![]() Jude, a young Syrian girl, must leave her homeland and travel with her mother an unborn sister to Cincinnati to stay with family due to the turmoil in her hometown in Syria. Jude leaves behind her father and older brother. Other Words for Home tells Jude's story through poignantly written verse. Throughout the verses the reader discovers Jude's struggles with trying to fit in to middle school in America while also trying to hold fast to her family and heritage. Jude worries about her older brother and father back home and encounters racism when their is a terrorist attack on U.S. soil, and she must choose whether to wear her hijab or not when she becomes a woman. The book tells a story that students of varying nationalities and ethnic backgrounds can relate to. Approximate Reading Level - Grades 5th-7th
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![]() I enjoyed this book much more than I had anticipated. Mian does a wonderful job developing Omar as a likable and relatable character. Told from Omar's perspective, the reader follows Omar as he works to fit in at his new school and in his new neighborhood. Students will enjoy the humor and fun illustrations throughout the story. Omar has a great sense of humor and a creative imagination which makes the storyline engaging; however, there are some serious themes in the book as well as Omar struggles with prejudice from others due to his family being Muslim. Mian does a fabulous job of including Muslim culture throughout the book to lend some authenticity to the storyline and characters and to teach non-Muslim readers about some basic Muslim beliefs and culture. Overall, I think students will enjoy this book which is the first in a three book series about Omar. Approximate Reading Level - Grades 3rd-5th (I think it would also be suitable for some 6th graders as well) ![]() Watched by Marina Budhos was a difficult read for me. It opened a window to a world that I did not really know existed. After 9/11, I was aware of difficulties and Islamaphobia that many Muslims faced (and still face), but I guess I did not realize the intensity and how tough it must have been to be Muslim in America especially at this time in history. I did not love Budhos’s writing style or really connect with the protagonist Naeem, but I could not put the book down. It was like staring at a train wreck. I did not want to see what happened, but I needed to know. The one underlying point that Budhos makes clear in this novel is how the Muslim population felt “watched” and how that affected their lives and interactions with each other. It did not seem that the characters could really trust anyone because they were hyperaware that neighbors had been planted to “watch” them and report suspicious behavior. In the novel Naeem struggles with first being sort of proud that his handlers entrusted him with this important job. He felt that he was doing something to protect his community, and he enjoyed the money he received. But, as he got deeper into the program, and was in the midst of surveilling his friend, Ibraham, he began to feel differently. Naeem begins to empathize with Ibraham and see that he feels lost and isolated and does not know what to do. This internal struggle between what Naeem was seeing and how the police instigated and enticed Ibraham into admitting he is “planning” something is what really struck me. It made me realize how lost and isolated these young men must feel. Like many teenagers, they are struggling to find their place in the world, but they are also being pressured by their families to be “good Muslims”, they are feeling watched at all times, and then they become very susceptible to extremists and/or other outside forces that try to offer them a “better life”. Although, I hope none of my students have encountered a situation similar to Naeem’s, I do think the majority of teenagers could relate to Naeem and his struggles to find his place in the world and to make his family proud. I would be interested to see if my Muslim students see any of their lives mirrored in Naeem’s, and if they too have ever felt “watched”. I would hope they have not, but I imagine some of them probably have. I plan on adding this book to my recommended list for students to read. Approximate Reading Level: 6th-8th grades |
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