Book Beginnings quote:
It is almost summer and everywhere smells like fish,
except for right down by the sea
where if you hold your nose just right
you can smell the sprawling jasmine and the salt water
instead.
Friday56 quote:
When I say good-bye to Baba,
he hugs me tight,
his arms saying everything that his lips don't.
Summary: Jude. a thirteen-year-old teenager, and her pregnant mother leave behind their beloved Syria, her brother, and Baba (father) to move to America and away from the war that is raging nearer and nearer their city.. In America Jude is viewed as Middle Eastern, a term she'd near heard before. Will she ever find any friends like those she had to leave behind? Will she be able to speak English well enough to try out for a part in the school play? "This lyrical, life-affirming story is about losing and finding home and, more important, finding yourself."
Review: This 2019 Newbery honor book is a perfect conversation starter for a middle school or young YA reader. Through Jude the reader will find a sweet and unpushy character who is trying to do her best to fit in, despite the language and cultural differences. At one point in the story she has a conversation with a kind, but nerdy/misfit boy who points out that being different is a good thing.
The book is written in verse, as you see from the quotes above. I found the poetry to be average, which always makes me wonder why the author didn't just write the story in prose, unless the poetry is exceptional. Other than that I enjoyed this story and felt my heart open up just a little bit more to immigrants who are being treated so unkindly these days by our government. It was a timely read.
-Anne
I love books written in verse! I'm always looking for new ones to try. It sounds like a relevant and worthwhile read even if the poetry itself was only average. Definitely one I am going to add to my wish list. Thank you for featuring it, Anne. I hope you have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteI have heard good things about this book but hadn't realized it's in verse. I am reading a verse book right now that is done well: The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta (it won the Stonewall Award in 2019)
ReplyDeleteI am not a fan of books written in verse...except this one sounds tempting. I like the book summary, too. Thanks for sharing, and here's mine: “FINAL CUT”
ReplyDeleteSounds like an interesting story. I've sort of lost track of the genre since I retired as a school librarian. This week I am spotlighting Nightshade by M. L. Huie - a historical mystery from my review stack. Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteI'm not a fan of a complete work of literature written as verse and from your extracts the verse doesn't sound that amazing, although the words are nice.
ReplyDeleteI don't really follow the trends for YA fiction, however I think that most young people would prefer this one if it was written as traditional text.
It definitely sounds like an on-trend storyline which would appeal to the age group.
Thanks for sharing and have a good weekend :)
Yvonne xx
Beautiful snippets!! I love how it sounds! Happy Labor Day weekend!
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've read any story in verse besides Beowulf and Homer! But it sounds like a good story and maybe the target age group would like the alternate form.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds good and I love the excerpts you shared.
ReplyDeleteOooh, this is a book I've really been wanting to read! Need to get my hands on it. :D I think I have the same reaction to you with some books in verse, where it doesn't feel so much as a poem as just choppy prose, so it makes me wonder what the point is. This sounds like a really touching novel, though, and I'm looking forward to getting a copy!
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