Tag Archives: book club

Apr23

Boy, Everywhere by A.M. Dassu

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Boy, Everywhere by A.M. Dassu

boy

In a very crowded field of refugee themed books, this 400 page middle grades/early middle school novel sets itself apart by really focussing on the quality of life enjoyed in Syria compared to the life of a refugee on the move and in getting reestablished as an immigrant.  Where other books allude to how things in Syria got worse and then perhaps focus more on the horrific journey desperate individuals are forced to take, this book is very direct in showing the young protagonist’s daily life in Damascus and really cementing in the notion for western privileged readers, that loosing everything could happen to anyone. The book does show hardships on the perilous journey by truck and boat as well as showing that life in England isn’t immediately better.  Side characters throughout the book show diverse opinions and strengths that for the preteen target demographic would provide starting points for wonderful discussion and dialogue to take place. Overall, the book does a decent job of not falling into the same cliche’ narrative even though the book does have a hopeful and happy ending.

SYNOPSIS:

Sami is the 13-year-old son of a surgeon and principal.  He has a little sister, a best friend, a desire to be on the football (soccer) team, the latest Air Jordans, a love of video games, his iPad, and a very comfortable life.  When he orders the newest soccer shoes to wear for tryouts and begs his mom to go pick them up from the mall, the Syrian civil war which has seemed an arm’s length away, comes to Damascus and to Sami.  The mall is bombed while his mom and little sister are getting his shoes and while they survive Sara is traumatized and stops speaking.  The family decides immediately and secretly that they have to leave.  Sami is kept slightly in the dark and thus, so is the reader as to how quick everything must be liquidated and how uncertain the future is for the family.  

Sami is forced to turn over his iPad to his parents, he stops going to school, and before he has time to talk to his friends, he is saying good bye to his grandmother and heading to Lebanon with his parents and sister.  The journey is perilous and fraught with danger.  The constant state of fear and silence, the peeing in bottles, the trust in smugglers is all so palpable.  The rooms they are locked in with other refugees and the the bonds and fears and squalor that Sami experiences is such a stark contrast to the life he has known of drivers and maids.  In one smuggler’s den in Turkey Sami befriends a boy slightly older than him that is traveling alone, Aadam.  Desperate to help his new friend, Sami tries to steal his father’s cell phone and some money to help Aadam ensure his seat on a boat, not a raft, to cross the Mediterranean.  Sami is used to his family helping others, this situation of not being able to help, not being able to help themselves, is very new to him, and causes a lot of stress and strain between Sami and his father.

Sami has a fear of boats and water, having nearly drowned years earlier, the idea of getting on a make shift boat in the night with rough water is not something Sami is mentally prepared to do and when a boat near them capsizes, the reader is made painfully aware that even those that survive this journey are not left unharmed.  The family makes it to England to claim asylum, they are put in a holding area, a prison more or less, to await the next stop in a long process.  Here Sami and his father are assaulted and the threat of physical violence and imprisonment start to really affect Sami.  When they eventually get to a distant family members house in Manchester, their struggles are far from over as the family is unwelcoming.  School brings out the racists, the parents take jobs as factory workers and cleaners and Sara is still not talking.  With the guilt of his family’s condition weighing heavily on Sami, the constant bullying by his family in England, and the sad condition of his family’s finances, Sami decides he needs to return to Syria to care for his Tete and unburden his family of his presence.  

Yah, sorry, I’m not going to give it all away.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I love that the book really articulates how Sami’s life is in Syria and has him remark multiple times in England how much nicer things were in Damascus.  It doesn’t come across as a criticism, but rather a rattling of the paradigm that the west is so much better across the board.  I love that Sami’s best friend in Syria is Christian and that they are so respectful of each other’s faith and it is a non issue.  I love that some of the refugees in the holding apartment are kind and some in the detention facility in England are criminal.  It allows for the reminder that people are people even when they are refugees and cannot be assumed to be a monolith.  It also opens the door to discuss how desperation changes people.  Sami’s family is usually very generous, but with their own futures in turmoil, they cannot afford to be, they also presumable are very social and yet, the silence between strangers and within their own family is very telling of the stress and worry that plagues them.  I like how the process humbles the characters.  Not that I enjoy or feel that the characters needed necessarily to be humbled, but it is a transition that the reader benefits from seeing.  Sami’s father is/was a doctor, a surgeon, but is loading boxes in a factory, the desire to take care of ones family trumps degrees and expectation.  The transition is conveyed to the reader and I think will plant a seed of empathy in even the hardest hearts.  

The family in Manchester, particularly the boy Hassan, is awful and the friend, Ali, from school is amazing.  These opposing Muslim characters also help break the stereotype of where bullying comes from, and who is welcoming, allowing for people to be seen more as individuals than they often are in literature and in real life.  Islam is presented as characteristics of the characters when it does appear.  They ask Allah for help and say salam, attend various mosques, but there are not heavy religious overtones.  

At times Sami is annoying, and as an adult reading the book, I had to remind myself that that is probably exactly how a 13 year old boy would behave.  He sees things in black and white and is often singularly focused on contacting his friends.  He doesn’t understand the bigger picture, nor is told a lot of the bigger picture.  It is a hard age of being kept from stuff because you are too young, and being expected to rise up and be mature because of the gravity of the situation.  The book is not overly political, it is character driven and very memorable thanks to Sami’s perspective and voice.

The book is researched, it is not an OWN voice story, and while it is a compelling and engaging read, that I hope is accurate, the framing of the story is not incredibly original.  Aside from other Syrian refugee focused books, the book reminded me quite a bit of Shooting Kabul, albeit the country being left is different.   Both plots focus on a boy leaving with his family and blaming himself for the tragedy that has befallen a younger sister and the repercussions it is having on the family as they reestablish themselves as immigrants.  In both books the character plans to board an airplane to return “home,” as well.  

I like that there is a map, a glossary, and an author’s note included in the beautifully spaced, visibly accessible book.

FLAGS:

The assault is intense as is the fear of physical assault.  There is nothing detailed in the bombing, but the implied stresses of war, the journey of the characters, and the situations that they are in would be best for ten year olds and up.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I am hoping to use this book as a Middle School book club read to start next year off.  The book is not yet out in paperback, otherwise I would do it this year.  There are so many things to discuss: from Sami’s unhappiness, his strengths, his desire to help others, to considering life from Aadam’s perspective and Hassans.  This book begs to be talked about with young readers and I’m so excited to hear what their thoughts are and who they identify with.  They could be Sami, he is a boy, everywhere, and if we can all remember that, we all will be better humans, period, the end.

Mar15

Proud: Living My American Dream (Young Readers Edition) by Ibtihaj Muhammad

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Proud: Living My American Dream (Young Readers Edition) by Ibtihaj Muhammad

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I had high expectations for a memoir about such an inspiring figure, so I treaded timidly into the book waiting to be disappointed, but after finishing the book in two days (high praise considering I have four kids), I realized I was holding my breath for nothing, the book and Ibtihaj are amazing! Now three days after I started, my daughter too has read it and I have ordered a handful of copies to offer as my next Middle School Book Club selection.  Inspirational, real, Islamic, hopeful, empowering, check, check, check, check, and well written too.  A great story and a great role model, alhumdulillah.  The Young Reader’s Edition is an AR 6.7 and 304 pages including Acknowledgements, Glossary of Fencing Terms, Ibtihaj’s Advice, and Q and A with Ibithaj.

SYNOPSIS:

Ibtihaj begins her life story establishing her background of who her parents are, how they met, how they came to Islam and how they are raising their children.  She also details how she is different and realizes it from a young age, whether it is substitutes not being able, or willing, to pronounce her first name, or not being able to sleep over at her friends’ houses.  She also sets the stage for the environment of Newark that she was born into and how it differs racially and economically from Maplewood where she spent most of her childhood.  The story then is pretty linear walking through some of the challenges of being highly driven and motivated and determined to succeed and get in college.  How she is first introduced to fencing and why she gives it a second chance after initially not liking it.   Along the way the reader gets to know how Islam influences her point of view as Allah is very central to her decisions and expectations of herself.  The quick pace is not depressing, while others at times do treat her differently she definitely doesn’t paint herself or seem to see herself as a victim or as privileged, she is just herself and this is her story.  It isn’t all rosy and it isn’t harsh, she is putting one foot in front of the other and there is amazing support from her family, and some of her coaches and some of her teammates, but not everyone and that is a very important part of her story too, which I think provides even more for young readers to relate and learn from.  Anyone not familiar with fencing and how the sport and its rankings work will learn so much reading this book, but thankfully not be overwhelmed with it all either.  The book ends shortly after the Olympics and her historic bronze medal win.  The title may reflect her being proud of what she accomplished and continues to pursue and her pride in being a Black American Muslim Woman, but I think anyone who reads the book will just be proud that someone like her exists, and that maybe some small part of ourselves can be great too.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I love that the book leaves in some of the naysayers and difficult coaches and teammates.  I really think it is easy to assume that people are great and things should all work out when you are competing on an international level, but alas no, completely not the case, yet differences aside, they still had to win an individual sport as a team. 

 I also love that she is truly what she claims, the way she practices Islam is who she is and she loves her family and her faith.  There are no contradictions she excels and perseveres and finds herself while acknowledging all parts of herself and it is so inspiring.  She portrays Islam as a way of life, she prays and fasts and has days when her iman is low and days her faith is rewarding.  She focuses on what she can control and has to learn to accept what Allah swt has decreed for her.  She has Muslim friends, and non Muslim friends and through it all she is finding her place and is surrounded by love and support from her family.  It really is a feel good story and we should all pray that it continues to be.  She doesn’t portray Islam as limiting, nor as her family an exception to what a Muslim home is, and this level of dawah can really change perceptions.  The book is not preachy or arrogant, it is simply her story and Islam is a part of it.

I like that she went to a prestigious university and it didn’t make all her dreams come true, she still had to work hard and find herself and humble herself to work at a dollar store to scrape by, it shows tenacity and a glimpse of the real world that privileged middle schoolers might not have had to consider before.

FLAGS:

The book is clean.  It talks about how uncomfortable she was at her first fencing lesson with her coach having to reposition her stances and thus touch her, and it discusses how she felt listening to music was ok in Islam even though her parents disagreed.  A few sentences at most, collectively, but kids will have thoughts on it.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

My 12 year old daughter read the book in a few hours and discussed it with me for even longer.  It was as if some tidbit from the book would blossom inside her and she would consider it, and want to discuss it, from why she would not talk to the kids she was substituting about fencing, to why her coach made her switch to saber, I don’t think there is a shortage of things to discuss, or more importantly listen to from the young readers.

There is a ton about her online as she became the first American Muslim to medal and the first to compete in hijab.  I highly recommend this book for book club, and will  hopefully add how our meeting went in a few weeks.

 

 

 

 

Dec10

The Breadwinner By Deborah Ellis

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breadwinner

The Breadwinner is the first book in Deborah Ellis’ four book series about 11 year-old-Parvana, her friends, and her family in Taliban controlled Afghanistan.  The remarkable thing about this book is that it is a compelling story, that has moments of intensity and reality, yet never falters from being on about a 4th grade reading and comprehension level.  The AR level is 4.5 and as a teacher I taught the book as a novel study to 4th graders, and now as a librarian I presented the book for my Jr. Book Club.  In both cases, after completion, the children are arguing and fighting for the next books in the series, Parvana’s Journey, and then Mud City, and finally My Name is Parvana.  It is not a tempting book on the shelf necessarily, but once you start, it is hard to put down.

SYNOPSIS:

The book gives readers a glimpse of how the Taliban changed the day-to-day lives of the Afghani people.  Young Parvana starts out helping her father, a  former History teacher, earn a meager living by reading and writing for the illiterate in the marketplace, and selling odds-and-ends that the family is willing to do without in order to survive.  As a young girl she is allowed to accompany her father into the marketplace, her older sister and mother, however, have not left their home in a year and a half.  When Parvana’s father is dragged off to prison, the family is in need of a provider, a breadwinner, and with some of her deceased brother’s clothes, a haircut and some courage, young Parvana becomes Kaseem.  She carries on her father’s work, digs up bones to earn more, and sells items from a tray to keep her family afloat.  In the process she meets an old classmate, Shauzia, who is also disguised as a boy, an old gym teacher, Mrs. Weera, determined to fight back through disseminating journals and magazines, and other characters that bring the horrors and hope of the Afghan people to life.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I like that it doesn’t get too political, which would bog down the story and turn off young readers, and while it presents unfair imprisonment, stadium style punishments, death and pain, it does so in a way that evokes empathy not fear.  It even at times finds a way to stay light-hearted and offer up hope as the reader sees the resilience and determination of these people.

“I’ve been thinking about starting up a little school here,” Mrs. Weera said to Parvana’s surprise.  “A secret school, for a small number of girls, a few hours a week.  you must attend.  Parvana will let you know when.””What about the Taliban?” “The Taliban will not be invited.”

FLAGS:

The book is intense at some moments, such as when the father is taken by the police, the girl’s nearly see prisoners having their hands chopped off, and the characters discuss landmines.  But it is on a child’s level, too much description is not offered and for most 3rd graders and up, I think the book is a great dialogue starter about what some people have to endure in the world.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION: (There are a lot of resources for this book)

Author’s website and study guide:   http://deborahellis.com/teacher-resources/

Unit study:  http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-The-Breadwinner-Unit-Guide-for-Students-365169

Lesson plan:  http://coolkidlit-4-socialstudies.pbworks.com/w/page/27715927/The%20Breadwinner%20Lesson%20Plan

Aug25

Where the Streets had a Name By Randa Abdel-Fattah

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streets

This is the second book I have read by Randa Abdel-Fattah, and I still don’t know if I love her as an author, but I did enjoy the content of Where the Streets had a Name, much more so than I did with Does My Head Look Big in This?  The timeliness of this book is also as apparent as ever with the genocide and occupation occurring in Palestine, had I read it years ago I don’t know if it would have had the pull that it had on me, reading in now.  With all the images on social media and the news, this book really does a remarkable job of showing the daily struggles for Palestinians in terms of settlements and check points and just basic day-to-day living that is hard to imagine from anywhere outside of Palestine.  While some may find it slow moving I enjoyed the detail and childlike perspective of the world as seen through the 13 year-old characters in the book.  Despite all the material for it to be a preachy, political, and gruesome, it is not, it is undoubtedly told from a Palestinian Muslim perspective, but the supporting characters come from all backgrounds and focus on the humanity contained with in us all: Muslim, Christian, Jew, and even Israeli.

SYNOPSIS:

Hayaat’s family has been kicked out of their home by Israeli soldiers and are living cramped up in Bethlehem, struggling with no jobs, curfews, and the impending wedding of Hayaat’s sister to a boy on the other side of the checkpoint.  When Hayaat’s beloved, albeit farting, grandama, Sitti Zeynab, falls ill Hayaat believes that she needs to touch her ancestral land to recover.  With a curfew free day, her best friend Samy at her side, and an empty hummus jar, the kids sneak out from school to try and bring back a handful of dirt.  The journey is only a few miles, but with checkpoints, a protest, soldiers and documents, the chances that Hayaat and Samy will retrieve the dirt is minimal, as their priority becomes to make it out safe.  The book is fiction, but from all reviews that I’ve read, it very well could be real, it’s accuracy of the struggles endured and the hope that still remains are not completely fabricated.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I like that Hayaat is a Muslim Palestinian, Samy is a Christian Palestinian, along their journey they meet kind Israeli’s fighting for Palestine, they meet horrible people and soldier’s too, but it is never a black and white issue.  Zionism is what makes life so painstakingly difficult for Samy and Hayaat and all those around them, all the while tourists are flocking around as if walls and checkpoints are the norm.  The first 50 pages of the book are a mess, I don’t know if it is because it is translated from Arabic or if it is just the author’s style to overload and stuff everything in at the beginning that might possibly be interesting or funny to hook the reader. Either way, it doesn’t work and once you get through those 50 pages and the adventure with Samy and Haayat begins and Sitti Zeynab’s story starts to be woven through and we learn more about how Hayaat’s face was scarred, the story starts getting good.  Similarly the book is about 50 pages too long, after the adventure I was ready for the story to end, but I suppose the wedding of Hayaat’s sister, Jihan, has to take place.  Even though it is critical to see the logistical nightmare of having a West Bank girl marrying an Israeli Arab from Lod, the story gets muddled and loses its flow both at the beginning and end with the details of living in Ramallah and figuring out what roads to take to have the ceremony.  Adults may appreciate it, but with an AR reading level of 4.8, the target audience gains a better appreciation for the struggles of the Palestinians through the main story.  In total with the glossary and acknowledgement the book is 313 pages.

FLAGS:

The book is remarkably clean, there is a slight joke about birth control pills, but Hayaat doesn’t understand it, and her companions on the service (bus) don’t explain it to her, so I doubt the young readers will get it either.  (Hayaat thinks her sister shouldn’t get married if it is making her sick and she can’t understand why every day at the same time her mother makes her take a tiny pill.)

There is some violence, but it is not explicit, it is more emotional when Hayaat’s friend is killed and Hayaat’s face marred.  Similarly she blacks out during the protest, so there isn’t much description

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I do plan to do this as a book club book, I think the students are well aware of the situation and it might be a good place to let them voice their thoughts and emotions.  I may also have a Palestinian sit in on the discussion, to help keep it accurate.

Discussion questions:  www.panmacmillan.com.au/resources/RA-WhereTheStreetsHadAName.pdf

Author’s website: http://www.randaabdelfattah.com/