Other Words for Home

“The story is told in free verse and is incredibly hopeful. It explores really complicated themes like conflict and corruption, the idea of home and what that means to different people, and identity and how we define ourselves. Other Words for Home cuts right to the heart of the reality of life as an outsider and captures the acute honesty of somebody who feels that they don’t fit anywhere. It’s really thoughtful, and it’s funny. There’s so much humour and I think that is surprising in a novel that deals with such hard-hitting themes. It’s exceptionally brave. It challenged my ideas about Syria, about what home really is, and also about the experiences of people who are forced to leave everything they know. It’s very dramatic, and it’s lyrical.” Read more...

Best Verse Novels for 8-12 Year Olds

Alison King, Librarian

“Other Words for Home is a beautiful immigration story and it’s wonderfully written in free verse, which is very accessible to kids and is really becoming popular. The book explores themes of family and prejudice. We just felt that we hadn’t seen this story told in this way before, and it’s a very important story.” Read more...

The Best Children’s Books: The 2020 Newbery Medal and Honor Winners

Krishna Grady, Librarian