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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
After the Taliban pressures his father to join them, Fadi and his family must flee Afghanistan. They sell all their belongings and use their life savings to secure passage to Pakistan. On the night that they board the truck, something terrible happens. People are scrambling to board the truck, desperate to escape the country. Fadi's six-year-old sister Mariam drops her doll and, in turning back to look for it, lets go of Fadi's hand. The truck takes off, trying to outrun the Taliban members who have appeared on the scene.
And Mariam is left behind in Afghanistan as Fadi and the rest of his family make their way to America. Will they ever see her again?
Shooting Kabul is a moving portrait of one family's escape from Afghanistan and their struggle to adapt to life in America, especially post-9/11. It'll make the issues in Afghanistan clearer to kids who might have a muddy picture of what's happened "over there" during the last decade. The plot lagged in a few places, but the book is successful overall and I'll definitely be looking for more from this debut author.
Merged review:
After the Taliban pressures his father to join them, Fadi and his family must flee Afghanistan. They sell all their belongings and use their life savings to secure passage to Pakistan. On the night that they board the truck, something terrible happens. People are scrambling to board the truck, desperate to escape the country. Fadi's six-year-old sister Mariam drops her doll and, in turning back to look for it, lets go of Fadi's hand. The truck takes off, trying to outrun the Taliban members who have appeared on the scene.
And Mariam is left behind in Afghanistan as Fadi and the rest of his family make their way to America. Will they ever see her again?
Shooting Kabul is a moving portrait of one family's escape from Afghanistan and their struggle to adapt to life in America, especially post-9/11. It'll make the issues in Afghanistan clearer to kids who might have a muddy picture of what's happened "over there" during the last decade. The plot lagged in a few places, but the book is successful overall and I'll definitely be looking for more from this debut author.
And Mariam is left behind in Afghanistan as Fadi and the rest of his family make their way to America. Will they ever see her again?
Shooting Kabul is a moving portrait of one family's escape from Afghanistan and their struggle to adapt to life in America, especially post-9/11. It'll make the issues in Afghanistan clearer to kids who might have a muddy picture of what's happened "over there" during the last decade. The plot lagged in a few places, but the book is successful overall and I'll definitely be looking for more from this debut author.
Merged review:
After the Taliban pressures his father to join them, Fadi and his family must flee Afghanistan. They sell all their belongings and use their life savings to secure passage to Pakistan. On the night that they board the truck, something terrible happens. People are scrambling to board the truck, desperate to escape the country. Fadi's six-year-old sister Mariam drops her doll and, in turning back to look for it, lets go of Fadi's hand. The truck takes off, trying to outrun the Taliban members who have appeared on the scene.
And Mariam is left behind in Afghanistan as Fadi and the rest of his family make their way to America. Will they ever see her again?
Shooting Kabul is a moving portrait of one family's escape from Afghanistan and their struggle to adapt to life in America, especially post-9/11. It'll make the issues in Afghanistan clearer to kids who might have a muddy picture of what's happened "over there" during the last decade. The plot lagged in a few places, but the book is successful overall and I'll definitely be looking for more from this debut author.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is not really the kind of book I read, only read it for literature but I guess it was a good portrayal of how tough or basically the overall feel of life as someone fleeing the Taliban etc. It is informative and a pretty good portrayal on how life is. But like I said, not my type of genre:) (since it wasn’t really my kind of book it took a really long time to read because I started reading many other books and stopped reading this.)
This was a great combination of different types of suspense: worry over what has happened to his sister Mariam, over the photo competition, over the school bullies post 9/11, and of course his guilt over what he feels was his role in losing his sister.
Describes the artistic process very well, as well as how bystanders can find strength in numbers (though that may be a bit rosy--probably the bullies could have found reinforcements, too!) A compelling story on many levels, and a picture of a modern immigrant's experience.
Describes the artistic process very well, as well as how bystanders can find strength in numbers (though that may be a bit rosy--probably the bullies could have found reinforcements, too!) A compelling story on many levels, and a picture of a modern immigrant's experience.
I loved the reading experience I had while engrossed in this book. The author is incredibly talented at weaving several elements together into one cohesive, entertaining, emotional, and educational book. More on the blog: http://tinyurl.com/25wwear
As a teacher and Afghan-American I wasn’t sure I would want to read this book let alone like this book enough to add it to my classroom library or have my own kids read it. I was pleasantly surprised.
Fadi makes a perilous journey with his family to leave Afghanistan and settle as refugees in Fremont, California. During their escape, Fadi’s younger sister is accidentally left behind as a crowd of people rush to board a truck. Mariam doesn’t want to lose her Barbie and lets go of Fadi’s hand.
Fadi feels the crushing weight of responsibility of losing his sister. He starts school and joins the photography club because he has a chance to enter a contest and win a trip to India. Fadi reasons this could be his way of finding his sister.
There are a few things that I didn’t think were authentic- their journey to the United States seemed more similar to our family (who immigrated decades earlier) than a family coming in 2001. I can attest to how much more difficult it is to immigrate here at this time (1990s on) and then after 9/11.
I’m not sure if the cultural differences I noticed were because of my ignorance or the fact that Fadi’s family is Pushtun and mine is not.
Overall a nicely paced plot, good characters, good ending.
Fadi makes a perilous journey with his family to leave Afghanistan and settle as refugees in Fremont, California. During their escape, Fadi’s younger sister is accidentally left behind as a crowd of people rush to board a truck. Mariam doesn’t want to lose her Barbie and lets go of Fadi’s hand.
Fadi feels the crushing weight of responsibility of losing his sister. He starts school and joins the photography club because he has a chance to enter a contest and win a trip to India. Fadi reasons this could be his way of finding his sister.
There are a few things that I didn’t think were authentic- their journey to the United States seemed more similar to our family (who immigrated decades earlier) than a family coming in 2001. I can attest to how much more difficult it is to immigrate here at this time (1990s on) and then after 9/11.
I’m not sure if the cultural differences I noticed were because of my ignorance or the fact that Fadi’s family is Pushtun and mine is not.
Overall a nicely paced plot, good characters, good ending.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
When the Taliban first started to change things in Afghanistan, people welcomed them. At the time, Fadi Nurzai and his family - father Habib, mother Zafoona, older sister Noor and young sister Mariam - were living in the United States. Fadi's father had an American PhD and spoke English, and believing he could help rebuild Afghanistan with the Taliban, he moved his family back to Kabul. But it didn't take long for the Taliban to begin suppressing the Afghan people and when they approached Habib, asking to join them, he knew it was time to leave.
One night, the family finds themselves waiting for a truck that will take then across the border into Pakistan, then on to the United States. 11 year-old Fadi's job is to hold on to Mariam, now 6, and make sure she gets on the truck safely. Suddenly, there is a swarm of other people trying to get on the truck, too, and Mariam drops her precious Gulmina, an old Barbie doll wearing a bright pink burka. When she tries to retrieve it, she lets go of Fadi's hand just as Habib pulls him onto the truck, which speeds away as the Taliban chases it, leaving Mariam behind.
Consumed with guilt, Fadi soon finds himself in a Fremont, CA middle school. His mother, who had been ill in Kabul, has gotten worse because of losing Mariam; to help the family out, Noor has taken a job at a McDonald's until high school starts, and Habib, despite that American PhD, is driving a cab. And there are many people in Afghanistan are looking Mariam, but so far, no luck.
Fadi, who loved to take photographs with his dad in Kabul before it was banned, finds his way into a photo club and a new friend named Ahn Hong. When it is announced that there is to be a photography contest in which first prize is a photo safari and one of the places the winner can choose to go is India, it is like a dream come true for Fadi. He immediately makes plans to win, get to India, then Pakistan and find Mariam., who the family now knows has made it to Peshawar.
But then, on September 11, 2001, terrorists from al-Qaeda fly two planes into the World Trade Center, and one into the Pentagon and everything suddenly changes. Now, Fadi finds himself the target of school bullies who think he is Muslim (he is actually Pukhtun) and decide he needs to pay for what was done. And pay he does.
Between bullies, the Taliban, al-Qaeda and the guilt he feels about losing Mariam, Fadi knows he need to talk to someone and take responsibility for his sister before he is eaten up by guilt. He knows it the honorable thing to do, but somehow Fadi just can't talk about what happened that night in Afghanistan yet. Meanwhile, they are still looking for Mariam and Fadi desperately needs to win that photography contest so he and his father can rescue her.
Shooting Kabul was, to say the least, a page-turner. I found Fadi to be a very likable character and thought his relationship with his father was wonderfully touching. Noor is a typical teenager who usually wants nothing to do with her brother, but still comes through for him when he needs it. In fact, the theme of family is strong throughout the story, as important as their religion is to them, and family members are very connected to each other, and that includes their very supportive extended family.
The other dominate theme is racism and the spike in race-related incidents after 9/11 towards anyone who looks like they might be Muslim. Because of that, here is name calling and some violence in the novel. I thought the example of Mr. Singh, the ice-cream man who is a Sikh, being beaten up by people who assume if you wear a turban, you must be Muslim was very telling I remember riding the bus to school in the Bronx and everyday there was a man, a Sikh, on it going to work. After 9/11, I didn't see him for about a week, then he was back, black and blue and wearing a button that said he was a Sikh. I can't tell you how sad that made me.
Shooting Kabul is an excellent companion book to read while studying contemporary American history since it manages to make a very complicated period of time understandable for young readers. Habib's explanation to Mariam about what is going on in Afghanistan and why they must leave requires no prior knowledge of the situation to understand what he tells her. And as the story unfolds, things become clearer for today's middle grader who might not completely understand why there is still so much animosity towards Muslims and anyone who looks like one in this country.
A Reading Group Guide is available from the publisher, Simon & Schuster, HERE
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was purchased for my personal library
This review was originally posted on my Randomly Reading
One night, the family finds themselves waiting for a truck that will take then across the border into Pakistan, then on to the United States. 11 year-old Fadi's job is to hold on to Mariam, now 6, and make sure she gets on the truck safely. Suddenly, there is a swarm of other people trying to get on the truck, too, and Mariam drops her precious Gulmina, an old Barbie doll wearing a bright pink burka. When she tries to retrieve it, she lets go of Fadi's hand just as Habib pulls him onto the truck, which speeds away as the Taliban chases it, leaving Mariam behind.
Consumed with guilt, Fadi soon finds himself in a Fremont, CA middle school. His mother, who had been ill in Kabul, has gotten worse because of losing Mariam; to help the family out, Noor has taken a job at a McDonald's until high school starts, and Habib, despite that American PhD, is driving a cab. And there are many people in Afghanistan are looking Mariam, but so far, no luck.
Fadi, who loved to take photographs with his dad in Kabul before it was banned, finds his way into a photo club and a new friend named Ahn Hong. When it is announced that there is to be a photography contest in which first prize is a photo safari and one of the places the winner can choose to go is India, it is like a dream come true for Fadi. He immediately makes plans to win, get to India, then Pakistan and find Mariam., who the family now knows has made it to Peshawar.
But then, on September 11, 2001, terrorists from al-Qaeda fly two planes into the World Trade Center, and one into the Pentagon and everything suddenly changes. Now, Fadi finds himself the target of school bullies who think he is Muslim (he is actually Pukhtun) and decide he needs to pay for what was done. And pay he does.
Between bullies, the Taliban, al-Qaeda and the guilt he feels about losing Mariam, Fadi knows he need to talk to someone and take responsibility for his sister before he is eaten up by guilt. He knows it the honorable thing to do, but somehow Fadi just can't talk about what happened that night in Afghanistan yet. Meanwhile, they are still looking for Mariam and Fadi desperately needs to win that photography contest so he and his father can rescue her.
Shooting Kabul was, to say the least, a page-turner. I found Fadi to be a very likable character and thought his relationship with his father was wonderfully touching. Noor is a typical teenager who usually wants nothing to do with her brother, but still comes through for him when he needs it. In fact, the theme of family is strong throughout the story, as important as their religion is to them, and family members are very connected to each other, and that includes their very supportive extended family.
The other dominate theme is racism and the spike in race-related incidents after 9/11 towards anyone who looks like they might be Muslim. Because of that, here is name calling and some violence in the novel. I thought the example of Mr. Singh, the ice-cream man who is a Sikh, being beaten up by people who assume if you wear a turban, you must be Muslim was very telling I remember riding the bus to school in the Bronx and everyday there was a man, a Sikh, on it going to work. After 9/11, I didn't see him for about a week, then he was back, black and blue and wearing a button that said he was a Sikh. I can't tell you how sad that made me.
Shooting Kabul is an excellent companion book to read while studying contemporary American history since it manages to make a very complicated period of time understandable for young readers. Habib's explanation to Mariam about what is going on in Afghanistan and why they must leave requires no prior knowledge of the situation to understand what he tells her. And as the story unfolds, things become clearer for today's middle grader who might not completely understand why there is still so much animosity towards Muslims and anyone who looks like one in this country.
A Reading Group Guide is available from the publisher, Simon & Schuster, HERE
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was purchased for my personal library
This review was originally posted on my Randomly Reading