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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
informative
fast-paced
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
During the last summer term of elementary school, Julie meets newly immigrated Mongolian brothers Chingis and Nergui Tuul. The boys believe that Nergui is being chased by a demon that will make him vanish, so they enlist Julie as their Good Guide, to keep them safe and help them blend in. As Julie learns more about the steppe of Mongolia and the boys learn more about Bootle, everyone begins to experience both the funny and sad parts of immigrating to a new world.
This relatively short story of a British girl’s friendship with a pair of Mongolian brothers keeps the reader guessing. Why do the brothers think they’re being chased by a demon? Where is their home? What are they doing in England? The “old” texture and color of the book’s pages and the illustrative photographs taken by Chingis really immerse the reader deeper into the world Julie builds, a place where the steppe meets the seaside. Julie’s everyday struggles with friends and boys provide an interesting counterpoint with her efforts to help the Tuuls integrate, and it’s very enjoyable to watch the ways that the class tries to learn about and accommodate Mongolian culture as the term progresses.
However, there isn’t much drama or action within the bounds of the story to really catch a young reader’s interest. The story will have to be enjoyed for its own sake. While a fan of realistic fiction will undoubtedly enjoy this title, sci-fi/fantasy fans looking for a crossover title might do well to look elsewhere.
Though brief and (ironically) mildly forgettable, The Unforgotten Coat is a very pleasant read. The book is short enough to not be daunting, and yet full of interesting details about the differences between Mongolian and British culture. The story is ultimately about the modern child immigrant experience as seen from the outside, and the responsibility and curiosity Julie feels will resonate with any child who has a new student in their class. This book is definitely worth a look.
This relatively short story of a British girl’s friendship with a pair of Mongolian brothers keeps the reader guessing. Why do the brothers think they’re being chased by a demon? Where is their home? What are they doing in England? The “old” texture and color of the book’s pages and the illustrative photographs taken by Chingis really immerse the reader deeper into the world Julie builds, a place where the steppe meets the seaside. Julie’s everyday struggles with friends and boys provide an interesting counterpoint with her efforts to help the Tuuls integrate, and it’s very enjoyable to watch the ways that the class tries to learn about and accommodate Mongolian culture as the term progresses.
However, there isn’t much drama or action within the bounds of the story to really catch a young reader’s interest. The story will have to be enjoyed for its own sake. While a fan of realistic fiction will undoubtedly enjoy this title, sci-fi/fantasy fans looking for a crossover title might do well to look elsewhere.
Though brief and (ironically) mildly forgettable, The Unforgotten Coat is a very pleasant read. The book is short enough to not be daunting, and yet full of interesting details about the differences between Mongolian and British culture. The story is ultimately about the modern child immigrant experience as seen from the outside, and the responsibility and curiosity Julie feels will resonate with any child who has a new student in their class. This book is definitely worth a look.
The final audiobook I listened to while decorating my spare room (yes…it took a long time). I think this book like the previous one may have been better to read rather than listen to as it seems like I missed out on extras like photographs again, but even so, it was a fabulous book.
Julie is a normal year six kid, but life changes for her when two new people start in her class – Chingis and Negrui. They’re immigrants from Mongolia, and from the moment they start, Julie imagines what it would be like to be invited to tea at their house. Chingis and Nergui decide that Julie is their ‘good guide’, and she helps them to settle in at school in an unfamiliar country.
When Julie finally manages to get to their house, she’s very confused by the reaction that their mum has to the arrival of someone new. But this is all explained towards the end when Chingis and Nergui are suddenly gone.
During the book, we find out that Chingis and Nergui are convinced that a demon is following them, and they end up on a fantastical journey with Julie. But it turns out the demon is more real than Julie ever thought.
Dealing sensitively and imaginatively with complex issues of refugees and immigration, this book was heart-rending but beautifully written. Although clearly aimed at a younger audience, I was gripped the whole way through.
And after reading the afterword where we find out that the book was based on a real Mongolian girl who settled into a school and then was deported, I was so sad. Definitely a great book to recommend to younger readers to open up the topic of refugees and hopefully start a conversation and some learning.
Julie is a normal year six kid, but life changes for her when two new people start in her class – Chingis and Negrui. They’re immigrants from Mongolia, and from the moment they start, Julie imagines what it would be like to be invited to tea at their house. Chingis and Nergui decide that Julie is their ‘good guide’, and she helps them to settle in at school in an unfamiliar country.
When Julie finally manages to get to their house, she’s very confused by the reaction that their mum has to the arrival of someone new. But this is all explained towards the end when Chingis and Nergui are suddenly gone.
During the book, we find out that Chingis and Nergui are convinced that a demon is following them, and they end up on a fantastical journey with Julie. But it turns out the demon is more real than Julie ever thought.
Dealing sensitively and imaginatively with complex issues of refugees and immigration, this book was heart-rending but beautifully written. Although clearly aimed at a younger audience, I was gripped the whole way through.
And after reading the afterword where we find out that the book was based on a real Mongolian girl who settled into a school and then was deported, I was so sad. Definitely a great book to recommend to younger readers to open up the topic of refugees and hopefully start a conversation and some learning.
A very different but interesting story set in England. About two Mongolian boys who arrive in the class and befriend the narrator, one of the girls in the class. I did love the visual presentation-- with the pages that looked like notebook paper and the color photographs.
A wonderful, magical kid's book (probably best for ages 9-13) about a couple of immigrant brothers from Mongolia in a small city in the U.K. There are a lot of Polaroid pictures in the book, which play an important role in the story. The whole thing has a bit of a coming-of-age feel, a bit of magical realism (or is it?), and a bit of painless education about another culture and how it feels to be an immigrant. It also shows how immigration bureaucrats can treat even kids pretty inhumanely.
Frank Cottrell Boyce has done it again, creating a book that surprises, amazes, and twists. This is the story of what happens when two Mongolian boys join a class in England. They appear out of nowhere, suddenly there in school. The two brothers refuse to be separated, so the younger boy, Nergui, stays in his older brother’s class. The two wear large coats and fur hats. They immediately capture the imagination of Julie, one of their classmates, who is thrilled to be selected as their “Good Guide.” She wonders where they live, trying for days to follow them home, but they elude her. Chingis, the older boy, has photographs of Mongolia that he shares with everyone. The entire class learns more about Mongolia than they had ever known. But everything is not as it seems, and Julie discovers the truth too late to be of any help in the end.
The book is short, under 100 pages, with most of it being told in a flashback by an adult Julie. The design of the book adds much to the story, with lined pages that resemble a notebook and Polaroid photographs that capture Mongolia and England, perhaps a mix of both. The photographs in particular are cleverly done, hiding the truth and then revealing with equal success.
This is a powerful story that seems easy. It reads as a simple story about two unusual children joining a classroom, and then twists and turns. It speaks to community and acceptance throughout, showing a class that is eager and willing to embrace the new children, much to my delight. Then the story takes on a more serious subject, about immigration, fear and deportation. There is no didactic message here that is too heavy handed, instead it is kept serious but not message driven.
The book also dances along an edge of imagination and reality where children who pay close attention will realize that even in the end there are questions about what has happened and what truly was. This dance strengthens the novel even more, making it a powerful choice for discussion.
Highly recommended, this book may just be his best, and that is definitely saying something. The short length, powerful subject and complex storyline all combine to make a package that is approachable for young readers, discussable by classes, and pure delight to experience. Appropriate for ages 9-12.
The book is short, under 100 pages, with most of it being told in a flashback by an adult Julie. The design of the book adds much to the story, with lined pages that resemble a notebook and Polaroid photographs that capture Mongolia and England, perhaps a mix of both. The photographs in particular are cleverly done, hiding the truth and then revealing with equal success.
This is a powerful story that seems easy. It reads as a simple story about two unusual children joining a classroom, and then twists and turns. It speaks to community and acceptance throughout, showing a class that is eager and willing to embrace the new children, much to my delight. Then the story takes on a more serious subject, about immigration, fear and deportation. There is no didactic message here that is too heavy handed, instead it is kept serious but not message driven.
The book also dances along an edge of imagination and reality where children who pay close attention will realize that even in the end there are questions about what has happened and what truly was. This dance strengthens the novel even more, making it a powerful choice for discussion.
Highly recommended, this book may just be his best, and that is definitely saying something. The short length, powerful subject and complex storyline all combine to make a package that is approachable for young readers, discussable by classes, and pure delight to experience. Appropriate for ages 9-12.
The Unforgotten Coat was simply fabulous. My only regret? Not having read it sooner. The story is told from the point of view of Julie, who is reflecting on her 6th grade year. The characters were perfect portrayals of 6th graders: bullying, trying to fit in, trying to be yourself, making new friends, learning new things, etc... All were written fluently and true to life. The friendship that grows between the main character and the two Mongolian boys is beautiful. Julie learns so much from Chingis and Nergui, and they from her. And the pictures! And the story behind the pictures! You must read this book!
delightful and interesting short story about a coat left at a primary school by a mongolian student when they were studying at a school in bootle based loosely on a true story well worth reading
For some reason this book didn't really grab me like I was hoping it would. At the beginning I didn't care for the author's voice, and I wasn't feeling the choice to have the author narrate as her adult self. In the end I understood why that choice was made, but the narrative voice sounded like a child's voice and not an adult's. I think that's also why I didn't really get the story from the beginning, because I was assuming the narrator was reliable, since she was telling it from her adult perspective. She knew, as an adult, that these kids were just messing with everyone, that their coats and photos weren't really from Mongolia and that everyone treating them like they didn't know American culture were probably just being strung along. But the narration really sounded like a child's voice, who believed all of the things that Chingis was telling her and not an adult who had an adult skepticism about the whole thing. So it all kind of felt really forced, and not as magical as I feel they were probably going for. The afterword was cute, though, because it was a real story. I wish this book had been a non-fiction account of that truth instead of the fictional version of it.