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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Decent j-fic book that focuses on the 15th anniversary of 9/11. As a non-juvenile reader, what struck me was the idea that there are already kids who are old enough to learn about the towers falling but have no memory of it. Is this how my parents felt about JFK's assassination? Or how my grandparents felt about Pearl Harbor?
I really loved the characters. Even though they weren't all as fully developed as I'd like them to be, Rhodes did an excellent job of bringing them to life within the limited structure of a middle grades book. I also found the settings vividly and clearly described, to the point that I could almost smell them.
I read middle grades and YA so I'll know what to recommend to my younger patrons at the library. This is one I will definitely recommend. I'm glad to have something new to share!
I really loved the characters. Even though they weren't all as fully developed as I'd like them to be, Rhodes did an excellent job of bringing them to life within the limited structure of a middle grades book. I also found the settings vividly and clearly described, to the point that I could almost smell them.
I read middle grades and YA so I'll know what to recommend to my younger patrons at the library. This is one I will definitely recommend. I'm glad to have something new to share!
This beautiful book moved me and made me cry, and I think it's a must-read for kids and adults alike. Wrapped in the story of Dèja—a homeless fifth-grader in Brooklyn who learns the story of 9/11 and its effect on her family—is a heartbreaking portrait of friendship, poverty, race, mental health and what it really means to be an American. This book is a wonderful, gentle way to introduce kids to the terrorist attacks while also teaching them about diversity and homelessness. Highly recommend.
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
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
This book raises an important question: "Why should we care about stuff that happened in the past?" I think it's a powerful read for upper elementary and young middle school students. Reading and researching it even gave me language that I could use to engage students as a teacher.
I wish I had read the Author's Note before embarking on this story because her motivation made so much more sense once I did. I felt that so many times throughout Desi's story that there were pieces to a puzzle that were lost though I can see that middle school students may not be asking so many questions as I was (mental health advocacy being paramount in my mind).
Grades 4 and up.
Grades 4 and up.
2 stars seems like a harsh review, so let me preface it by saying it is NOT the subject material. I appreciate how difficult that is, even all these years later, to talk about what happened. To explain it to children is that much harder. To keep the memory alive without making them too afraid to continue, that's such an impossible task. The author took on an amazing feat.
I prefer character driven stories. It's told from the first person perspective, but I don't actually feel like I know all that much about Deja besides her homelessness and anger. Deja was a vessel to tell a different story, and I could feel that the entire time. The interactions between the kids felt very superficial and unbelievable. Their only conversations revolved around their homework assignments. Their inside jokes were just references to projects. They're 10, but their relationships don't have to be so shallow. They have other interests and observations.
As a strictly fiction-for-education piece, it gets the job done. I'm not sure it's the book I'd choose to accomplish the lesson, however.
I prefer character driven stories. It's told from the first person perspective, but I don't actually feel like I know all that much about Deja besides her homelessness and anger. Deja was a vessel to tell a different story, and I could feel that the entire time. The interactions between the kids felt very superficial and unbelievable. Their only conversations revolved around their homework assignments. Their inside jokes were just references to projects. They're 10, but their relationships don't have to be so shallow. They have other interests and observations.
As a strictly fiction-for-education piece, it gets the job done. I'm not sure it's the book I'd choose to accomplish the lesson, however.
Sincere look at the tragedy of 9/11 from the perspective of a 10-year-old girl. At first the book skirts the subject and talks about it indirectly- reflecting the main character’s ignorance about the topic. By the end, the reader gets a very detailed, and personal account of what happened that day. Be aware of who you recommend this to- as it might be too intense for sensitive readers.