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4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
4.5 stars. Of course I’m a sucker for a happy ending!! A wonderful story illustrating some of the challenges of refugees in the US. The description/phrasing in the book is just beautiful.
Kek is a young refuge from Sudan who has come to live with an Aunt in the harsh winter of Minnesota. An evocative story told in poems. This would be a good read aloud.
This is a lovely story about complicated emotions and extreme life circumstances. Applegate is a master of weaving wonderful stories with special animals in a manner that teaches children about empathy in a subtle, naturally relatable way.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
i read it in about two hours and i was crying at the end. katherine applegate is a top tier middle grade author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Blood, Death of parent
This was a wonderful read--really fascinating for people working with New American populations. The language of Kek's story is absolutely beautiful.
Beautifully written and a wonderful book for classroom-assigned reading.
This book is a relic of an older time. A time when the stories of African refugees were written by rich white women. For this and many subsequent reasons, this book does not age well. If only this country welcomed Sudanese refugees as easily and dewily as Katherine Applegate imagine it does.
Simple but beautiful perspective on refugees. Beautiful and simple prose, great for reluctant readers.