Daily airstrikes and shootings have separated countless children from their parents and homes. Desperate, frightened people have found themselves in strange, foreign lands, without the support of their loved ones. 

Developed from interviews done around the world, Backpack Full of Fear is an illustrated collection of the true stories of 20 boys and girls who left a war-torn Syria for better lives. Some of these children and young adults crossed the dangerous waters of the Mediterranean Sea in overcrowded, sinking boats. Others, pursued by police, made their way on foot through dense, dark forests. Throughout their perilous journeys, smugglers and kidnappers exploited their situations to turn a profit, and armed militias threatened to take their lives. 

Hear from these young refugees as they tell their stories. Experience their journeys in their own words and discover intimate, new perspectives on war, struggle, life, and death.