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4.47 AVERAGE
4.47 AVERAGE
This is an absolute gem of a book and I highly recommend it. WE follow Jude as she leaves Syria with her pregnant mother to head to the US. Jude does not want to leave the rest of her family and her best friend to a foreign land but her pregnant mother wants more for them. Jude was a great character to follow and I was rooting for her. It is a powerful read and there were difficult parts to read. I think that all students should have this is in their library so that they can read about the struggles that they went through. I listened to it and thought the narration was great.
hopeful
informative
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
You know it’s good when the author’s note at the end makes you cry.
OTHER WORDS FOR HOME by Jasmine Warga is a beautiful novel in verse about Jude, a 12-year old Syrian girl who flees her war torn country with her mother to live in Cincinnati, Ohio with her uncle’s family. It portrays with such honesty and empathy Jude’s struggles to acclimate to her new home and community, yet is also filled with hope and love as Jude discovers who she’s meant to be in the world. Jude’s bravery is powerful and her story is so important. This is an absolute must-read.
[Cincinnati friends: much of the story takes place in the city and Jasmine Warga is a native Cincinnatian. Although it doesn’t need additional reasons to be read, it’s an added bonus to support such a wonderful book with local ties.]
•
Favorite Line:
“Hoping,
I’m starting to think,
might be the bravest thing a person can do.”
•
Suggested Reading Age: Grades 4-8
[Cincinnati friends: much of the story takes place in the city and Jasmine Warga is a native Cincinnatian. Although it doesn’t need additional reasons to be read, it’s an added bonus to support such a wonderful book with local ties.]
•
Favorite Line:
“Hoping,
I’m starting to think,
might be the bravest thing a person can do.”
•
Suggested Reading Age: Grades 4-8
hopeful
inspiring
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This is the first book I’ve encountered addressing the dangers of xenophobia and Islamophobia. It is a book that reminds us that it takes courage to be kind and love to be courageous. Words have power and so does this book.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
slow-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
"But our city does not look like Aleppo, before or after. It is not sprawling and noisy with buildings pressed up against one another like they are crammed together in an elevator with no room to breathe.
Our city is on the sea. It sits below the mountains. It is where the rest of Syria comes when they want to breathe. No one is going to come this year, Fatima says. And I wonder if that is because there is no one left who needs to breathe."
4.7/5
Our city is on the sea. It sits below the mountains. It is where the rest of Syria comes when they want to breathe. No one is going to come this year, Fatima says. And I wonder if that is because there is no one left who needs to breathe."
4.7/5
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Wow. What a read. I've just started teaching year 6 in a diverse school so o have started collecting books for a class library. I am blow away by how beautifully written this book is. It deals with difficult themes in a very good way and you really feel for the characters. So glad I picked this up, will be recommending it to all my friends.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Islamophobia