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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
I first heard about this book from the author herself during a discussion of writing techniques at the 2011 San Francisco Writers Conference, and although I was not immediately interested in reading it, once it raked in a couple notable awards and secured a four-star rating on Goodreads I figured I'd better at least familiarize myself with what all the fuss was about. That said, I would classify this book as suitable middle-grade reading level. I finished it in three hours easily. It was a quick read primarily because the author kept a steady, organized pace that allowed the reader to flow from chapter to chapter.
I think the first few chapters of this book are what make the reader so emotionally tied to the story as to read through the rest of the narrative. Shooting Kabul is told through the perspective of middle school age Fadi and details his and his family's harried escape from the Taliban in Afghanistan to the soon-to-be-terrorist-attacked United States back in the late summer/early autumn of 2001. In essence, much of this story is Fadi complaining about how his sister's accidently being left behind is all his fault. Which is pretty irritating because it's obviously all his dumb father's fault for dragging his family back to Afghanistan after getting his PhD in Wisconsin because he thinks he can magically "change" things in Afghanistan by talking to a few farmers about uprooting some poppies... That aside, Fadi gets it into his head that if he wins a photo competition that grants a plane tickets to India he'll be close enough to find his sister.
While this story and the characters are not my cup of tea at all and I found the description of Sept. 11th a little unrealistic: the book describes the scene using phrases akin to "hushed whispers" and "tension in the air" with Fadi never really finding out why everyone is acting so looney until he gets home, (when Sept. 11th happened I was in 6th grade and every teacher had a TV dragged into their classroom and was glued to the news, a couple intermittently stepping out into the hallway to make phone calls to check on loved ones back east, and all of them openly telling us what was going on and allowing us to wander free in the halls like dazed and confused sheep. The principal announced on the loudspeaker during first period to the entire school the events that had occurred and asked for a moment of silence). I also found the dialogue to be a little too Bumper-Sticker-sounding from the Fadi and his peers, "yeah man" and "cool" being used along with a few too many mentions of high-fives. In contrast, some of the adult conversations patterned the stilted dialogue of infomercials.
All complaints aside, I can see why this is an valuable addition to the children's literature canon. Shooting Kabul deals with the very real effects of the political unrest in Afghanistan not only for the country itself but for the Afghan families impacted by the violence surrounding them as well as the ripple effect of prejudice and racism among the different Afghan peoples and the outsiders judging them out of fear instead of making efforts toward understanding. This is an important book for the culturally inquisitive child and for every 5th grade school reading list.
I think the first few chapters of this book are what make the reader so emotionally tied to the story as to read through the rest of the narrative. Shooting Kabul is told through the perspective of middle school age Fadi and details his and his family's harried escape from the Taliban in Afghanistan to the soon-to-be-terrorist-attacked United States back in the late summer/early autumn of 2001. In essence, much of this story is Fadi complaining about how his sister's accidently being left behind is all his fault. Which is pretty irritating because it's obviously all his dumb father's fault for dragging his family back to Afghanistan after getting his PhD in Wisconsin because he thinks he can magically "change" things in Afghanistan by talking to a few farmers about uprooting some poppies... That aside, Fadi gets it into his head that if he wins a photo competition that grants a plane tickets to India he'll be close enough to find his sister.
While this story and the characters are not my cup of tea at all and I found the description of Sept. 11th a little unrealistic: the book describes the scene using phrases akin to "hushed whispers" and "tension in the air" with Fadi never really finding out why everyone is acting so looney until he gets home, (when Sept. 11th happened I was in 6th grade and every teacher had a TV dragged into their classroom and was glued to the news, a couple intermittently stepping out into the hallway to make phone calls to check on loved ones back east, and all of them openly telling us what was going on and allowing us to wander free in the halls like dazed and confused sheep. The principal announced on the loudspeaker during first period to the entire school the events that had occurred and asked for a moment of silence). I also found the dialogue to be a little too Bumper-Sticker-sounding from the Fadi and his peers, "yeah man" and "cool" being used along with a few too many mentions of high-fives. In contrast, some of the adult conversations patterned the stilted dialogue of infomercials.
All complaints aside, I can see why this is an valuable addition to the children's literature canon. Shooting Kabul deals with the very real effects of the political unrest in Afghanistan not only for the country itself but for the Afghan families impacted by the violence surrounding them as well as the ripple effect of prejudice and racism among the different Afghan peoples and the outsiders judging them out of fear instead of making efforts toward understanding. This is an important book for the culturally inquisitive child and for every 5th grade school reading list.
A sweet middle grade book appropriate for students who could afford to learn about the tension and tragedy during 2001.
3 Stars only because it isn’t really my cup of tea, but I do appreciate the heartfelt message behind the story. I can already think of students who would appreciate this book and can see it being useful in Book Clubs as well (characterization, conflict, real-world application, plot, etc).
3 Stars only because it isn’t really my cup of tea, but I do appreciate the heartfelt message behind the story. I can already think of students who would appreciate this book and can see it being useful in Book Clubs as well (characterization, conflict, real-world application, plot, etc).
Such a good multicultural book for middle and elementary school! focuses on arab american culture and 9/11
challenging
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I think the perspective of this book is really important. It is told from the point of view of Fadi, a young Afghan immigrant who arrives in America just before September 11, 2001. Very few children's books have tackled this event, let alone from the perspective of a recent Muslim immigrant. I really liked the way the book handled issues of discrimination and bullying.
That isn't all, however. In their terrifying escape from Afghanistan, Fadi's young sister is accidentally left behind. The Taliban is in hot pursuit, so they have no choice but to leave. After they arrive in the states, the family does what they can to continue searching, but their resources are limited.
Experience the culture, learn a little big of Afghanistan's history, and get to know a genuinely likeable character in Fadi.
For grades 4-6.
That isn't all, however. In their terrifying escape from Afghanistan, Fadi's young sister is accidentally left behind. The Taliban is in hot pursuit, so they have no choice but to leave. After they arrive in the states, the family does what they can to continue searching, but their resources are limited.
Experience the culture, learn a little big of Afghanistan's history, and get to know a genuinely likeable character in Fadi.
For grades 4-6.
This isa great book for middle schoolers...relevant, touching, fast paced. I enjoyed reading the story of a teen-aged boy refugee who is on a mission to find his missing little sister back in Afghanistan.
So this was definitely not my favorite. I feel like this story could have been really good without the whole my sister is lost in Afghanistan part. I think it took away from the whole story. I wanted to learn about the life of a child living in America during the while September 11 crap and they just sort of breezed through that...
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot