Review: It Ain’t so Awful, Falafel

It Ain’t so awful, Falafel. Written by Firoozeh Dumas

I read this book looking for something that offered an experience of migration, of growing up in a city that was not quite your own. I really enjoyed this book, it dealt with the issues of Cindy desperately wanting to fit in, to the extent of changing her name. Of running to classes to tell teachers before they tried to butcher her real name. It also talked about the problems of her trying to make friends, and the lame jokes that a lot of kids made at her expense. As well as this there were other issues, such as her mother not ever speaking English and so her acting as translator.

However the book took a massive shift about half way through the book, where it dealt with the revolution in Iran in 1979. People went from making jokes and not really knowing where Iran was to it being front and centre of the news everyday. This brought a whole range of new challenges for Cindy and her family and you were able to see a totally different perspective. This second part of the book dealt with the way that people treat outsiders when they think that they are a threat to their way of living.

What I really liked though was in the end humanity persevered.

I learnt a lot from this book, not just about the idea of growing up in a country that is not your home, but I also learnt a lot about the 1979 Iran revolution, something that I did not know much about at all.

This book was easy to read, and was relatable, amongst all the turmoil in Cindy’s life she was just another teenager trying to navigate, school, boys and friends. That was one of the aspects that I really liked, that on some level we could all relate to Cindy.

Would be a great book for the younger audience, I am thinking years 9-11, could be a little simplistic for the older audiences.

Mrs K

Genre: Historical fiction, children’s fiction, young adult, realistic fiction

Review: The Lost Words

The Lost Words. Written by Robert Macfarlane. Illustrated by Jackie Morris.

This was a truly beautiful book. The pictures and the words entwined beautifully creating a visual dictionary, and poetry book and tribute to nature. It called itself a spell book of lost words. While I was a little disappointed that these words were so called lost, I thought that the book was beautifully done.

Research also showed me that these words were lost or taken out of a dictionary.

As an English teacher I was upset that the words were considered lost, but also I was excited by the book itself. It is the kinda of book you love to read, and can spend hours flicking through the pages.

What really prevents me from writing a solid review, or ever being involved in award decisions is that I struggle to understand how to compare this book to the others off the 2019 Carnegie Longlist that I have read. It is so different and so offbeat and distinctive I do not know how to fully review it.

Mrs K

Genre: Poetry, Nature, Animals, Non Fiction, Environment, Children’s, picture books, Art

Review: The House with Chicken Legs

The House with Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson.

Wow.

I was surprised when this book arrived from the library to see that it was classified as children’s. I was not sure what this would mean in terms of my enjoyment of the book. However my one word  review is WOW.

This book was folk tale and fairy tale all rolled into one. It was amazing. It follows the story of 12 year old Marinka who feels like she does not belong in her grandmothers world, or the world of Benji or Nina. At it’s heart this is a book of self discovery that leaves Marinka firmly knowing where she belongs.

Although this book is much lighter than The weight of a thousand feathers or Moonrise I think that this may be my favourite book from the longlist that I have read to date. It feels like the most relatable. We have all felt that sense of isolation before, not really sure if or how we belong. For Marinka, the fantasy nature of the story left her with bigger issues to contend with than most of us. But not only did she battle with her loneliness but with her physical isolation and also the bigger worry about whether or not she belonged and her destiny was right for her.

Marinka in the book is 12 years old, but as a 35 year old I could relate to her. My eight year old daughter started reading this book, although did not get far, I would have been interested to know how she related to the character.

Sophie Anderson writes with so much compassion. My heart was absolutely breaking for the character of Marinka in the beginning.  But also for the old Yaga and both houses. I loved the epilogue, and the finding of a place to belong.

This book would be great for young readers and would fit in so well to a study of fairy tales and what makes a fairy tale. I really cannot recommend it enough!

Mrs K

Genre: Folk Tale, Fantasy, Fairy Tale, adolescent fiction, teenage fiction, family, adventure