Berthoud Community Library District

Adapted from the adult memoir, this gripping story follows one boy's journey into young adulthood and offers an intimate account of modern immigraiton. Abdi Nor Iftin grew up amidst a blend of cultures, far from the United States. At home in Somalia, his mother entertained him with vivid folktales and bold stories detailing her rural, nomadic upbrinding. As he grew older, he spent his days following his father, a basketball player, through the bustling...

Sadiq cannot wait to show his family heirloom drum, called a durbaan, to his friends at school, especially Gabi, who is deaf, but when a mishap occurs with Hooyo's durbaan, Sadiq must explain it to her and make things right.

"Sadiq's class is visiting the pond on a nature field trip, but the dead fish they find there is disturbing; when he finds that the likely cause is pollution, he and a group of his classmates form the Clean Water Crew to do what they can to help clean up not just their pond, but other bodies of water as well"--

"Eleven-year-old Jacques, who must contend with difficult family dynamics and pressure from an older boy to help him commit a crime, is surprised to discover that he has much in common with Kiki, one of the many new Somali refugees who have immigrated to his Maine town"--

Hassan, newly-arrived in the United States and feeling homesick, paints a picture at school that shows his old home in Somalia as well as the reason his family had to leave.