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4.13 AVERAGE
4.13 AVERAGE
A nice, if unsurprising, story about a girl having her eyes opened to the experiences of a refugee. Useful for middle primary.
Beautifully and sensitively written, it tells the story of a young girl dealing with a child refugee her parents have temporarily fostered. A gentle introduction into the plights of refugees and the importance of compassion and friendship.
Mina wants her own room more than anything and she is just about to get it - the painting is done and it is almost time for her to move! Then her parents let a new kid called Azzami move into it instead! It doesn't matter that her parents tell her Azzami's mother is very sick, or that he has no family because he came here from Afghanistan as a refugee, all Mina knows is this boy took the room her parents promised her and no one seems to care about her feelings at all! As Mina deals with resentment and anger, she slowly start to understand what Azzami is going through and as time passes she realises he has a story to tell in his own way.
The whole story is told in verse, making it highly approachable as each poem extends no more than one or two pages and has an accompanying illustration by Briony Stewart. The limited text will appeal to reluctant readers who still want a story with some substance.
This will be an excellent class room reader for middle to upper primary with themes of jealousy, empathy, refugee experience, and bullying.
The whole story is told in verse, making it highly approachable as each poem extends no more than one or two pages and has an accompanying illustration by Briony Stewart. The limited text will appeal to reluctant readers who still want a story with some substance.
This will be an excellent class room reader for middle to upper primary with themes of jealousy, empathy, refugee experience, and bullying.
Mina and the Whole Wide World is a verse novel recommended for kids aged 7+. I started flicking through it this evening and the next thing I knew I’d read the whole thing and shed a few tears and been reminded yet again how good Australian middle grade fiction is. This book would work so well as a class text when introducing topics such as refugees and the impacts of war. It’s not only written in verse (which if you’ve followed me for a while you’ll know I think is one of the most accessible text types available to younger readers) but there are illustrations on nearly every page which, of course, support the words beautifully and (as they always do) also add another dimension to the storytelling and layers of meaning that can be found in the small but impactful book. Written by Sherryl Clark with art by Briony Stewart and published by UQP, I had missed its listing as a CBCA notable earlier this year but can totally understand why it was given the nod. A beautiful little story of friendship and hope.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This verse novel is beautifully written. It explores the struggles of Mina, whose promised “own room” is given to Azzami, an Afghani refugee in need of a home while his mother is in hospital. Mina and the Whole Wide World deals with issues of acceptance, difference and bullying in a straightforward but attainable way. It would suit younger readers (grades 3-5) and prompt meaningful conversations. The language is attainable yet there is literary depth that can be unpacked.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
medium-paced