Saving Stella: A Dog's Dramatic Escape from War

Description

Life for musician Bassel and his dog Stella in Damascus, Syria, is full of bombs toppling buildings and sharp blasts of gunfire through the night. When it becomes too dangerous for him to stay, Bassel makes the courageous decision to escape, leaving his family, friends--and Stella--behind. After a long, difficult journey, Bassel lands safely in Belgium, but misses his family, his home, and Stella. His parents chose to remain in Damascus, but with the help of friends in his new home, Bassel hatches a dramatic plan to rescue his beloved dog. This remarkable, true story will inspire readers and remind them that even amid the harshest circumstances of war, acts of kindness and humanity will always endure.

Deborah Blumenthal is an award-winning journalist and nutritionist and the author of twenty-two books for adults and children. She has been a regular contributor to The New York Times (including four years as the Sunday New York Times Magazine beauty columnist, and a home design columnist for Long Island Newsday. Her health, fitness, beauty, travel, and feature stories have appeared widely in many other newspapers and national magazines including New York's Daily News, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Woman's Day, Family Circle, Self, and Vogue. Deborah lives in New York City. www.deborahblumenthal.com @deborahblu Bassel Abou Fakher is a musician from Damascus, Syria. Having learned to play cello as a young child, he went on to study music in his home city. He released two albums, one in Syria and one in Brussels, with his own Qotob chamber music group. After living through the Syrian civil war for five years, Bassel moved to Brussels, Belgium at the age of eighteen where he currently lives and plays his music. Nadine Kaadan is an award-winning author-illustrator from Syria. She writes stories inspired by Syria's rich cultural heritage and is committed to helping child refugees in Europe and the Middle East. She currently lives in the United Kingdom. www.nadinekaadan.com @NadineKaadan

A good introduction to weightier topics such as refugees or the Syrian civil war. * School Library Journal * This true, gritty story. . . teaches children about the Syrian war and the plight of refugees. * Booklist Online *