I could feel her emotions - her fears and her joys. She takes on so many important responsibilities like taking care of her mother while balancing her worries for her Baba (father) and brother, Issa. Her strength as she moves to America was so beautifully expressed. And the ways she is brave and true to herself even when it’s hard. Jude is an immediately likable protagonist and so easy to cheer for!I loved her personality, her love of American movies and actresses. I like to read these types of books out loud because hearing the words is even more powerful than reading them. The way the words sit on the page is part of the story. I loved the way the author uses the page to make certain words stand out and the way the words flow down the pages. In this novel, the writing is so beautiful, and the imagery is sharp and gorgeous. I love the ways that verse gives a story new dimension and space. I loved the verse form and getting Jude’s story in poetic language.Novels in verse is a favorite new genre for me over the past few years (some of my favorites include The Crossover and Inside Out and Back Again). Maybe America, too, is a place where Jude can be seen as she really is.”

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. 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 when things in her hometown start becoming volatile, Jude and her mother are sent to live in Cincinnati with relatives.Īt first, everything in America seems too fast and too loud. Jude never thought she’d be leaving her beloved older brother and father behind, all the way across the ocean in Syria. This book is so beautiful! I bought it soon after finishing it I love the colors of the cover and the feel of the book.I recently shared a refugee and immigrant stories book list with several favorites. I appreciate how these stories have helped me be a bit more open and kind with those around me. There are so many great stories about refugees and I have been honored to read a few of them. I’ve been on a bit of a refugee story streak this fall.And it’s also a quick read - I finished in only a few sittings. This was an easy book to get invested in. A good friend of mine recommended this to me recently and I absolutely loved it! It won a Newbery Honor in 2020 and I think it was worth of the Newbery Medal. Today I am really excited to share my review of Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga.

Loving the cooler weather around here and the coziness of home. I hope you are having a fantastic October! We are busy with school.

Other words for home review