What a beautiful book! I absolutely loved reading this. It's about an Iraqi refugee in Australia and her mum and younger brother. She's trying to fit in at school while at the same time trying to help her mum who is struggling with the change in culture (especially language) while being in what appears to be a state of depression. It is beautifully written. It is a story that really touches the heart.

4.5 out of 5 🌟A wonderful and emotional story about hope

'Songbird' is a name Jamila was called by her best friend Mina back in Baghdad, Iraq. Now she is in Australia, a new country away from her friends and family, speaking a foreign language she doesn't fully understand. Jamila is trying hard to succeed in school and fit in among her peers despite all difficulties. Singing is her way to escape from troubles, allowing her to be happy and careless again. Jamila's life is hardly resembling all other middle-grade stories, telling about fear, war, and longing for a missing family member whose whereabouts are unknown. Her experience shows the everyday struggle of thousands of children that often goes unnoticed by colleagues and teachers. 

The story was captivating and deeply emotional, I felt Jamila's pain when she struggles to communicate and was missing her loved ones abroad. My personal experience as an immigrant is very different from hers but I know what an effort is to express oneself in a foreign language and what does it mean to miss someone who lives far away. The novel teaches about the power of love, friendship and how important are tolerance and kindness toward people.

I was in great admiration for the book's design, the font is stylish is easy to read and visual accents was a pleasant addition to the reading experience. I read the novel in one sitting because I just cannot stop. I was cheering for both Jamila and her mum. It was pretty short therefore there are only a few other characters are none of them isn't fully developed. I'd love to hear other voices -like Jamila's friends and family and their life stories. I loved and was longing for more.
---
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Songbird is a powerful story about acceptance, family and friendship. 11 year old Jamila and her Mum and baby brother are refugees settling into their new life in Melbourne. They fled Iraq and had to leave Jamila's Father behind. Jamila loves singing and is called Songbird (Mutraba in Arabic), by her best friend in Iraq. Her new school in Melbourne has a choir so Jamila auditions. What follows is a beautiful story for children (and adults like me!). With thanks to NetGalley and Text Publishing for my digital copy.

Simply put, Songbird has all the feels.
Jamila is a refugee from Iraq, beginning a new life in Australia. While Songbird is her story of adapting to a new normal, Laguna has made clever use of supporting characters to help readers with no personal experience of her situation relate more easily to her story.
Throw in vividly expressed emotions and *voila* sniffles.