jaw417's review
4.0
Heartfelt and beautiful depiction of the unique experience of children navigating the space between two cultures---the one at home, and the one at school and elsewhere. The author compassionately and simply illustrates how this balancing act can be exhausting, but also a source of resilience and pride.
ofloveandlayovers's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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
cacia's review
3.0
2.5 stars, rounded up for the cultural representation. The ending felt a bit pat — rushed, facile — and the use of fragments rather than full sentences throughout made it difficult to get immersed in the story.
nerdybookworm23's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
heisereads's review
4.0
Beautiful #OwnVoices book of the immigrant experience! One small thing pulled me out of it: Disappointment seeing a slanted eye East Asian American stereotype portrayed in one of the small illustrations of a school scene.
abigailbat's review
This beautiful, bright book depicts a modern family immigrating from a village in India to a town in America and how it feels to be a child living in between cultures. This is a great book for immigrant children to see that they're not alone and for American-born children to start to understand code-switching and how much work it can be!
theybedax's review
5.0
Absolutely gorgeous and what a beyond magical message. The colors are so vibrant that you just want to jump into the page and experience the in between with Shanti, especially when it all becomes so overwhelming the neither and both!
kiralovesreading's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
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
4.0
leslie_d's review
5.0
“The space between cultures doesn’t have to be a barrier; for children who grow up there, it can become a threshold of gratitude to celebrate the best of many worlds.”—Author’s Note
Home is in Between tells the story of a young girl who moves with her family from a village in Bengal to the United States (as had the author when she was seven). Shanti (a name that in Bangla means “peace”) finds herself between two cultures, continuing to grow in her first culture while learning to navigate a second one. The book portrays the joy derived from both worlds, even as it recognizes the challenges. Shanti begins to learn the art of code-switching and Perkins and Naidu illustrate how exhausting it is and becomes so beautifully.
After Shanti rests (a wonderful and remarkable inclusion), she finds confidence and inspiration in her experiences and brings communities together.
Perkins and Naidu make the two homes easy to follow, the left and right sides, the white space in the middle, the color palette. The panels for those “Back and forth” pages are so well done. The use of color tones to create contrast; and while the oranges and yellows are warming to the left, the blues and purples cooler tones aren’t necessarily unwelcoming—but they do successfully translate difference. Shanti herself is dynamic; bright with movement and expression—her elephant companion is a great partner in this.
The illustrations are absolutely charming. Please someone animate this book—and don’t change a thing. Perkins and Naidu are quite the collaborative pair: vibrant, accessible, skilled. Home is in Between is a pleasure to read. And I think what it brings to our bookshelves is invaluable.
Home is in Between tells the story of a young girl who moves with her family from a village in Bengal to the United States (as had the author when she was seven). Shanti (a name that in Bangla means “peace”) finds herself between two cultures, continuing to grow in her first culture while learning to navigate a second one. The book portrays the joy derived from both worlds, even as it recognizes the challenges. Shanti begins to learn the art of code-switching and Perkins and Naidu illustrate how exhausting it is and becomes so beautifully.
After Shanti rests (a wonderful and remarkable inclusion), she finds confidence and inspiration in her experiences and brings communities together.
Perkins and Naidu make the two homes easy to follow, the left and right sides, the white space in the middle, the color palette. The panels for those “Back and forth” pages are so well done. The use of color tones to create contrast; and while the oranges and yellows are warming to the left, the blues and purples cooler tones aren’t necessarily unwelcoming—but they do successfully translate difference. Shanti herself is dynamic; bright with movement and expression—her elephant companion is a great partner in this.
The illustrations are absolutely charming. Please someone animate this book—and don’t change a thing. Perkins and Naidu are quite the collaborative pair: vibrant, accessible, skilled. Home is in Between is a pleasure to read. And I think what it brings to our bookshelves is invaluable.