MIDDLE GRADE REALISTIC FICTION: Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
ABOUT THE BOOK
I am learning how to be
sad
and happy
at the same time.
Jude never thought she’d be leaving her beloved older brother and father behind, all the way across the ocean in Syria. But when things in her hometown start becoming volatile, Jude and her mother are sent to live in Cincinnati with relatives.
At first, everything in America seems too fast and too loud. The American movies that Jude has always loved haven’t quite prepared her for starting school in the US—and her new label of “Middle Eastern,” an identity she’s never known before. But this life also brings unexpected surprises—there are new friends, a whole new family, and a school musical that Jude might just try out for. Maybe America, too, is a place where Jude can be seen as she really is.
REVIEW
This novel in verse that won a Newbery honor a few months ago is worthy of all the praise it has received. Not only is the free verse beautifully written and easy to follow, but the story is a heartfelt one. Jude makes a great character as she struggles with worries both large and small. The story open with Jude and her family adjusting to the growing conflict in their country of Syria. Her father just wants to run his shop and support his family. But Jude's brother, Issa, wants to fight for democracy and greater freedom for his people. As the conflict moves ever closer, Jude and her family must make some difficult decisions. One of those decisions sends Jude and her mother across the ocean to Cincinnati, Ohio in America. Jude and her mother end up living with her Uncle Mazin (her mother's brother) and his wife and daughter. Jude struggles to adjust to a new language, a new school, and a cousin who doesn't want anything to do with her. She does find a new home in her ESL class. But as she settles into her new life, Jude worries about her father and brother, especially when her brother goes missing. Yet she keeps looking for a way to be seen, for her story to be understood. The school production of Beauty and the Beast may provide a chance for her to follow her dream of being an actress, a chance to be seen. A tender story of growing up while trying to find a new normal while her family is separated.
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