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4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
^written in verse
I can't imagine the heartache and the difficulty of living in a new culture, language , and expectations. All while missing your family and life. I wonder if one ever feels settled and comfortable and how long goes it take?
I can't imagine the heartache and the difficulty of living in a new culture, language , and expectations. All while missing your family and life. I wonder if one ever feels settled and comfortable and how long goes it take?
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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:
No
So many of my students had read this story and loved it and I had felt left out...and now I know! The brutal survival of a Sudanese refugee who finds a new beginning in Minnesota is told with heart and realism. A free verse novel that would be a fantastic read aloud.
Grades 5 and up.
Grades 5 and up.
In this story, Kek, a delightfully optimistic Sudanese boy, arrives in Minnesota after witnessing the death of his brother and father, and being separated from his mother. Told in verse, the writing beautifully illustrates Kek's discovery of a new language in a new world. Although Kek's past has some material that my students may find uncomfortable, I think they will be swept away by the vivid details Applegate weaves into the story, and come to have a new respect for the daily courage that someone like Kek must have, to work so tirelessly to build a new life, when they can't quite let go of the one they left behind.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-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
Beautifully written in verse filled with metaphors. I did love Kek, his cousin Ganwar, and his friend Hannah. However, I still have an uneasy feeling since I’m not sure this was Applegate’s story to tell, as a white woman writing from a Sudanese refugee boy’s perspective.
In Africa, Kek witnessed the murders of his father and brother, a result of a brutal tribal war, and was separated from his mother when rebels attacked the refugee camp where they were staying. Brought to America by an aid organization, he arrives in Minnesota to live with his aunt and older cousin, who are also immigrants and survivors of the same conflict. Kek adjusts to how different America is from the cattle herding life he knew at home - free schooling, chocolate, snow - all while hoping for a reunion with his missing mother.
Inspired by the real life experiences of Sudan's "Lost Boys," Home of the Brave is written in free verse. If you are looking for a fast read or enjoy stories based on true events and people, I highly suggest picking up Kek’s engrossing story.
Inspired by the real life experiences of Sudan's "Lost Boys," Home of the Brave is written in free verse. If you are looking for a fast read or enjoy stories based on true events and people, I highly suggest picking up Kek’s engrossing story.
My younger son is in the fifth grade (the same age as Kek, the protagonist of the book) and his entire school (including faculty and interested parents) is reading this book. I read along with him and was really moved by this beautifully written story of a Sudanese boy who resettles in the United States after losing his father and brother to the civil war.
Ms. Applegate does a wonderful job of describing the horrors of what has happened to Kek without being gratuitous and while remaining sensitive to her readers. The language in the book is absolutely beautiful and gives a sense of what Kek's native tongue might sound like. I would recommend this book to people of any age, to become more aware of the pain of dislocation suffered by refugees and to put a human face on the issue of immigration.
Ms. Applegate does a wonderful job of describing the horrors of what has happened to Kek without being gratuitous and while remaining sensitive to her readers. The language in the book is absolutely beautiful and gives a sense of what Kek's native tongue might sound like. I would recommend this book to people of any age, to become more aware of the pain of dislocation suffered by refugees and to put a human face on the issue of immigration.
Kek is the first character fifth graders are introduced to in my classroom. He becomes an anchor for the rest of the year. This is a beautiful story about a boy, Kek, who comes to America as a refuge. The story follows his discovery of his new home and his longing for his old home.
I knew I had to read this one when I saw it on the list, because Katherine Applegate has been one of my favorite authors since I was a pre-teen reading Animorphs. Home of the Brave is an amazingly heartfelt and beautifully moving story about a boy named Kek, who flees Africa following the violence that lead to the death of his father and brother and immigrates to America. This is obviously a novel-in-verse, but it’s written in a way that emulates English as a second language learners and feels authentic to Kek’s struggle to learn English vocabulary and understand all the new things he finds himself surrounded with.
This book cuts to the heart of so many issues surrounding immigration, such as leaving home and cultures behind (and sometimes even family), the struggle to adjust to an entirely new way of life, and the challenge of learning a new language. Plus, of course, all the heartache and trauma that you can’t escape simply by changing countries. I’ve always recommended any and all Katherine Applegate books as wonderful reads, and this one will certainly be added to that list. It’s an eye-opening story, filled with emotion and vivid writing, that I think makes a perfect read for any age.
This book cuts to the heart of so many issues surrounding immigration, such as leaving home and cultures behind (and sometimes even family), the struggle to adjust to an entirely new way of life, and the challenge of learning a new language. Plus, of course, all the heartache and trauma that you can’t escape simply by changing countries. I’ve always recommended any and all Katherine Applegate books as wonderful reads, and this one will certainly be added to that list. It’s an eye-opening story, filled with emotion and vivid writing, that I think makes a perfect read for any age.