Lucky Broken Girl

Lucky Broken Girl by Ruth Behar (ISBN: 978-0399546440)

Hey guys, remember how I'm looking for books about diversity?  You know how the ALA announces the winners of their various youth media awards every February?  I thought to myself, "Hmm... let me see if any award winning books this year perhaps address the experiences of minorities in the US or elsewhere!"  Sure enough, I've found another gem!  The winner of this year's Pura Belpré Author Award is Lucky Broken Girl and I am a lucky (librarian) girl for having the chance to read it.

Ruthie is a young Cuban-Jewish immigrant whose family moves to NYC in the 1960s in hopes of a better life, away from oppression in Castro's Cuba.  She struggles with a language barrier, a mother who misses her home, and a boisterous family full of interesting characters who cannot always 'see' her through the chaotic noise of their lives.  Her grandparents emigrated to Cuba from Germany during WWII because of their Jewish heritage - they speak a delightful mix of Yiddish-German-Spanish.  Her mother makes both Caribbean pastries and kosher dinners.  Her neighbor on one side is from India and teaches her to pray to Shiva, a little girl friend from Belgium gives her endless cream puffs, and a Mexican artist neighbor on the other side introduces her to the paintings of Frida Kahlo.  Her life really is a bouillabaisse of flavors and cultures; but everything comes to a screeching halt when she is bedridden as the result of a terrible car accident.  For months, Ruthie's life is on hold as she waits to heal from wounds both physical and emotional.  

Yet in her waiting, she discovers a new inner strength.  In her moments of darkness and anger, her neighbors and family share their sources of light: good books, art kits, snacks smuggled past over-protective mothers, piñatas, prayers to saints and painters, and Cuban cha-cha-cha music.  Ruthie emerges as a shining example of female resilience, beauty, intelligence, and ingenuity.  Her buoyant and brave family and neighborhood friends provide for all of us an example of how love and courage are all you really need in life.  This book is a must read!

Want more? Here's the book trailer, made by the author herself!

Here's also a lengthier interview with Ruth Behar about her writing and the importance of diverse literature for middle grade readers:

Homemade tees: one of my favorite tid-bits in this book is the similarity between Ruthie, in her bedridden state, discovering painting and her connection with Frida Kahlo as a bedridden artist.  Therefore, this t-shirt seems perfect for any fan of Lucky Broken Girl.

PS - remember how I recently reviewed Refugee by Alan Gratz?  I am loving the connection between all of these various books about immigrants and how many of them have characters from Germany, Cuba, and the US. #BookNerdAlert

Refugee

Refugee by Alan Gratz (ISBN: 978-0545880831)

There are only so many books or movies or commercials that have made me tear up and cry in my life.

Just kidding. I'm full of lies.  I cry really easily and probably 234,098,234 different things have evoked this reaction from me, and sometimes I purposefully watch YouTube videos of soldiers coming home and surprising their families just to have a good ugly cry.  I am ridiculous.

But this book made me cry properly.  It did it in all the best ways and for all the best reasons.  (See also, "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas."  That one resulted in me having to move to a fresh spot on my couch because I had significantly dampened one arm-rest.) This historical fiction novel weaves together the seemingly unconnected lives of three refugee children: Josef escaping Nazi Germany during WWI, Isabel attempting to flee from Cuba in the 1990s, and Mahmoud, a Syrian boy on the move in 2015.  Each chapter rotates from child to child, and each face surprisingly similar perils and challenges.  Without giving away the beautifully satisfying ending, the reader will come to discover that their lives intersect in the most meaningful of ways.  It reminds me of the clichéd (and truly preposterous) saying, "Everything happens for a reason."  But again, in the most wonderful way and with lovely literary artfulness (is this a word?).  

The subject matter is definitely heavy at times, but very timely given that estimates show that 5.1 million Syrians have fled their country since 2011 and another 6.3 million Syrians are displaced within their country.  Families fleeing their homes because of political, civil, or religious unrest is nothing new - but for many kids growing up in the US, it's a somewhat foreign idea.  Fiction can communicate real truth, and Refugee conveys the massive challenges of human migration while also revealing the human heart at the center of each child's journey.  These stories may be made up, but the realities behind them were and are not.

This book has already been sitting on best seller lists, and has racked up its fair share of starred reviews and awards, but I suspect it's not done yet.  I wouldn't be at all surprised to see it take a few more major awards before all is said and done.  It's a fabulous story for any middle grade reader and I'm excited to share it all around town!

Want more?
Alan Gratz is no stranger to the historical fiction genre.  If you think this one sounds good, you should also check out Prisoner B-3087 and Projekt 1065 - both good books in their own rights!

 

Here's Scholastic's book trailer for the novel, which they're promoting.  Because they want you to buy it.  But they should be promoting it anyway... because it's fantastic.

Furthermore, if you have 45 minutes to spare, here's the author himself answering questions about Refugee and his process as a writer:

Homemade tees: I'm actually going to take a break from posting t-shirts you should buy or wear, and instead applaud the volunteers sporting these jerseys:

The UNHCR is an organization under the United Nations that is dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people. They do amazing work, and provide really helpful information for advocacy on their website.  While I'm not asking you to donate, I certainly think that giving money to them is probably more effective than just buying another t-shirt...

All the Broken Pieces

Burg, A. (2013). All the broken
pieces [digital image]. Retrieved
October 1, 2016 from
http://www.annburg.com/books.html

YA READS:

Burg, A.E. (2009). All the broken pieces. New York: Scholastic. ISBN: 978-0-545-08093-4; paperback; $6.99.

Matt Pin is a child born to a Vietnamese mother and an American father during the Vietnam War.  However, his mixed-race status is enough to put him in danger as the U.S. draws out of his native Vietnam.  Therefore, his birth mother sends him to the United States as part of Operation Babylift in hopes that he’ll find a better life in America.  Matt is adopted by a loving family and starts to find ways to deal with his past.  Piano lessons, trips to the park, meeting with veterans, and joining the school baseball team are all steps in the right direction; however, he cannot bring himself to talk about the horrors he witnessed.  Furthermore, some of his classmates and those impacted by the conflict overseas can’t quite find it in their hearts to accept Matt into their community.  One boy in particular, Rob, is especially cruel to Matt, and takes the opportunity to harass him during every baseball practice.  When the tension amongst the team reaches a breaking point, a wise coach decides to pair the players in a trust exercise.  Before the end of the practice, both Matt and Rob have to come to grips with how the war has affected them, and find common ground in finally talking about the loss of a sibling.  Told in poignant verse poetry form, All the Broken Pieces speaks truth about the power of love to overcome pain, and the importance of sharing your story to find acceptance.  After all, “Words are messy, but sometimes, words are all you’ve got to show what matters most.”

The format of this novel might be an initial turn-off to some middle school readers.  The first few pages are a bit tricky since the verse poetry form is condensed and the language about Vietnam relies heavily on symbolism and imagery.  However, for those readers willing to endure through the first thirty pages, a powerful story develops to which most kids can relate.  While the story is set in a specific historical period, the larger themes still ring true today.  It is a very difficult thing to put one’s self in someone else’s shoes.  Yet those who travel with Matt and Rob, and the other characters affected by the Vietnam War, are sure to find that out of the broken pieces, something beautiful emerges.  Recommended for grades 6-10.

AWARDS (according to author Ann Burg's website):

* ALA Best Books for Young Adults
* Booklist Best of Editor’s Choice
* 2009 Booklist Top Ten First Novels for Youth
* 2009 Booklist Top Ten Historical Fiction for Youth
* NYPL 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
* Cybils Awards Finalist
* Winner of the 2010 Jefferson Cup

Sewwhimzy. (n.d.). Super adopted shirt
[digital image]. Retrieved on October 1,
2016 from https://www.etsy.com/shop/
sewwhimzy?ref=l2-shopheader-name

HOMEMADE TEES: for other kids who have been adopted, this book will resonate with the many emotions and struggles that happen when you are a part of two families.  Show your pride in your adoption with this Superman tee, available from Etsy.

PioneerThrift. (n.d.). 1980s vintage
"good morning Vietnam" movie
title [digital image]. Retrieved on
October 1, 2016 from https://www.etsy.com/
shop/PioneerThrift?ref=l2-shopheader-name

Or, for older readers, pay homage to other Vietnam-era classics, like Robin Williams' movie Good Morning, Vietnam (vintage tee from Etsy) and Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried (tote from RedBubble).

ProfHarshman. (n.d.). Tim O'Brien,
the things they carried [digital image].
Retrieved on October 1, 2016
from https://www.redbubble.com/people/
profharshman/works/13991578-tim-obrien
-the-things-they-carried?p=tote-bag

WANT MORE? Listen to Mrs. Scott read the first few pages of this novel for her students.