal as a remembrance of their friendship. 

Lesson Objectives: 

1. Students will be more sympathetic toward refugee families and will want to find out more about how they can help them. 
2. This story can be linked to lessons about the Middle East, and about refugees and immigration. 

Guiding Questions: 

1. Locate the city of Peshawar on a map. Is it close to where you live or far away? 
2. How would you describe the refugee camp based on the illustrations and the words in the story? 
3. How did the two girls begin their friendship and what did they agree to do to help one another?  
4. Why do you think they cried when one of them left to go to the USA? 
5. Why did they decide to each keep one sandal when they wouldn’t be able to wear them anymore? 
6. What kind of hardships did the girls go through at the camp? 
7. What was the good news that Lina’s family received? 
8. Have you ever moved to a place that was unfamiliar to you? How did you feel about the changes? If you haven’t moved, how would you feel about it if you did? 
9. If you could write a happy ending to this story, what would you write? 
10. The authors wanted readers to know about life in a refugee camp. Do you have a story to tell that you’d like others to hear?