But when things in her hometown start becoming volatile, Jude and her mother are sent to live in Cincinnati with relatives. Jude never thought she'd be leaving her beloved older brother and father behind, all the way across the ocean in Syria. Publisher's Synopsis: New York Times bestseller and Newbery Honor Book!Ī gorgeously written, hopeful middle grade novel in verse about a young girl who must leave Syria to move to the United States, perfect for fans of Jason Reynolds and Aisha Saeed. Published by HarperCollins Publishers on April 6, 2021 Also because despite moments of raw vulnerability, the book stays pretty optimistic and hopeful. I imagine this is also why the target audience is listed as 8-12 year olds, because it simplifies a truly horrific situation. A lot of the politics and war crimes occurring in Syria are not detailed, and I have to assume that is because the point of view is a 12 year-old-girl who is blissfully in her own world.

Truly the writing is strong and deliberate. With verse some things are highlighted in detail and other things skimmed over and yet at the end, not only do you feel like you understand Jude, but a lot of the side characters as well, which caught me off guard. I love that the style of the story telling somehow gives life to so much. As she comes of age and decides to wear hijab, as Islamaphobia shakes her sense of justice and her little sister is born, the reader sees her grow and change and mature and find themselves hoping that she will soar. Adjusting to school, life without baba and her brother, and all the other adaptations that moving to a new country entail are brought to life through Jude’s eyes and understanding of the world around her. Her American aunt and her Uncle that seems to have forgotten his Syrian upbringing, are gracious and welcoming and their daughter, Sarah, who is less than a year older than Jude and waxes and wanes in her approach to her cousin.

Until a raid almost catches Jude and her brother and her parent’s decide it is time for Jude and her mother to journey to America, for a little while, to visit her mom’s brother and deliver the baby.Īmerica is not like it is in the 90’s movies that Jude loves: Pretty Woman, Legally Blond, Miss Congeniality. Until her brother starts sneaking out to meetings with other youth hoping to change the politics of their country. Until the crimes they only hear about happening in Aleppo and Damascus start to hit closer to home.

With an older brother and a little sister on the way, life as told from her own perspective is pretty good. Jude is a 12-year-old girl living on the beach in Syria, watching American movies with her friends and hanging out at her dad’s store. Review Source: Notes from an Islamic School Librarian

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