zombieracoon's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
It's a wonderful and inspiring girl of an Arabic girl crossing an ocean and moving to America, and her journey and experiences in America.
Content Warnings
Minor: Xenophobia, War, Islamophobia, and Racism
nytephoenyx's review against another edition
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This is a sweet story about a girl who immigrated from Syria to the United States. There’s some emotional moments, but the author was cautious about telling the story while maintaining its status as a children’s book, so it’s certainly not as heavy as it could be. Altogether a good story and I appreciate the representation.
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Pregnancy, and Islamophobia
hotkoolaidpotato's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia
Moderate: Toxic friendship and Bullying
Minor: War, Violence, and Blood
ruthypoo2's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This was a really wonderful middle grade book about the experience of a young girl, Jude, who must move from Syria with her mother to live with relatives in the United States. Jude is sad to leave behind her father who stays to continue operating the family business, and her older brother who is becoming dangerously aligned with militant factions.
The author, Jasmine Warga, captures Jude’s feelings of loss of home and everything familiar. The story describes what it’s like to feel an outsider, not know the language, be unsure how to fit in at a new school, and then eventually, the wonder of finding your place in a new country. Although Jude is dealing with the challenges of assimilation, she’s also reached a time in her life when she’s starting to mature and face the same insecurities as every other young person, regardless of their homeland or adopted home. Obviously, this is a common ground that can help forge new young relationships.
While the issues of migration, seeking asylum, bigotry, and bullying are heavy topics, this book addresses them in a way that can be understood and thoughtfully considered by a young reader. The author doesn’t dwell on the hardships experienced by Jude and her family, but paints a picture showing that there’s more to the background story of someone who’s new to America than most native citizens are aware. The storyline advocates that there’s much to be gained by welcoming someone who’s new to your country so you can share and learn from each other’s cultural heritage.
This is a very good book and I recommend it to readers of all ages.
The author, Jasmine Warga, captures Jude’s feelings of loss of home and everything familiar. The story describes what it’s like to feel an outsider, not know the language, be unsure how to fit in at a new school, and then eventually, the wonder of finding your place in a new country. Although Jude is dealing with the challenges of assimilation, she’s also reached a time in her life when she’s starting to mature and face the same insecurities as every other young person, regardless of their homeland or adopted home. Obviously, this is a common ground that can help forge new young relationships.
While the issues of migration, seeking asylum, bigotry, and bullying are heavy topics, this book addresses them in a way that can be understood and thoughtfully considered by a young reader. The author doesn’t dwell on the hardships experienced by Jude and her family, but paints a picture showing that there’s more to the background story of someone who’s new to America than most native citizens are aware. The storyline advocates that there’s much to be gained by welcoming someone who’s new to your country so you can share and learn from each other’s cultural heritage.
This is a very good book and I recommend it to readers of all ages.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Islamophobia
Minor: Pregnancy and War
bookedandbusy's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I loved this book so much. It gave me so much perspective on a topic I’m generally very sheltered from, and I appreciated that! This is an important read for any age and I would recommend it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Islamophobia, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Pregnancy, War, and Violence
melancholymegs's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia, War, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Religious bigotry
Minor: Blood
tuma's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Highly recommended for EVERY middle school classroom. Teachers important lessons about acceptance and understanding others who may be different from us. Poetry is beautifully written. And Jude is an inspiring character.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Islamophobia
100_pages_hr's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
A must have for every classroom library. Should be required reading for all 6th or 7th graders
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Islamophobia, and Cultural appropriation
goldyyy's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Islamophobia, and Racism
Moderate: Hate crime and Pregnancy
Minor: War, Racial slurs, and Religious bigotry
nannahnannah's review against another edition
4.5
I’ve come to really enjoy young adult books written in free verse. It’s amazing to see someone say something as moving and poignant in three or four lines of text as I would usually see in three or four pages. And Other Words for Home is definitely one of those novels with that kind of power. A great read to start off 2021!
Representation:
- Jude and her family are Syrian (and then Syrian American) and Muslim.
- She also has a friend who is Jordanian American and Muslim.
- Jude is also in a class with three minor characters who become her friends. They are immigrants like her from Korea, China, and Somalia.
- One of Jude's classmates, Miles, seems to be neurodivergent (can't give you any confirmation on this, but it's one neurodivergent person recognizing another here).
When her town in Syria starts to become violent, Jude and her mom move to America to live with her uncle, leaving her brother and father behind. In the United States, everything has a label: Jude is now “Middle Eastern”; her food is now “Middle Eastern food”, she’s now “other”, and she soon sees a new, awful label on her friend’s restaurant: “terrorist”. But the US also has the possibility of new friends and a new family and new experiences she’d always dreamed of trying out back home. Little by little, Jude starts to learn that both her homes, Syria and the US, can be equally as important to her and places she can belong.
Other Words for Home is incredibly sweet and earnest. It does a great job taking on the voice of a child who has to move to the United States and feel “lucky” for it. It’s a recurring theme throughout the book, and the lines about it are always placed at the ends of chapters because they’re so impactful. They really did make me sit there a while before I was able to turn the page:
”It is so strange to feel lucky / for something that is making my heart feel so sad.”
[...]
“Lucky, I whisper to myself that night. / I wonder if I say it enough times, / if it will start to feel true, / come true.
There is an Arabic proverb that says: / Her luck splits open rocks. / I am still waiting to feel like the force / and less like the rocks.”
While this book does tackle things like Islamophobia, prejudice, “white feminism” (the kind that has white Christian women running up to Muslim women trying to convince them they’re in America now and don’t have to wear hijabs or other head coverings anymore, etc.), and other types of oppression, the main bulk of the book is about family and belonging.
I’m already mentally making a list of people and teachers to recommend this to. It’s a really good read, and it kept me up till probably three o’clock a couple nights.
But it’s not faultless, of course. While I loved our protagonist, Jude, I felt she was too perfect a child most of the time. She was faultless, and I wish she had maybe a hard time adjusting to at least one little aspect of life in the US or had a major argument or something that lasted more than a single short chapter. It was always everyone around her that was more selfish, more short-tempered, more rude. I know this is middle grade fiction, and she’s a character kids can look up to, but it would be nice and satisfying to be able to see her grow as a character as well.
There was also a bit of cissexism when the ultrasound doctor asks if Jude’s mom would like to know if the mom’s baby is a boy or a girl. The doctor says she thinks she knows but would like to take one more look because “It’s important to be certain about these things”. It’s an unnecessary line that made me uneasy for the sole reason that this book is very succinct and chooses its words carefully.
Those are definitely not reasons to avoid this book, though. It’s really very good, and it’s one of those works you know will make a big difference in someone’s life. Brilliant writing and a lovely, important, and necessary story.
Representation:
- Jude and her family are Syrian (and then Syrian American) and Muslim.
- She also has a friend who is Jordanian American and Muslim.
- Jude is also in a class with three minor characters who become her friends. They are immigrants like her from Korea, China, and Somalia.
- One of Jude's classmates, Miles, seems to be neurodivergent (can't give you any confirmation on this, but it's one neurodivergent person recognizing another here).
When her town in Syria starts to become violent, Jude and her mom move to America to live with her uncle, leaving her brother and father behind. In the United States, everything has a label: Jude is now “Middle Eastern”; her food is now “Middle Eastern food”, she’s now “other”, and she soon sees a new, awful label on her friend’s restaurant: “terrorist”. But the US also has the possibility of new friends and a new family and new experiences she’d always dreamed of trying out back home. Little by little, Jude starts to learn that both her homes, Syria and the US, can be equally as important to her and places she can belong.
Other Words for Home is incredibly sweet and earnest. It does a great job taking on the voice of a child who has to move to the United States and feel “lucky” for it. It’s a recurring theme throughout the book, and the lines about it are always placed at the ends of chapters because they’re so impactful. They really did make me sit there a while before I was able to turn the page:
”It is so strange to feel lucky / for something that is making my heart feel so sad.”
[...]
“Lucky, I whisper to myself that night. / I wonder if I say it enough times, / if it will start to feel true, / come true.
There is an Arabic proverb that says: / Her luck splits open rocks. / I am still waiting to feel like the force / and less like the rocks.”
While this book does tackle things like Islamophobia, prejudice, “white feminism” (the kind that has white Christian women running up to Muslim women trying to convince them they’re in America now and don’t have to wear hijabs or other head coverings anymore, etc.), and other types of oppression, the main bulk of the book is about family and belonging.
I’m already mentally making a list of people and teachers to recommend this to. It’s a really good read, and it kept me up till probably three o’clock a couple nights.
But it’s not faultless, of course. While I loved our protagonist, Jude, I felt she was too perfect a child most of the time. She was faultless, and I wish she had maybe a hard time adjusting to at least one little aspect of life in the US or had a major argument or something that lasted more than a single short chapter. It was always everyone around her that was more selfish, more short-tempered, more rude. I know this is middle grade fiction, and she’s a character kids can look up to, but it would be nice and satisfying to be able to see her grow as a character as well.
There was also a bit of cissexism when the ultrasound doctor asks if Jude’s mom would like to know if the mom’s baby is a boy or a girl. The doctor says she thinks she knows but would like to take one more look because “It’s important to be certain about these things”. It’s an unnecessary line that made me uneasy for the sole reason that this book is very succinct and chooses its words carefully.
Those are definitely not reasons to avoid this book, though. It’s really very good, and it’s one of those works you know will make a big difference in someone’s life. Brilliant writing and a lovely, important, and necessary story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Islamophobia and Racism