Another novel in verse done so beautifully! I also am in awe of the cover, it is perfect for this story. I hope you will pick this book up in your future.
Summary:
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.
My Thoughts: Jude is self-less, courageous, and utmost brave as she flees her homeland of Syria, to live in the city of Cincinnati in America. In America, she learns a lot about herself and knows that it’s okay to have more than one home. The pace of this book was great. There were many beautiful lives that resonates with the feelings and emotions of Jude throughout the book. Her love and hope for her brother to be safe was something else. I was nervous for him as he was in a quite dangerous part of their homeland. What really got me was when Papa got to see his new daughter through video. My heart swelled in that moment. This was a phenomenal novel in verse by Jasmine Warga. I am eager to grow this genre in my classroom!
About the Author
Jasmine Warga is a writer from Cincinnati, Ohio who currently resides in the Chicago area. She is the John Newbery Honor award winning author of Other Words For Home, which was also awarded a Walter Honor, a Charlotte Huck Honor, and Lee Bennet Hopkins Poetry Prize Honor. Additionally, she is the author of young adult novels, My Heart and Other Black Holes and Here We Are
Now. Her books have been published in over twenty-five countries and named to several state reading lists. Jasmine lives in a house filled with books with her husband, two tiny daughters, rowdy dog, and mischievous cat.
What novels in verse have you read or have on your TBR stack? I’d love to know!
Xo, Sierra
Books. Iced Lattes. Blessed. 
This book sounds wonderful! I was actually about to order this book but ended up getting another book instead—now I think I may have to get this one next! Thanks so much for the great review!
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I loved this book when I read it and I’m so glad you liked it, too. Jude is such a great character for middle graders to read about. Thanks for sharing your thoughts about it.
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So glad to read your review. I had taken this book out from the library just as COVID changes occurred. So I had just started the novel and decided it best to return my books. I vowed to purchase a copy, because I was intrigued with the story, the setting (I live near Cincinnati), and the character’s journey. Will pick it up again, after reading your review!
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I love a good book in verse, and you make this one sound like it is well worth the time. I will try to get my hands on a copy. Thanks for your review.
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I had seen this book before but knew little about it. Thanks for filling me in. I don’t have any books in verse in my TBR pile but will add this for a future read. The story sounds compelling and heartfelt.
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I’m with you – the cover illustrator did a really wonderful job of using the colors of the sunset (or is it sunrise?) in the background.
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