Throw This on the Pile of Read Alouds...

Oh man, this book got me in all my happy reading places.

I pilfered this book from my mom's classroom library, which I thought was only fair, given that I'd leveled and labeled (using the most elaborate book-labeling system known to teachers) well over 100 of her books. This copy would become mine, except that she wrote her last name across the top of it, easily identifying it as not my book. Clever girl.

Anyway, Drita My Homegirl by Jenny Lombard is one of my favorite books I've read this summer. The story centers around two fourth grade girls. Drita is Albanian. Her family has just fled Kosova (she explains that Kosovo is the English way of spelling it) because of the recent surge of violence there. They settle in New York, where she meets Maxie. Maxie is one of the popular girls in class who makes fun of Drita at first. Then, the teacher assigns Drita to Maxie as a social studies project, and Maxie begins to learn just how difficult life has been for Drita, and how much they actually have in common.

The book might have a theme that has been done over and over again (on the outside we're different, but on the inside we're all the same), but the author is so effective in her story telling that I just didn't care. I got all choked up in the latter parts of the book as the girls try to work through the pains they have suffered in their short little lives. Then I felt all giddy and warm as the book came to a rather predictable ending.

From a child's perspective, however, it's not played-out and it's not predictable. My guess is that, even though it's a higher reading level (T, according to Fountas and Pinnell), many students could benefit from hearing this story. Either they relate to what Drita has gone through (many of my own students have recently immigrated from Haiti, so they can relate to Drita's status as a refugee), or they could benefit from learning along with Maxie the importance of reaching out to those we can't always understand. I definitely want to use this book as a read aloud. Not only do I think it has actual literary merit, I think it should also be used to help build a better understanding of each other. The themes of this book are relatable to all the kids, and I think it's important that they hear all these themes.

Looks like I have to buy own copy...