Other Words for Home

Title: Other Words for Home

Author: Jasmine Warga

Grade Level: 7&8th and up

Let me preface this review with this, this book is appropriated for girls 7&8th grade and older and the main character is Muslim. However, this book showcases a valuable and beneficial perspective. Other Words for Home is beautifully written in free verse poetry. It speaks about Jude coming of age and transitioning to living in the United States from war-torn Syria. In Jude’s culture, coming of age means wearing a headscarf, and Jude is already strange in her school because she is Middle-Eastern. Join Jude on her journey of finding a new home. This book has an influential place in Young Adult literature as it builds empathy for those of other cultures and finds points of commonality.