Other Words for Home

RGG: Beautiful, compelling story of a 7th Grade Syrian girl's immigration to the United States. Written in verse. Reading Interest: 10-13.

RGG: Beautiful, compelling story of a 7th Grade Syrian girl's immigration to the United States. Written in verse. Reading Interest: 10-13.

RGG: Beautiful, compelling story of a 7th Grade Syrian girl's immigration to the United States. Written in verse. Reading Interest: 10-13.

Jude and her mother flee war-torn Syria, leaving behind her father and brother, and settle into life in America with her uncle’s family. As Jude adjusts to her new life, she finds many people who welcome her but some who prefer to hold on to misconceptions about Muslim’s, especially those like

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Jude who wear a hijab.

Author Jasmine Warga does a great job at balancing the innocence of a girl coming of age, while dealing with the realities of both the Syrian conflict and of what it means to be Muslim in America. She gives voice to Syrian refugee children, showing them proudly celebrating their culture while at the same time shedding light on all the hardships they have endured. The book includes links for students to find out more about the Syrian conflict, child refugees, and organizations like the White Helmets who are helping with recovery efforts. Other Words for Home is a great story to build empathy and understanding of newcomers, and hopefully reduce hate and fear.

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A 2020 Lone Star novel, Other Words for Home, a verse novel, demonstrate the struggles people face in other countries and the life one can have in the United States.

Jude enjoys her life in Syria. She has a best friend, her older brother, and loving parents. Polically, life gets more dangerous, and

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Jude and her pregnant mother would be safer if they moved to the United States to live with Jude's uncle. The novel focuses on American life. At one point, Jude shrugs as a response to an adult, noting this American form of answering a question. So true! Most adults hate it, but I didn't really associate it as "American." This response is definitely not the better side of American life.

Jude adapts to American life. She wonders if her uncle misses Syria. Jude wants to spend time with her cousin, but Sarah is all American and offers little time to Jude. Her uncle's wife strives to make Jude and her mother feel welcome and truly enjoys having them in their home. She has Jude help her find recipes. The American life at school and home differ from Syrian life, so they have to adjust. In addition, Jude and her mother worry about Jude's brother, Issa, who has joined the fighting in Syria. They worry about his safety constantly. Jude's father also stays to take care of their business, so they are without close family, but they do have a good relationship with Jude's uncle. Discrimination presents its ugly head a few times as they are obviously not citizens of the United States. People make assumptions and say what shouldn't be said.

The novel presents a point of view that students--all people--need to see. People are people and unsafe conditions make people seek a safe place. It's a quick read, as it is a verse novel. Enjoy!

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As violence ratchets up in Syria between rebels and the government, Jude and her mother leave Syria to live with Uncle Mazin and his family in America. It's a classic refugee story, of coping with a strange land and culture and learning a new language but with aspects little seen in the genre: that

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Jude is Syrian and Muslim. Not only is she learning about a new culture but she faces harrassment and suspicion because of her background and religion.

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This is a very touching book that shows the raw feelings of modern immigration. A girl and her mother separate from the rest of her family in Syria, her father and brother, to find new life in America. This book shines light on the things that are often not though about when a child is moved from

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one place to another. I rate this book 5 stars for the realness, and truth that it can show students.

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This is an excellent book--so happy it received an award. This story about a young emigrant girl adjusting to life in America shares much about family love, new friends and trying to find a place in her new world of America.

Beautiful and heart-felt MG novel about a Syrian immigrant.

A middle grade novel about a young Syrian girl who leaves her home with her mother to stay with her uncle in the States. The story, written in free verse, follows Jude through her struggle to discover who she is and where and how she fits into the world around her, all while adjusting to a new

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school, a new culture, a new language, and a new home.
Beautifully done. You'll be rooting for Jude from the first page, this is another middle grade book that I'd put on the list of required reading for US kiddos to learn how other lives are lived and how others eyes see and are seen.

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Uplifting middle grade fiction (categorized as YA in my library) about a Syrian refugee experience told through a pre-teen girl's, Jude, voice as she and her mom relocate to Cincinnati to live with her uncle's family, leaving friends and her father and older brother behind.

This is a beautiful book. Jude's comes with her pregnant mom to the United States to stay with family, leaving her dad and brother behind in Syria which is has increasing levels of violence and unrest. Her brother, Issa, is involved in trying to move the country to increased freedoms and rights

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which puts him in danger.
Jude tries to adjust to a new place, a new language, new culture. It's a struggle. She has an amazing support in her mom who is going through her own journey. She meets friends and tries to carve out her own path, find her voice and place in her new home.

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An amazing children’s book about the hardships and inspiration of a refugee who comes to start a new life in America. It is a great book for students to read to learn about Muslim culture and immigration. I love how the main character looks at America as her new home but still honors her family

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and old home.

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This is an phenomenal book. It is only the 3rd or 4th novel in verse that I have read. And I definitely want to read more like this as well as look out for more written by this author. The way she brings Jude and all the other characters to life is so incredible. Her word choice and line break

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decisions do so much to create the intended impact upon readers. Just as Jude goes through a range of emotions, so will readers of this book.

Another great thing about it is that it does feel like it is written to be accessible and relatable to so many ages, but in particular teenagers.

Content Warning: racism, mentions of war but no descriptions of physical violence

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"Other Words For Home" is a sweet verse novel for middle-school readers. The story follows Jude as she leaves Syria with her mother to live with her uncle and his family in the U.S. Through the lens of a child, the reader is given an insight into the life of a refugee trying to find a place to call

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home and keep her identity.

The only negative was the end. If finished abruptly and left me with questions unanswered. However, overall, "Other Words For Home" was an inspirational read.

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This book was beautiful, courageous, heartbreaking and eye-opening all at the same time. It gave me a new insight into what it is like to live in a completely different country and make a huge transition by coming here to America for the first time. This book made me feel various emotions but I

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couldn’t seem to put it down. The more I read, the more I was able to feel how Jude and her family felt in this situation. This book is so powerful and inspiring. I believe it can help students become more culturally aware. I wish I had been introduced to this book earlier in my schooling.

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I absolutely enjoyed this book. There were so many times when I was reading where the book really spoke to me. I especially love how even though Jude was treated so badly by certain people she was never discouraged and continued to be who she was. She didn’t conform to the expectations of others

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and wasn’t ashamed or embarrassed of being herself.

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Gorgeous, moving, full of hope. There are turns of phrase that made me shiver with delight, and Jude is a bright spark of a character. Just a wonderful book.

This is a realistic look at what it like to move from a war-torn country to America. Things are heating up in Syria. Jude can see the effect on her own family. Her brother wants to make a difference and help things change for the better. Her father wants him to leave it alone. When tensions heat up

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Jude's father sends her and her mom away to America to live with her uncle. Even though she speaks fairly good English, she learns that even her own cousin sees her as weird. What will it take for her to feel like she is brave enough to call America home?
I have worked with students who speak no or limited English. They want to fit in somewhere. When they come to a new country, if they have family here, they feel like they don't fit in. They don't fit in with their own people and they don't feel like they fit in with people in their new country. They tend to lose their identity. In Jude's case, she held on to what her brother told her. He told her to be brave. She had never felt brave. She learns not only that she can change, but so can others.

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A novel in verse, that very quickly allowed me to forget it was in verse.
Jude grows up in Syria, happy most of the time, loving her family (mother, father, and older brother) and her best friend. But when war in Syria begins to spread to areas near her town, her brother goes towards the war, to

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fight against oppression, and her father sends Jude and her mother to America to live with her uncle (maternal) and his wife and daughter in Cincinnati, Ohio.
At first, Jude thinks they are visiting. But soon enough, she realizes that they have come to stay, and she needs to try to make a home in the United States. She is an upbeat and friendly girl, but naturally anxious about her new home, and whether she will be accepted. There are ups and downs of course, but in the end, mostly ups.

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I may have to conclude that YA books told in "poetry" are just not my jam and never will be.