City News

In the realistic fiction book Home Of The Brave by Katherine Applegate, the main character is an eleven year old named Kek, a refugee from Sudan who was relocated to Minnesota after escaping a civil war in his country and witnessing his father and brother’s death. It begins with Kek flying on what he calls a “flying boat” to his new home. Once landed, a nice old man named Bill is there to pick Kek up and take him to his aunt's apartment. Despite the cold weather Kek was unused to, as soon as he saw his aunt Nayatal and his older cousin, Ganwar, he felt like he was back home in Sudan. After getting used to Minnesota, Kek meets his neighbor, Hannah, who will teach him everything he needs to know about Minnesota and the school they will be attending together. While school is going well, and Kek is getting comfortable in his new city, he finds an old cow on someone’s run down farm. Kek really bonds with this cow because it reminds him of his home in Sudan. Kek loves this cow so much, he gets a job at the rundown farm just to spend more time with his favorite cow that he names Gol, which means family. Overall, Kek is adjusting to his new town, house and school very well. He loves all the new people he has met along his journey but one thing is missing. That one thing is his mom that was left back in Sudan when she told Kek to go on without her. Kek still has hope that his mom is still alive and he is determined to find her. 

I really liked this book for three main reasons. The first reason is the storytelling. I liked how the author did flashbacks to when the war was going on in Sudan to better help me understand what Kek was going through at the time with his mom. The second reason is the character development this story has. For example, this just doesn’t go into the background of Kek and what he was going through, this book goes through Hannah's background and Ganwar’s background and what they were going through. The third reason I really like this book was because of how the chapters were in the style of free verse poems. I liked how the chapters were short and straight to the point with the perfect amount of detail and background information. I also like how each chapter had a different title to get you excited for what you're about to read in the upcoming chapter. These three reasons are why this book is one of my favorites. 

I highly recommend Home Of The Brave for anyone who is looking for a heart warming realistic fiction book about a boy who keeps hope during tough times in a new city. This is a good book where you really get to know all about the characters and how they have overcome their challenges. This is one of the best books I have ever read in and out of school and I would give it a 10/10. 

Check Out Home of the Brave from NBPL!