About Other Words for Home
A 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.
Jude never thought she’d be leaving her beloved older brother and father behind, all the way across the ocean in Syria. But when things in her hometown start becoming volatile, Jude and her mother are sent to live in Cincinnati with relatives.
At first, everything in America seems too fast and too loud. The American movies that Jude has always loved haven’t quite prepared her for starting school in the US—and her new label of “Middle Eastern,” an identity she’s never known before.
But this life also brings unexpected surprises—there are new friends, a whole new family, and a school musical that Jude might just try out for. Maybe America, too, is a place where Jude can be seen as she really is.
This lyrical, life-affirming story is about losing and finding home and, most importantly, finding yourself.
It’s told in a poetic fashion, instead of standard prose and that gives it such a magical quality, like nothing I’ve read before. It also made it a fast read and made quotes really stand out to me. One of my favorites, which I think really encompasses this book:
Hoping
I’m starting to think
might be the bravest thing a person can do
And just... the whole book is like that. Lyrics that tell a story, a small portion of a young girl’s life as she learns who she is and makes her place in the world.
This book is perfect for young and middle level readers (and older). Jude is a relatable character no matter your age and she encompasses the hope for the future kids feel, how in the face of huge change, the small things are still important. She also offers hope as an immigrant and young Muslim girl. I cried multiple times just appreciating Jude growing up.
I also found this book to be the kind of book that is going to be important one in the future to tell an immigrant story and preserve a piece of the US as it is right now, how it feels to be Muslim at a time when tensions are so high and we are seeing so much anti-immigrant policy. I think it’s important for people, but especially for young people who are still learning, to read this and step into the shoes of someone not exactly like them.
I really cannot do this book justice in words. Pick it up for a quick read, something you can easily finish in an afternoon which will stay with you forever.
