 It’s 1978, and sixth grader Zomorod (Cindy) Yousefzadeh, who was born in Abadan, Iran, has just moved to Newport Beach, California. Her fitting in is very difficult because of the protests, revolution, and the taking of the U.S. hostages in Iran. Her father loses his job as an engineer at an oil refinery and Cindy has to face hostile prejudice at school and in her neighborhood. Humorous asides will keep readers engaged as Cindy finds new friends after moving, deals with family issues, and discovers her middle school self. Each short chapter has a clever title and the final author’s note suggests documentaries and websites with more information about the historical and cultural facts of this semi-autobiographical novel. mjw |
| Title: It Ain’t So Awful, Falafel Author: Firoozeh Dumas Publisher: Clarion Books, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Copyright: 2016 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-0-544-61231-0 Hardcover pages: 384 Age range: 10-12 Genre: Fiction Book setting: Southern California, U.S. Author’s ethnicity: Iranian Author’s residence: Munich, Germany Subjects: Emigration and immigration, Friendship, Humorous stories, Iran, Iran Hostage Crisis (1979-1981), Iranian-Americans, Middle East, Muslim-Americans. Prejudice and racism, Social issues – adolescence, United States history – 20th century |
It Ain’t So Awful, Falafel
Leave a reply
999 tadpoles are growing together in a big, big pond. One tadpole isn’t growing quite so fast and gets left behind all alone. Fortunately he finds a friend in a small crayfish who thinks the small frog is his big brother. A strong bond is formed until the mother crayfish comes to take little brother away, but their friendship is not forgotten when a big snake comes to the lake. This vividly colored picture book will teach readers to “never underestimate the size of true friendship!” amo
Young Jack travels through the forest one night to find the perfect tree. The perfect tree to chop down. As Jack journeys through the woods he finds many trees, but finding the perfect tree is difficult. Suddenly, there is a breakthrough. A kind woodpecker promises Jack that he will take him to the perfect tree. Many animals show Jack the perfect tree and he starts to see that the perfect tree shouldn’t be cut down but instead lived in, climbed on, and loved. The whimsical cut-paper collages show the natural beauty of nature and help the reader understand that any tree can be the perfect tree. amo
Another outstanding information picture book written and illustrated by Owen Davey. Readers will love the crisp, realistic colors that portray their favorite sharks, such as the great white and hammerhead, as well as unusual sharks like the sand devil shark. With an informational table of contents and an index, it is easy to navigate to learn anything about sharks from their place in mythology to shark social life. Each page is perfectly balanced with educational facts intermixed with lively sharks that look as if they are swimming in and out of the pages. This well researched book will immerse all readers in fascinating facts about the most well-known predator of the seas. amo
Mister H, one of the zoo’s resident hippopotamuses, has listened to the zoo visitors for a long time in order to talk. He decides his time to show off his new skill is when a young girl, Rosanna, walks by. Through some persuasive conversation he convinces Rosanna to unlock his gate so that he can escape the zoo. Once free from the zoo Mister H explores the city by eating pizzas and splashing around in fountains. The detailed paintings illustrate Mister H’s wild adventures through his new surroundings. amo
Princess Sylvie persuades her father to explore the woods outside of the castle gates. The woods enchant the royal family as they delve into new surroundings. Along with her dog Oskar, Sylvie meets a rabbit and a bear that live in the woods. New friendships are formed as the adventure continues. This classical fairytale is filled with vibrant watercolor paintings that add realistic detail to the timeless story. amo
This classic tale is part of the collection of stories known as the Thousand and One Nights. Sindbad is a sailor who tells a porter of his seven voyages at sea. On each voyage Sindbad falls into trouble such as battling an island that turns into a whale, giant birds, and even cannibals. Through his voyages Sindbad must be clever in order to survive his misadventures and live to tell the tales. Sindbad has an unbroken spirit as he learns lessons during his travels. Readers will be enchanted by the intricately painted illustrations that show Sindbad’s failures and triumphs along the way. amo
The first book in the sensational Harry Potter series is brought to new life in this new illustrated edition. Jim Kay enchants readers with full, double page multimedia paintings of every aspect of the Harry Potter world. With over 100 different illustrations the book is filled with details from the Hogwarts Express, to an infographic about the different types of dragon eggs. All of J.K. Rowling’s beloved characters are expressed with vibrant colors in order to add even more depth to their personalities. Veteran Harry Potter fans and first time readers will love this breathtaking interpretation of the Wizarding World. amo
OmniLibros 