Imagine having to leave your homeland because you are not safe. You must leave most of your friends, family, and belongings behind. Leaving My Homeland helps explain why some people must flee their country, and the challenges they face as refugees. Inspired by the accounts of many refugees, each book follows a story about a child and his or her family, explaining facts about their homeland and its people along the way. A Refugee's Journey from Guatemala Martinez's life in Guatemala is turned upside down when gangs harm and threaten the people in his neighborhood. He and his family are smuggled to a refugee camp in Mexico. There, they live alongside thousands of families who hope to escape the violence and find safety. Book jacket.