Do you ever worry about anything when you are in school? About your grade on a test? About who your new lab partner will be? Arianna Hazard worries too, but her worry is where she will sleep at night. When Gage, Ari’s brother decides he can’t live with Janna, their guardian, anymore, Ari goes with him to live in his “new apartment.” But it turns out that Gage doesn’t really have a new apartment, and they start crashing at different friends’ houses. Ari didn’t really want to leave Janna, but felt that she needed to because of a promise she had made to her mother that Ari and Gage would “always stick together.” Arianna and Gage go from house to house to avoid frigid nights in Maine. Showers are no longer available, and her class now looks at her as a dirty child. Worse than that, her teachers now have low expectations of her and even her best friend joins with others that stare at Arianna’s greasy hair all day. Tired of people making fun of her, Ari doesn’t know what to do. Adding to her problems is a second promise Ari made to her mother that she would get into Carter Junior High School, a very selective school. Both of her parents and even Gage had gotten into Carter so this places a whole lot more pressure on Arianna. As the application deadline draws closer, Arianna worries more and more. At the same time, Ari feels ashamed about being homeless, so she decides to keep it a secret from everyone else. I did some research and found out that homelessness is a hidden problem in many towns. When children are homeless, they are often embarrassed at the fact and try to keep it hidden as they struggle to concentrate at school. They get bullied and made fun of, like Ari did for her dirty clothes and “greasy hair.” Being homeless can also make it hard to do homework if you don’t have a desk to write on. This situation is all around the world, even in places where you might not expect to see it, and this book made me aware of this. Even in my own town and in my own school there are kids that are homeless. Sometimes, as a child, you don’t know about poverty and homelessness; all you really think about is happiness. Paper Things is an amazing story full of happiness and sadness balanced like a seesaw. Sometimes you will feel yourself cheering Arianna on, supporting her as you read. Other times, you will feel your stomach ache for her to stay strong and never give in again. Other times, you will feel frustrated with her brother or angry at the people who are being mean to her. The author, Jennifer Jacobson, wrote this story in a tone that makes the reader want to never let go of the book. The main character Arianna feels like a close friend that you’ve never met but know a lot about. Jacobson describes the characters so well, it is as if they are real. In my opinion, this book will appeal to readers who love realistic fiction. The author wrote the story in such a manner that it was like I was on a leash, captivated by the book and not wanting to look away. The story actually does have a wonderful ending but you will need to find out what it is for yourself. So don’t waste time, and go check out Paper Things now! Paper Things by Jennifer Richard Jacobson. Candlewick, 2014. Buy the book here and support Children’s Art Foundation-Stone Soup in the process! Have you read this book? Or do you plan on reading it? If so, comment below!
Selfie Contest Runners-Up
You may remember that a few months ago we held a Selfie Contest. Though we announced the winner then, we decided to publish some of the other notable entries. Here are two that stood out: Abigail Herrington, 11 Ewa Beach, HI Lauren Thompson, 10 Chelsea, MI Have a Selfie that you’re particularly proud of? Send it to us via Submittable!
Welcome to Nowhere, Reviewed by Nandini Sai Krishnan, age 13
Imagine having to leave the place you grew up, the only place you’ve known and only finding out a day before? That’s what happens to twelve year old Omar, in Elizabeth Laird’s Welcome to Nowhere, which sheds light on the ongoing civil war in Syria. The story starts in the beautiful city of Bosra in Syria, where Omar lives with his mom, dad, older sister Eman, older brother Musa (who has cerebral palsy), younger brother Fuad and baby sister Nadia. He works at work tourist shop for Rasoul, who he dreams of becoming like when he grows up. But his life is turned upside down when he finds out that he is moving to Daraa in three weeks, the place where all his troubles begin… His family moves into his grandmother’s house. At school, Musa befriends a group of popular kids who conspire against the government. Soon there are demonstrations against the government on the street and open firing. Things escalate quickly, unleashing a full scale civil war; Bombings and shootings become common and electricity is cut, leaving Omar in the darkness, without lights and with no contact to the outside world. Things continue like this and one day, as city faces terrible shell attacks, Omar is shot on the streets, but those are the least of his concerns when a shell lands on his house. Luckily, his family escapes unscathed, but in an instant, his home and everything he owns has been destroyed, and once again, his family is displaced and move to the countryside. Omar’s family moves in with his mom’s sister and his whole family is forced to live in a tiny storeroom. Everything is calm and placid, but mundane as Omar begins to work in the farm. The dark shadow of the war slowly grows larger and soon it extends into every inch of Syria leaving Omar with nowhere to go. His family is forced to leave on a dangerous journey to a foreign land. The travails of the journey and what lies ahead for Omar’s future form the rest of the story. Even though I am almost the same age as Omar and can barely imagine all the things he has to go through and all the difficult decisions he is forced to make, and what makes it even worse is that this is happening in Syria right now. This book makes a very complicated issue, easy to understand for readers. With the word refugee constantly popping up in the news, it’s hard to unwrap all the complication that come with it, but this book changed my understanding and ignited a passion in me to create change. If you are looking for a book to broaden your thinking or understand the political situation in Syria then this is a must read. In fact, I think any middle schooler should read this book, just to understand what is happening in the world currently or to learn more about refugees. My favourite part of the book was when Eman stands up for herself and fights for her rights despite living in a largely patriarchal society. As I read the book, I found myself chuckling at Musa’s quick wits, smiling at Omar’s optimism, but mostly lamenting reading about all the terrible things that were happening in Syria right now. Overall, this book is about a serious issue, but communicates its message to younger readers very effectively and transports readers into a different, but very real world. Welcome to Nowhere by Elizabeth Laird. Macmillan Children’s Books, 2017. Buy the book here and support Children’s Art Foundation-Stone Soup in the process! Have you read this book? Or do you plan on reading it? If so, comment below!
