Other Words For Home by Jasmine Warga

This book by Jasmine Warga is about a girl named Jude who has to leave Syria with her mother and fly to Cincinnati, leaving her beloved father and brother behind. They stay at Jude’s uncle’s house where Jude meets her cousin Sarah. Sarah seemed nice at first, but in school she can be different. Jude was the best in her English class when she lived in Syria, but when she moved to Cincinnati, she has to take ESL (english as a second language), where she also has to deal with questions about her hijab. She is labelled as being from the ‘Middle East’ which causes some questions too.
Her cousin Sarah knows little Arabic, so it’s very hard for them to communicate with each other. making things difficult.
When Mrs. Bloom( their Drama teacher) says that there school will be performing a play, Jude is ecstatic and that is where she met Layla. Layla understands what Jude is going through and can help her but, when an argument occurs between them, Jude is not sure she wants to take part anymore.

What this book teaches us:

This book’s overall message was to show children to be brave and to not give up. In the book Jude says “I am bold and fearless and do not care what other people think.”

In another part of the book Jude says is “And that’s when I realize I don’t have a choice. I’m going to have to learn how to be brave.”

One of my favorite characters would probably be Miles because he always is positive even when things are going down. He also is very supportive and helpful to Jude when she’s not feeling very well.

My favorite parts of the book:

I really liked Jude and her brother, Issa’s bond together. “He squeezes my hand again. It feels like some sort of promise, an assurance that he won’t leave me all alone.”

I absolutely loved Jasmine Warga’s style of writing. It wasn’t like many author’s where they have 12 lined paragraphs. Warga’s paragraphs were 3-4 lines which is quiet unique.

Have you read any other books by Jasmine Warga?