According to UNICEF, an agency dedicated to helping children, 13.7 million children around the world are refugees, and an additional 22.8 million children are displaced within their own countries. This book explains how the lives of children forced by conflicts to leave all that they once knew will never be the same. Examples of contemporary conflicts show the difficulties often faced by child refugees, such as violence, dangerous journeys, and uncertain futures.

This interesting book describes the impact conflicts have had on children's lives throughout history. Some served in the military, from the early warrior state of Sparta to religious crusades and revolutionary battlefields. In the last century, while some children were sent to live in safe zones, others were sent to concentration camps. At home, children mainly helped the war effort by raising money, tending gardens, and helping the wounded.