Kek, a young Sudanese refugee, is haunted by guilt that he survived. He saw his father and brother killed, and he left his mother behind when he joined his aunt's family in Minnesota. In fast, spare free verse, this debut novel by nonfiction writer Applegate gets across the immigrant child's dislocation and loss as he steps off the plane in the snow. He does make silly mistakes, as when he puts his aunt's dishes in the washing machine. But he gets a job caring for an elderly widow's cow that reminds him of his father's herds, and he helps his cousin, who lost a hand in the fighting. He finds kindness in his fifth-grade ESL class, and also racism, and he is astonished at the diversity. The boy's first-person narrative is immediately accessible.
Monday, December 21, 2009
4 comments:
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I like it because the guy come from Africa to Minnesota
ReplyDeleteJake M. Mrs.bethke
This book is great, I love this book and its cool how he loves nature and doesnt know what many things are in minnasota. I recomend you to read this right away if you can check it out. Id give it 5 out of 5 stars. This was my favorite book iv ever read and I hope you all enjoy it as much as i do. Madison D. Mrs.Montgomery
ReplyDeletethis book wasn't very good...
ReplyDeleteMax E. mRS. MONTGOMERY
I think this book is my favorite so far.It's not a big comedy but something about it just clicked.I would give it 4 and a half stars.An it isn't very long which was good for me.
ReplyDeleteMadison B.