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4.47 AVERAGE
4.47 AVERAGE
My 8 year old son and I both loved listening to the audiobook edition of this beautifully written book by Jasmine Warga, exquisitely narrated by Vaneh Assadourian. We started and finished it during a single long drive and the hours passed very quickly with the company of this wonderful book.
So many fresh turns of phrase and proverbs made me gasp aloud with delight...my favorite being the Arabic compliment for a person who "makes you feel like a loaf of freshly baked bread." Delightful.
There is so much in this little book....a lovely, important story. A strong female protagonist who finds her voice and embraces her identity. An examination of the experience of immigrants and refugees and 2nd generation immigrants: assimilation; loss of language; the pain of remembering and the pain of forgetting, the importance of familiar culture, smells, food, music; English as a Second Language classes; friendship; family bonds; the war in Syria; Islamophobia and prejudice; and everyday middle school drama.
Reading it as an audiobook, I didn't realize it was written in verse until I read the blurb here. I should have known, given its brevity and poetic turns of phrase.
As much as I loved the writing, I may have loved the narration even more. Vaneh Assadourian very subtly adjusts Jude's voice throughout the novel, as she becomes more comfortable with English and more confident with American turns of phrase. Syria is still in her voice, but so is Cincinnati. Her voice changes as Jude's confidence changes...most significantly, I thought, when she began to wear the hijab. I can't claim any expertise whatsoever on her Arabic or on the authenticity of her Syrian accent, but her voice was memorable, musical, and reflected the character's growth beautifully. Highly recommended as an audiobook for classroom* and family car trips.
*One note for classroom or family listening is that menstruation is mentioned at two pivotal points...it is done purposefully and is important to Jude's character development, but if you're driving in a car with your 8 year old son, expect to pause and explain at a few points. My son was a bit below the target age of the book so I would recommend it for classroom reading for 5th grade and above, but there was nothing inappropriate for a rising third grader. Just a lovely story that made his heart grow bigger.
So many fresh turns of phrase and proverbs made me gasp aloud with delight...my favorite being the Arabic compliment for a person who "makes you feel like a loaf of freshly baked bread." Delightful.
There is so much in this little book....a lovely, important story. A strong female protagonist who finds her voice and embraces her identity. An examination of the experience of immigrants and refugees and 2nd generation immigrants: assimilation; loss of language; the pain of remembering and the pain of forgetting, the importance of familiar culture, smells, food, music; English as a Second Language classes; friendship; family bonds; the war in Syria; Islamophobia and prejudice; and everyday middle school drama.
Reading it as an audiobook, I didn't realize it was written in verse until I read the blurb here. I should have known, given its brevity and poetic turns of phrase.
As much as I loved the writing, I may have loved the narration even more. Vaneh Assadourian very subtly adjusts Jude's voice throughout the novel, as she becomes more comfortable with English and more confident with American turns of phrase. Syria is still in her voice, but so is Cincinnati. Her voice changes as Jude's confidence changes...most significantly, I thought, when she began to wear the hijab. I can't claim any expertise whatsoever on her Arabic or on the authenticity of her Syrian accent, but her voice was memorable, musical, and reflected the character's growth beautifully. Highly recommended as an audiobook for classroom* and family car trips.
*One note for classroom or family listening is that menstruation is mentioned at two pivotal points...it is done purposefully and is important to Jude's character development, but if you're driving in a car with your 8 year old son, expect to pause and explain at a few points. My son was a bit below the target age of the book so I would recommend it for classroom reading for 5th grade and above, but there was nothing inappropriate for a rising third grader. Just a lovely story that made his heart grow bigger.
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
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:
No
Solid character perspective with a genuine view of what it is like to be "othered." Simple story, but not simplified.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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:
Complicated
An emotive tale about finding yourself, your roots, and hope.
Jude, who fled her native Syria to settle in Cincinnati, Ohio, is incredibly brave, altruistic, and courageous. She discovers a lot about herself in America and realizes that having multiple homes is OK. Jude lives in Syria with her mother, father, and brother at the beginning of the narrative. Her mother falls pregnant as political unrest worsens, and she and Jude move in with Jude's uncle near Cincinnati. She discovers acceptance and prejudice there, as well as a cousin who is developing into her own person, a new best friend, and even a spot in her own limelight as she grapples with the English language.
Something WONDERFUL about this book is that it is written in verse; normally I would be skeptical but it really works in this book. Jude's perspective is used throughout the poetry, allowing readers to understand how she feels about leaving Syria, how disoriented she feels in Cincinnati, and how she begins to rediscover her bearings.
In a lyrical and sincere manner, Other Words for Home examines issues including the complexities of belonging, identity, and encountering anti-Islamic actions and language. Warga handles these subjects in a way that both empowers and maintains optimism while also conveying a profound sense of the difficulty and complexity of the experiences.
This is an ideal book for middle school teachers to study/recommend to their English classes. But I firmly believe that everyone should read this book – even if you don’t read YA, even if you don’t read books in verse.
Jude, who fled her native Syria to settle in Cincinnati, Ohio, is incredibly brave, altruistic, and courageous. She discovers a lot about herself in America and realizes that having multiple homes is OK. Jude lives in Syria with her mother, father, and brother at the beginning of the narrative. Her mother falls pregnant as political unrest worsens, and she and Jude move in with Jude's uncle near Cincinnati. She discovers acceptance and prejudice there, as well as a cousin who is developing into her own person, a new best friend, and even a spot in her own limelight as she grapples with the English language.
Something WONDERFUL about this book is that it is written in verse; normally I would be skeptical but it really works in this book. Jude's perspective is used throughout the poetry, allowing readers to understand how she feels about leaving Syria, how disoriented she feels in Cincinnati, and how she begins to rediscover her bearings.
In a lyrical and sincere manner, Other Words for Home examines issues including the complexities of belonging, identity, and encountering anti-Islamic actions and language. Warga handles these subjects in a way that both empowers and maintains optimism while also conveying a profound sense of the difficulty and complexity of the experiences.
This is an ideal book for middle school teachers to study/recommend to their English classes. But I firmly believe that everyone should read this book – even if you don’t read YA, even if you don’t read books in verse.
emotional
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:
No
I am not usually a fan of stories in verse but I really loved this book.
I enjoyed this story about a girl adapting to life in America after leaving Syria with her mom. The characters are interesting and dynamic and the story is uplifting.