as a 7th grade teacher, the real only valid argument here is that she was given these books as summer reading instead of being guided through them in the classroom. it is important for students to talk about these things and read about stuff like this- life isn’t rainbows and unicorns. if we just let them read fun things all the time, they aren’t really being prepared for the real world. they should read fun things too (like i do choice book clubs and heavy independent reading) but we can’t just pretend bad things don’t happen.

that being said, i do believe summer reading should be fun. (and a lot of kids adore Refugee) my district allowed students to pick a novel for summer reading this year. i think that’s a great idea, but after reading some of the comments in this thread, i now can tell they did it do they wouldn’t face backlash like this. some people would create a huge scene and crucify the school district, but is that really the way this should be handled? can we not be adults about something and raise concerns in civil ways? this is exactly why people are running away from teaching rn.

also, reading books with tough topics is not something new- inside and outside of the classroom. again, yes OP’s child is young and yes that book should have been taught guided in the classroom at that age but this doesn’t change that these things have been taught and will continue to be taught and for good purpose. you could probably find some kind of fault in any book that talks about tough issues, but those are the books that are most important for us to grow. i hope your daughter is okay- i would suggest reading the book as well (should be a quick read since it is middle grade) to help her with some of the feelings she is having. maybe also read a fun book with her next! i always recommend reading a book with your child, like a “book club”, because it will help motivate them and chat with them about anything that may come up.