Amala's Hope - A Family from Syria: A Story Based on Real History

This easy-to-understand reader is part of the acclaimed Hopes and Dreams historical novel series, designed specifically for English learners and newcomers to the United States. Each novel follows a different immigrant family navigating the challenges of prejudice, danger, loss, and rebuilding in a new country.

Plot Summary

Amala’s Hope by Tana Reiff is part of the Hopes and Dreams series—twelve inspiring historical novels about immigrants rebuilding their lives in the United States. Each book tells a story of courage and resilience in the face of displacement and prejudice, showing how ordinary people find belonging in a new country. In this moving 80-page novel, the Najjar family flees war-torn Aleppo and endures five years in a refugee camp before resettling in Texas. Only teenage Amala speaks some English, and through her eyes we experience both the generosity and the challenges of starting over. As Amala navigates school, faith, and friendship in a new land, she learns that true hope—her own namesake—comes from compassion, courage, and community.

Sample Materials

• Download a sample chapter at https://www.prolingualearning.com/

Free Resources

• Free downloadable Teacher’s Guide with a Plot Summary, Discussion Questions, Historical Photos, and Detailed Background – available at https://www.prolingualearning.com/
• Includes downloadable ready-to-use classroom activities: What Did You Read? Form, Book Report Form, Word Play, and Fill-in-the-Blanks Review Activities – available at https://www.prolingualearning.com/
• Free accompanying AUDIO program, available to download from https://www.prolingualearning.com/ or to stream on https://www.youtube.com/@ProLinguaLearningAudio

Also in the “Hopes and Dreams” Series:

• The Family from Vietnam: Vietnamese-Americans
• A Different Home: Cuban Americans
• For Gold and Blood: Chinese-Americans
• Hungry No More: Irish-Americans
• Nobody Knows: African-Americans
• The Magic Paper: Mexican-Americans
• Sent Away: Japanese-Americans
• Little Italy: Italian-Americans
• Old Ways, New Ways: Jewish-Americans
• Neighbors: A Family from El Salvador
• Two Hearts: Irish-Americans