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4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
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
My (almost 8yo) son and I agreed that this was perhaps the best book we've ever read together. A lushly and poetically written fictional account of a refugee from Sudan, trying to cope and make a new life in Minnesota, it revealed a world my son has never heard about (civil wars in Africa? refugee camps? never having seen dishwashers or washing machines?) and was fascinated by. We laughed, were moved, and are determined to read more Applegate. In the meantime, he has just started re-reading this on his own.
Kek is a ten-year-old refugee from Sudan coming to live in America. He's staying with his aunt and cousin in Minnesota and everything is strange. Snow covers the ground, everyone speaks a language he doesn't know, and everyone here has so much while his people in Africa have so little. Kek's waiting for his mother to be found; they were separated as they fled from shooters in Sudan. Life is cold and tough here in this new country where he's not sure he belongs, but Kek "finds sun when the sky is dark" and he won't lose hope.
The story is told in verse and I thought it was really interesting to see immigration from a refugee's point of view. It's funny at times and sad at times and the story is ultimately hopeful. Unfortunately, there is no author's note included. I'm disappointed, as I would have liked to know what inspired Katherine Applegate (author of the Animorphs series) to write this book and how she researched it. The lack of author's note knocked it down to four stars from five. Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if this one got a bit of Newbery action, although I haven't heard any buzz thus far...
The story is told in verse and I thought it was really interesting to see immigration from a refugee's point of view. It's funny at times and sad at times and the story is ultimately hopeful. Unfortunately, there is no author's note included. I'm disappointed, as I would have liked to know what inspired Katherine Applegate (author of the Animorphs series) to write this book and how she researched it. The lack of author's note knocked it down to four stars from five. Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if this one got a bit of Newbery action, although I haven't heard any buzz thus far...
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
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
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
We read this for our realistic fiction unit in my 5th grade class and it was very good! My students were begging to read it every day and were so involved in Kek's story. They were such diligent note takers with this story because they didn't want to miss a thing!
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
Sometimes I change the edition to the cover I like best
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
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
What a great story of a refugee’s life in the US. I fell in love with Kek’s character and his big heart and love for cows 🐮 ❤️ I wish the story’s ending focused more on finding his mom, rather than the short epilogue that fast forwarded a year and wrapped things up so quickly.
Texas Bluebonnet 2010-2011. Historical fiction. Eye-opening. Consider as a read aloud with students.
hopeful
inspiring
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