The Home We makex spark

A moving story about a young girl and her family who are forced to flee their beloved home after violence erupts all around them and their journey to make a new sense of home One day someone asks meWhere is home And I don t know what to say. Book The Home We make money Is home here or there Told from the perspective of a young refugee girl debut children s book author and New Voices winner Maham Khwaja tells the story of a family forced to flee their home due to violence Emotive illustrations by Daby Zainab Faidhi balance the family s love for one another and hope for the future with the harrowing journey to escape on foot travel by boat and then finally resettle in a safe place Through it all the young girl tries to hold on to all the pieces of her life before and find a way to rebuild a sense of home The Home We MakeThis 48 page picture book follows a family as they leave their home under siege and journey to America Through the eyes of the young girl the thread of what is home where is home and is it a place or a feeling weave through the emotional unknown that the family faces throughout Even once settled the feeling of security at home is threatened and the family must persevere The little girl s joy and hope that whatever comes will be faced together with her parents keeps the book hopeful and at times even joyful The lyrical writing is occasionally makes the book feel text heavy but because the reflection of memories and inclusion of emotions is used in conjunction with the story moving forward I think elementary aged children with guidance will benefit from reading and discussing the book As a former journalist I truly believe one can research a topic and write an accurate story or an article presenting what they learned for others to benefit from At the same time as a lover of fiction I enjoy OWN voice and the authenticity that it brings to the experience So when I read the Author s Note at the end and found the author is not a refugee and that there is no named sources of the author s friends who are refugees in fact there are no references whatsoever I felt deflated It in some ways makes me uncomfortable that what looks much like a Syrian refugee story on the pages is perhaps so mainstream that a fictionalized account can be shared and accepted without authenticating it No country is named in the book the author is an immigrant so there undoubtedly is a level of OWN voice and she disclosed she is not a refugee truly nothing wrong has been done but nonetheless I feel like I should share that here for you to decide how you feel about it before reading the book. The Home We Make pdf The book starts with rockets falling outside a family s home while they pack essentials in the red glow They then leave their home and the house key behind as they start their journey They begin walking past destroyed buildings the girl s school branches that seem to not want to let them leave They arrive at the docks spread the same blanket they once took to the beach during happier times and wait for the boats. We create make it There are not enough lifejackets but her parents make sure she gets one As the boat bobs along the young girl imagines astronauts in space and wonders if they too miss home The angels in blue vests get them from the boats to the camp where they stay and wait while they complete paperwork and dream of finding a new home When that day comes the goodbye is hard but they board a plane to America with hopes and dreams. The Home We Make bookworm In America there is an apartment help to learn the language and reminders that they are lucky they have made it this far But there are also people who do not want them here that make them feel unsafe in their new home and the family will have to work hard to find their place and make the puzzle pieces fit. The Home We Make book The full illustrations bring the book to life and compliment the text establishing a tone that is seamless in conveying both fear and happiness on a kid appropriate level The Home We Make