immigration – BookBunnies

Marshmallow reviews Zenobia by Morten Dürr and Lars Horneman

Today Marshmallow reviews a graphic novel with very few words, Zenobia, written by Morten Dürr, illustrated by Lars Horneman, and published in English for the first time in 2018.

Marshmallow reviews Zenobia, written by Morten Dürr and illustrated by Lars Horneman. — Marshmallow reviews *Zenobia*, written by Morten Dürr and illustrated by Lars Horneman.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like reading books that have a deep meaning and require thoughtful discussion, then this is the book for you.

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): Zenobia was the queen of Syria long ago. She was regarded as the world’s most beautiful woman and led like a man. She was powerful. Now, Amina—a young Syrian girl fleeing her country—uses that image to stay strong.

The story starts on a boat full of refugees all escaping Syria. The boat is small and stuffy and dangerous. When the boat is hit by waves, Amina is thrown overboard, off the boat and into the cold sea. As she sinks slowly, she thinks of her family and the last few days before the present day.

Amina and her mother used to play hide and seek. But on the day the mother had to leave her home, the two had been making dolmas. They had only salt and rice to use though. Her parents left to go to town to get more ingredients but never returned. Amina’s uncle came to the door, where she was sitting waiting, and told her they had to leave. They crossed a Syria devastated by war. The buildings and homes were demolished, while tanks proudly paraded around the ruined streets. Amina and her uncle found a man who would take them to a place “without soldiers,” but could only pay for one passenger. Her uncle selflessly gave Amina the seat, the only way out of Syria. She boarded the boat, and we come to understand that this is the one she is thrown off of by the merciless waves.

As Amina sinks to the bottom of the sea, she sees a sunken boat, overtaken by the ocean and covered in sea life: its name is Zenobia.

Marshmallow is reading Zenobia, written by Morten Dürr and illustrated by Lars Horneman. — Marshmallow is reading *Zenobia*, written by Morten Dürr and illustrated by Lars Horneman.

Marshmallow’s Review: This was a heartbreaking story. I am not sure if it was inspired by a specific person’s story, but it is heartbreaking that many people have undoubtedly suffered similar fates. Zenobia is a book every person should read. There is no reason not to; it is easy to understand, quick to skim, and has a message that should not be missed. I read it and was not expecting a graphic novel or—is it even a graphic novel?—to be so moving. The ending seemed to be surreal since I didn’t think such a short book would be so heartbreaking.

Exposure to these kinds of stories makes it hard to hold onto hope. The world can be a terrifying, terrible place. Books like Zenobia and Refugee (another book that needs to be read by all) show what so many people are going through, all to reach a foreign country that is their only hope. Seeing what refugees are forced through just to try to get the normal, safe life they deserve is an experience we all need in the un-empathetic world we have made.

But there is undeniably hope. This book is a lesson that we all need. But we all need to also hold onto hope and do something to make our world better. In trying times, as cliche as this sounds, empathy and sympathy, love and compassion, understanding and action are what we need. It’s clear we are divided today, but we can come together and make beautiful things; we can make this world beautiful. At least, that’s what this bunny thinks.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.

Marshmallow rates Zenobia, written by Morten Dürr and illustrated by Lars Horneman 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Zenobia*, written by Morten Dürr and illustrated by Lars Horneman 100%.

Marshmallow reviews Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan

Marshmallow read Esperanza Rising in school a couple years ago. She recently read this 2000 novel by Pam Muñoz Ryan again and wanted to review it today for the book bunnies blog.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like books about family and bravery, then this might be the book for you.

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): In Mexico, Esperanza Ortega has lived in luxury all her life. Her father is the owner of El Rancho de los Rosas (The Ranch of Roses). She lives in a large house with servants and maids. But all of that changes when her father is killed by bandits.

During this time (early 1930s), Mexico is split between the rich and the poor. As Esperanza tells Miguel, a boy whose father works on their ranch and who Esperanza is good friends with, she and Miguel are on two sides of an uncrossable river. (At the time, Esperanza doesn’t realize how insensitive that is to say to him.)

Esperanza’s father is generous to his workers, however, the bandits don’t care. They attack when he, Miguel, and Miguel’s father are repairing a fence. After Esperanza’s father dies, his stepbrothers immediately start to try to pressure Esperanza and her mother. Her mother, Ramona, is influential and popular. Ezperanza’s half-uncles try to pressure Ramona into marrying the older uncle. If she marries him, he could win any election he wants to, which is his intention. Esperanza’s mother naturally turns him down, and he threatens her and tells her she will regret that decision.

Later, Esperanza’s house is burned down in a fire. (We are to assume the fire was caused by her uncles.) Abuelita, Esperanza’s grandmother who lives with them, is injured while escaping the fire. The older uncle proposes marriage again, and Esperanza’s mother accepts. Secretly, Esperanza’s mother and Miguel’s parents plan to flee Mexico and go to America to find work with Miguel’s relatives. Esperanza, her mother, Miguel, and his parents secretly leave Mexico. However, they are forced to leave Abuelita behind because she is unable to come with them given her injury. Abuelita plans to join them in America when she is better, using the money in her bank account. Unfortunately, the bank is owned by Esperanza’s uncles who are likely to try to prevent her from accessing her money.

In America, it is the Great Depression. Esperanza and her mother have to adjust to not living in luxury. They settle in a camp for Mexican farm workers. However, Esperanza is not at all accustomed to the conditions. She doesn’t know how to wash clothes, sweep floors, or even bathe herself. She has to face financial difficulties, harsh labor, dust storms, and spiteful people. Will Esperanza be able to take all of this?

(If you don’t mind more spoilers, the Wikipedia article for the book explains a lot more of the plot. It also talks a bit more about the historical background of the story.)

Marshmallow is reading Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan. — Marshmallow is reading *Esperanza Rising* by Pam Muñoz Ryan.

Marshmallow’s Review: Esperanza Rising is a great book. It is so touching and Esperanza is such a realistic character, with all her flaws, that I really enjoyed reading it again after having read it in school two years ago.

The author did an amazing job of making the reader feel really sympathetic to Esperanza and her predicament. The author also did a great job of describing the places Esperanza sees. The descriptions in the book of the characters, places, and things are vivid and poetic.

I also liked the character development in Esperanza. I would give more descriptions about how she changed and what made her change, but that would spoil too much of the book. Suffice it to say, Esperanza changes for the better and it is interesting to see the difference in her from the beginning to later in the books.

I think that the author did a good job of making the book seem very real to the reader. I believe that some of the events in the book were very realistic. In fact, in the back of the book, the author, Pam Muñoz Ryan, writes that the book is based on her grandmother’s life. Her grandmother, Esperanza Ortega, suffered through most of the same events. Learning this made this book even more impactful and touching for me.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.

Marshmallow rates Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Esperanza Rising* by Pam Muñoz Ryan 100%.

Marshmallow reviews Front Desk by Kelly Yang

Today Marshmallow reviews Front Desk, the 2018 book by Kelly Yang.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like reading books to learn about different people’s lives, or if you simply want to read about an immigrant girl and her life (in school and elsewhere), then this might be the book for you.

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): Mia Tang and her family immigrated to America with dreams of a large house with a dog and lots of hamburgers.

“My parents told me that America would be this amazing place where we could live in a house with a dog, do whatever we want, and eat hamburgers till we were red in the face. So far, the only part of that we’ve achieved is the hamburger part, but I’m still holding out hope. And the hamburgers here are pretty good.”

When Mia’s parents, who had been searching for a job, find out that the Calivista Motel needs a manager, and that the job comes with free boarding, they take the job. Unfortunately, they soon learn that the owner, Mr. Yao, is a very unpleasant man. He doesn’t want them to use the pool, as it might “encourage” the customers to swim, which he claims is bad for the environment. (The real reason is that keeping the pool clean costs money.) If anything breaks, Mr. Yao has Mia’s parents pay for it. He also has a son named Jason, who tries to emulate his father’s behavior and is rude to Mia.

One of the good things about the Calivista Motel is that Mia gets to help with the managing. She works at the front desk and presses the button to let people in to the motel. When she gets this assignment, Mr. Yao tells her to make sure not to “let bad people in”. As the book progresses, we learn that Mr. Yao meant “black people” when he said bad people. However Mia and her family are a lot more open minded. Over time, Mia starts to become friends with the weeklies, people who stay in the motel long term, in a way that is almost like renting. And Mia’s parents eventually start to let immigrants stay in the Calivista Motel for free. The immigrants tell their stories to Mia and her parents. One of them is now in debt to loan sharks. Another one’s previous boss took their IDs and passports. Some of them are looking for jobs. Many of them are facing a lot of challenges in their lives.

Marshmallow is reading Front Desk by Kelly Yang. — Marshmallow is reading *Front Desk* by Kelly Yang.

Mia starts school, and makes friends with a girl named Lupe. Unfortunately, Mr. Yao’s son Jason is also in Mia’s class. Mia pretends that she has a house with a pool and her family has a golden retriever.

At some point, Mia finds out about a contest to win a motel. Her family is not getting a fair amount of money, so the possibility of owning her own motel seems incredible to Mia. However, the contest is an essay contest, and Mia has been having trouble with the tenses. Will she be able to win the motel?

Here is the author’s introduction to the book:

Front Desk by Kelly Yang (posted by Scholastic on YouTube).

Marshmallow’s Review: I think that Front Desk is a great book. It is realistic and moving. I think that the author, Kelly Yang, did a great job of writing a book that evokes so many feelings in the reader. I have learned that the author actually based this book off of her own experiences. Maybe that is one of the reasons everything is so convincing and touching.

I also enjoyed it when, later in the book, Mia takes matters into her own hands and writes letters to people in order to change her friends’ lives for the better. She writes as the manager of the Calivista Motel, but also, once, as a lawyer (though she is of course not a lawyer). Still her writing plays an important role, throughout the book. Even though Mia enjoys English a lot at school, her mother thinks that she should stick to math: she tells her, “You know what you are in English? You’re a bicycle, and the other kids are cars.” It is good to see that her writing turns out to be so valuable in the end!

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.

Marshmallow rates Front Desk by Kelly Yang 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Front Desk* by Kelly Yang 100%.

Marshmallow reviews Refugee by Alan Gratz

Marshmallow has recently read Alan Gratz’ novel Refugee and below shares her thoughts on this moving fictional account of three refugee children across recent history. As Marshmallow also points out below, the stories are harsh and harrowing. The publisher recommends the book for 8 and up, so does Marshmallow.

Marshmallow’s quick take: If you like realistic and historical fiction, then this might be the book for you. (Warning: This is a very harsh book and should not be read by readers under 9.)

Marshmallow’s summary (with spoilers):

“JOSEF is a Jewish boy living in 1930s Nazi Germany…”
“ISABEL is a Cuban girl living in 1994…”
“MAHMOUD is a Syrian boy in 2015…”

All of these kids are relatable and normal. Their experiences, on the other hand, are something that nobody should have to face.

Josef’s father is taken away to a concentration camp called Dachau. When he comes back, his family is overjoyed but when they see him they realize that he is mentally disturbed. The family then receive news that they have to leave Germany in fourteen days.

Isabel lives on the streets, and when her father gets involved in a protest, he is told to leave.

Mahmoud is a present-day Syrian boy and he learns that to stay away from bullies you have to be “invisible”. Then his house is bombed and it becomes clear that he has to leave.

Marshmallow is looking up from reading Refugee by Alan Gratz. — Marshmallow is looking up from reading *Refugee* by Alan Gratz.

These three different families set out on the same mission: make it to a safe place. This for Josef is Cuba, for Isabel it is el norte, the US, and for Mahmoud it is Germany. Along the way, all lose someone that they care about, whether physically or mentally.

Josef’s family is breaking up and his father is scared. They board a ship called The St. Louis in order to escape the Nazis, but eventually Josef’s father tries to commit suicide by jumping off the side of the ship.

“Josef’s father was gone. His mother was unconscious. His little sister was all by herself. And they would never let Josef’s family into Cuba now, not after his father had gone mad. Josef and his family would be sent back to Germany. Back to the Nazis.
“Josef’s world was falling apart, and he didn’t see any way to put it back together again.”

Sadly, he never does. Josef never makes it to Cuba and only two members of the Landau family survive.

Isabel tries to escape from Cuba with her family and her friend’s family. They build a boat to escape but soon they face the fury of the ocean.

Mahmoud and his family start the long journey to Germany and lose each other in order to save each other.

“All three kids go on a harrowing journeys. All face unimaginable dangers. But there is always the hope of tomorrow. And although Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud are separated by continents and decades, shocking connections will tie their stories together in the end.”

The publisher’s video about the book Refugee by Alan Gratz.

Marshmallow’s review: This is a very good book. It might be the most moving book I have ever read, but it should definitely not be read by younger readers. It has stories about the Nazis and other terrible things that children should not learn about until a little bit older. Though Josef’s story is fictional, it is very similar to what happened to a lot of Jewish families. Isabel has terrible losses and she faces many dangers. Mahmoud’s family is eventually drained of joy in the journey to Germany and to safety.

Marshmallow’s rating: 100% (but this is not happy reading…)

Marshmallow rates Refugee by Alan Gratz 100% (though it is definitely not a happy book). — Marshmallow rates *Refugee* by Alan Gratz 100% (though it is definitely not a happy book).