Today, in violence-torn regions across the globe, 20 million children have been uprooted, orphaned, or injured by war, famine, and poverty. This is their story . . . and ours. In this powerful and unforgettable book—by turns painful, funny, terrifying, and triumphant—Charles London takes us into the world of refugee children, celebrating their unique skills for survival and reflection. Their remarkable stories and drawings chill the blood and touch the heart, offering an indelible, first hand portrait of the war that rages beyond the headlines. Today there are an estimated 300,000 child soldiers around the globe. American college student London has spoken with some of them, as well as with young war refugees in East Africa, Thailand, and the Balkans about their suffering both as targets of violence and as combatants. In eastern Congo, Xavier, 14, plays soccer in flip-flops: How many people has he killed? Karl from Kosovo, who saw his father gunned down, says, I probably won't live to be a grown-up. Patience, 14, from southern Sudan, has been raped repeatedly. Exiled in Thailand, Nicholas, 13, from Burma, has seen crucifixions, executions, abductions. London weaves together these stark individual narratives with the statistics and reports from international refugee organizations. But it is his passionate personal engagement that will get readers thinking about elemental issues, especially when he stops himself from dangerous, ridiculous, greeting-card idealization and confronts the truth: the image of childhood innocence is for the wealthy and the safe. Rochman, Hazel “[London’s] passionate personal engagement will get readers thinking about elemental issues...” - Booklist “Charles London brings an uncomfortable truth to life. This book is often difficult reading, but attention must be paid.” - Ambassador Richard Holbrooke “Shining a light on the horrors inflicted on those most vulnerable is noble work.” - New York Post, "Required Reading" reveiw “Eye-opening ...Searing and heartbreaking” - Kirkus Reviews “A profound and deeply moving journey into the minds of children who live with war.” - Ishmael Beah, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier “It is London’s sincerity, discernment, feelings, and penchant for analysis that are always on display...Children as well as adults should read this book.” - Baltimore Times “The stories told by these children...are essential to our humanity...” - --Ben Fountain, author of BRIEF ENCOUNTERS WITH CHE GUEVARA “An unblinking account of a peculiar human reality...a wise and captivating story.” - Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Eat, Pray, Love Today, in violence-torn regions across the globe, 20 million children have been uprooted, orphaned, or injured by war, famine, and poverty. This is their story . . . and ours. In this powerful and unforgettable book—by turns painful, funny, terrifying, and triumphant—Charles London takes us into the world of refugee children, celebrating their unique skills for survival and reflection. Their remarkable stories and drawings chill the blood and touch the heart, offering an indelible, first hand portrait of the war that rages beyond the headlines. Charles London is a former research associate with Refugees International and director of curriculum for War Kids Relief, a peace-building organization. He is the 1999 winner of the Rolling Stone College Journalism Award, and his work has appeared in the New York Times Magazine , O, The Oprah Magazine , and other national publications. He has been a young-adult librarian for the New York Public Library and is the author of One Day the Soldiers Came: Voices of Children in War . He lives in New York City.