Teacher writes children’s book on travels to Middle East refugee camps

Date: 12/5/2014

WEST SPRINGFIELD – When Katherine Mary Kraver attended Westfield State University and decided to partake in a study abroad summer session, she thought two weeks would be enough.

Three years out of college and a fully stamped passport later, and Kraver still hasn’t had enough

From Ecuador to South Africa and Haiti to Jordan, Kraver, a West Springfield resident, is on a mission to step foot on every continent.

In the midst of it all, the first grade teacher is using her travels to connect with her students, publishing her first children’s book, “It Was Just a House.”

She will be hosting a book signing on Dec. 13 at West Springfield High School from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will be copies of “It Was Just a House” there for purchase. Kraver will also be reading the book, and two former Iraqi and Burmese refugees will be there to speak about their experiences.

The book is based on her travels to the Baqa’a refugee camp in Jordan, an experience that stuck with her.

“What I really wanted to communicate with my book was the hopefulness and the optimism that these people had because when they were sharing their stories of war happening in their home countries, how they had to leave and how they had their houses taken, they just said, ‘It could be worse,’” Kraver said.

The refugee camp, Kraver said, is just a “city of dilapidated buildings,” often with no roofs, or blankets serving as roofs, dirt floors and cement walls. For many, such living conditions are unfathomable, which is why Kraver set out to see the camps in the first place.

Kraver said many of her students who have come from Iran and Iraq, and their experiences align with what she saw.

“I felt like it was so important, especially working here because I get those kids that either don’t talk or are really quiet or withdrawn because they’ve just been through so much,” Kraver said. “I feel like unless you walk their journey it’s so hard to teach them and meet their needs, so that’s why I started traveling to visit their home countries, going to a Spanish speaking place or the Middle East so I can try to understand these kids more.”

As she sought the opportunity to understand her students on a deeper level, Kraver also provided the rest of her class and readers with a different view of the world. Though she said it can be hard to break down current events for children, Kraver hopes that “It Was Just a House” can transgress that and make it approachable for kids of all ages.

“I felt like I wanted to create a book for children that are younger because I feel like at that age, they’re like a sponge. They absorb everything,” Kraver said. I want them to grow into compassionate and empathetic people, and I think that if they read rich literature that exposes them to different cultures and parts of the world that they’ll hopefully be more accepting of others and respect others’ journeys. I feel like that might make them view the world a little differently.”   

Kraver has been working on releasing one children’s book a year based on her travels. Her second book, “The Boy With The Red Shoes,” follows a boy in Haiti who sells handcrafted objects to support his family following an earthquake. It is being published and is set for release in 2015.

But for right now, Kraver has set her focus on her book signing for “It Was Just a House.” She said that she does not want it to be an impersonal experience for her readers, but one that allows them to interact and to give back to the people who inspired the book.

“I’m hoping with the money from the book to kick it back to the camp and send food donations, supplies, whatever I can come up with. But I just don’t want it to be me doing it,” Kraver said. “That’s why I wanted it to be a giving back experience for everybody. It’s everybody in the community and surrounding communities getting together and giving back.”

“It Was Just a House” is also available on Amazon.com. For more information about Kraver, visit KatherineMaryKraver.com.