Doll, The

This is a story about a young girl who arrives in Canada as a refugee after escaping the war in Vietnam. After facing many hardships, she is welcomed warmly with a special gift—a new doll. The doll symbolizes kindness and safety and serves as a reminder years later when she helps a Syrian refugee. A gentle story full of emotional depth, it invites elementary-level students to explore the world of global conflict from the point of view of a child refugee. In the classroom, primary students may be encouraged to reflect on objects that are important to them, drawing pictures or writing stories related to them. In an intermediate classroom, the story may be an appropriate launching point to discuss immigration, displacement, and refugees, allowing students opportunities to research refugee movements in Canada both historically and currently.