The Breadwinner

Emmeline’s teacher was reading her class The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis, so Emmeline recommended it to me. I  read it and then also read the three sequels—Parvana’s Journey, Mud City, and My Name is Parvana. Because I’m playing catchup on the blog, I won’t write separate posts for each book but just kind of group them all here. The Breadwinner is about 11-year-old Parvana who lives in Kabul, Afghanistan with her family. War and Taliban rule has taken away many things from her family, and when Parvana’s dad gets arrested for having a foreign education, they are left with only one option—Parvana dressing as a boy and becoming the breadwinner.

This was a great book and series. Especially as the series goes on, it has some pretty heavy, sad stuff, and it’s just so heartbreaking what children have to go through in these war-torn countries. I think it’s great Emmeline’s teacher is reading The Breadwinner with the class, but I told Emmeline I thought the rest of the books were a little much for her. (She doesn’t handle death well, and there are some hard deaths.) The books were engaging stories, and I always wanted to keep reading the next book. I also think it was really meaningful to learn about how children and families live in war-ridden countries and refugee camps and to remember how blessed we are to have the lives we have in America. It reminded me to seek out opportunities to help those less fortunate.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

The Red Pencil

I had The Red Pencil by Andrea Davis Pinkney on my to-read list for awhile and got it from the library. Amira lives in a village in Sudan that is attacked by the Janjaweed, and she has to escape—making a long journey to a refugee camp.

This was a great read. It was written in verse, which I always love, and told a pretty heart-wrenching story. I read this a couple months ago so can’t remember much else but still wanted to document that I read it.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

Betty Before X

I got Betty Before X by Ilyasah Shabazz and Renee Watson from the library after seeing it on a list somewhere. The book caught my attention because it’s the fictionalized story of Betty Shabazz, Malcolm X’s wife, as a child, written by their daughter and co-written by Renee Watson, an author I’ve enjoyed in the past. The story follows Betty, an 11-year-old in Detroit in 1945, through her journey to finding love and purpose.

This is another book I read a couple months ago, so I don’t remember tons about it anymore thanks to my terrible memory, but it was definitely an engaging story that kept me reading. I kept expecting it to tie into Malcolm X somehow, but the story just did a few years of her childhood/teen years and then ended before making the connection to her later years. But I really enjoyed the characters and story and liked getting a glimpse of this period of history.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

Things That Go Booklist

 Here's another PBS booklist with books about things that go!

https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/picture-books-about-things-that-go

Autumn books

I had another opportunity to make a booklist for PBS Parents. This one is books about autumn!

https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/13-childrens-books-for-celebrating-fall

Home of the Brave

My daughter told me that her teacher was reading Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate aloud to the class, so I decided to get it from the library and read it as well. It was also already on my to-read list, and I have really liked several of Katherine Applegate's other books (Wishtree, The One and Only Ivan). This book is about Kek, who comes to America from Africa after living in a refugee camp. He lost his father and brother in the war and desperately hopes that his mother is still alive. As he joins his aunt and cousin in America, he adjusts to his unfamiliar aspects of his new life--snow, school, and even laundry machines.

This was a beautiful read. It was written in verse (which I love, like I always say), and the author created distinct, believable characters and a story that kept me engaged. I'm really glad my daughter is reading this book as well because it offers a glimpse into what it's like to be an immigrant--learning about a completely new culture and having to adjust. It also doesn't shy away from the pain that is in the past of a refugee child. This was a meaningful read that had me tearing up several times.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

Unbound

I've had Unbound by Ann E. Burg on my to-read list for awhile and finally got around to reading it now that I have access to a physical library again. Unbound, written in verse, is about Grace, a 9-year-old slave who has to leave her family to work in the Big House. The more time Grace spends around the Master and Missus, the more she recognizes the injustice of slavery and the life she and her family must live. When her family is in danger, she realizes the only option is to run.

This was a a wonderful book. I always love books written in verse, and Ann E. Burg is a great writer. (I also loved her book Serafina's Promise.) I think this is a great book to introduce older children to the reality of slavery, and it is also good for adults to learn about a unique historical aspect of slavery--runaways who found safety in the Great Dismal Swamp.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)