How Dare the Sun Rise

• Genre: Fiction; YA autobiographical nonfiction
• Originally Published: 2017
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 790L; grades 8-12
• Structure/Length: 32 chapters; approx. 304 pages; approx. 6 hours, 25 minutes on audio
• Protagonist and Central Conflict: Sandra tells about her life fleeing targeted violence in her home in Congo, living as a refugee in various places, and surviving trauma. When she moves with her family to the United States, she navigates school, family, and society and connects with the power of activism.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Massacre, violence; civil war; racism; violence against women; rape; female genital mutilation

Sandra Uwiringiyimana, Author

• Bio: Born 1994 in the Democratic Republic of Congo; performed at the top of her class; fled violence in Congo; lived in a refugee camp with her family; survived the Gatumba Massacre; moved to the United States; attended Mercy College; participates in activism; is co-founder and director of Jimbere Fund, helping revitalize areas of Congo
• Awards: New York Library’s Best Books for Teens; Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books for Teens: Nonfiction; Bank Street’s 2018 Best Books of the Year

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

• War and Displacement
• The Devaluation of Girls and Women
• Understanding American Racism

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will: