Tag Archives: Intergenerational

Elem. – A Cup of Quiet

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Grimes, Nikki. A Cup of Quiet. Illustrated by Cathy Ann Johnson. Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 2025. 978-1-547-61073-0. 40 p. Grades Pre K-2.

In lieu of summer camp, a little girl spends two precious weeks with Grandma each summer. Together, they play, make-believe, cook, and laugh. When everyday noises such as Grandpa’s hammering and the squeal of tires become too much for Grandma, she yearns for a cup of quiet. Together, Granddaughter and Grandmother venture into the garden to collect the eclectic sounds of nature and watch their cup grow. 

THOUGHTS: This is a beautiful, lyrical story that effortlessly intertwines the intergenerational bond between a child and grandmother and the peaceful, calming noises of nature. Young students will be able to reflect on moments when they need to get away from the noise and mindfully imagine what they might add to their own “cup of quiet.”

Picture Book

YA – The Summer I Remembered Everything

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Morse, Catherine Con. The Summer I Remembered Everything. Crown, 2025. 978-1-593-71142-2. 290 p. $19.99. Grades 7-10.

When sixteen-year old Emily Chen-Sanchez’s parents ground her for the C+ she got in psychology class, she knows she has to find a way to spend the summer away from her doom-speaker dad, critical mom, and perfect older sister, Tessa. She takes a job being a weekend companion to an eccentric old lady who lives in a beautiful Spanish-style mansion in their sleepy, Southern town. An outlier in her family of overachievers, Emily finds acceptance, nonjudgement, and fun with Mrs. Granucci (Mrs. G) as the older woman introduces her to Eggs Benedict, a wax George Harrison figure, and a lovely pair of blue leather shoes. Emily has a flirtation with Mrs. G’s handsome, preppy nephew, Ezra, who keeps an eye out on his beloved aunt and swears Emily to secrecy about the old woman’s increasing forgetfulness. During the week, Emily keeps busy with swimming practice and sporadic conversations with her best friend and secret crush Matt–who now is dating another girl–and face timing pal Heather who is working in London for the summer. Refuge at Mrs. G’s become more precious once Emily’s mother is diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Her feelings of being second best increase as she sees Tessa dealing with her mother’s illness efficiently, and she realizes Matt has moved on and her chance to be with him has past. At Mrs. G’s, Emily feel valued and important; the old woman appreciates Emily’s art and straightforwardness. As the summer weeks progress, however, Mrs. G’s behavior becomes erratic. She accuses Emily of stealing her engagement ring; she runs a red light and gets in a car accident. Emily is faced with the dilemma of betraying her senior friend or risking Mrs. G’s safety. With the help of her dad, Emily makes the choice to inform Mrs. G’s son about his mother’s failing mental state. Emily discovers she has resources of courage that will help her have honest discussions with her parents and even the ability to admit she loves Matt. The Summer I Remembered Everything deals with a young mixed race (Asian American and Latinx) girl’s growing pains familiar to many teen readers. Author Catherine Con Morse constructs a comfortable setting, free of violence, crime, sex, and foul language, making this a cozy read, despite Emily’s angst. Readers who like the Jenny Han series will like this book.

THOUGHTS: This cozy book will find fans who relate to Emily’s struggle to find her place in her family, her attempts to meet challenges, and her realization that she loves her bff, Matt. Some of the author’s choices in plot seem not so believable to me. In point, Emily’s charge, Mrs. Grannuci says she was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York; but the reader is told time and again that the older woman is the consummate Southern lady with a deeply Southern accent (Watt Moose for White Moose). My family moved from New York to Philadelphia when I was in high school, and even my younger sister–who was six months old at the time–retains some vestiges of a New York accent just from growing up in a household where r’s were dropped and a’s were drawn out. I couldn’t get past this detail; it would have been so easy to have let the reader assume Mrs. G was born and raised in South Carolina.

Realistic Fiction

MG – Old School

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Korman, Gordon. Old School. Harper, 2025. 978-0-063-23814-5. 276 p. $19.99. Grades 5-8.

Peppered with idiomatic expressions and sayings more common to senior citizens, the latest Gordon Korman offering follows his familiar plot line of alternative voices, but still manages to create likeable characters and interesting subplots. The truant officer has caught up with seventh-grade Dexter Forman who has been unofficially homeschooled by the elder experts at his grandmother’s retirement home, The Pines. Dressed in the hand-me-downs of an eighty year old, Dex reluctantly attends Wolf Eagle Middle School, where he excels in his studies and compulsively repairs the broken parts of the crumbling building. As the months drag on, Dex gets hoodwinked by a jealous narcissist into thinking he can forgo middle school if he creates an original project that satisfies the school board. His choice is to develop a code that will stump his 99 year-old-best friend, Leo, one of the Bunker Boys, the code breakers of World War II. As Dex tolerates life at school, his helpfulness and kindness get noticed. In performing one of those helpful acts with his trusty Swiss Army Knife, Dex gets suspended from school for violating the zero tolerance policy. Surprisingly, the students rally around Dex. Many visit The Pines and pair up with the mature residents and discover how much they can learn from them. At the long awaited school board meeting, the decision about Dex’s expulsion supersedes the issue of whether the decaying middle school should be torn down and rebuilt. Despite the absence of Leo and the fact that it was a hoax, Dex successfully demonstrates his project, thus commemorating his old friend and uncovering the historical significance of the school as the site of the Bunker Boys. With humor and respect, Korman presents Old School as an homage to old people and also a nod to the value of being resourceful and kind.

THOUGHTS: Tried and true, Gordon Korman may not be writing Newbery winners, but his books are solid reads that appeal to a wide audience. This one unearths lots of old timey idiomatic expressions that students may have fun explaining or incorporating into their own speech.

Realistic Fiction

Grades 3-7. 

Dexter Foreman is not your average twelve year old. He’s the youngest resident of The Pines retirement community. He’s lived there with his grandmother for six years, interacting with, learning from, and making friends with all the senior citizens. He’s been homeschooled by some of the biggest names in history, including a best-selling author, a former boxer, and a World War II codebreaker. But when a truancy officer insists Dexter attend seventh grade at Wolf’s Eye Middle School, his entire world is turned upside down. He doesn’t have the right clothes, haircut, or vocabulary to fit in with his peers. When he uses a Swiss Army knife to fix a jammed vending machine – violating the school’s zero tolerance weapons policy – he is immediately suspended. At first, Dexter isn’t bothered by the suspension, since he didn’t want to attend public school anyway. But, as time passes, his feelings about school, his classmates, and his overall place in the world become more complicated. Each chapter is narrated by different people in the Wolf’s Eye community, including Dexter, his guidance counselor, and other middle school students. This allows readers to experience Dexter’s plight from multiple angles and viewpoints.

THOUGHTS: Readers will root for Dexter as he navigates the challenges of middle school life while also trying to find his own place. Korman also explores conversation-starting ideas such as fitting in versus being your own person, the kinds of traits that make a true friend, and how to stand up for what you believe in. Share this title with Gordon Korman fans as well as with teachers looking for a new read-aloud option. 

Realistic Fiction

MG – The Winter of the Dollhouse

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Schlitz, Laura Amy. The Winter of the Dollhouse. Candlewick Press, 2025. 978-1-536-23608-8. 400 p. $18.99. Grades 4-7.

As the eldest in her blended family, newcomer to Grace Harbor, Maryland, Tiphany Stokes craves attention from her dad and stepmother, Holly, while being a helpful sister to her younger brother and baby sister. She feels misunderstood and disconnected from her peers and family and, mostly, she envies the miniature dolls she cannot afford in mean-spirited Mr. DeLucca’s toy store window. In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, she rescues sixty-eight year old Szilvia Rozsahegyi when she collapses on Jay Street outside the store. Szilvia also feels out of kilter; she is recently divorced and lonely. Recuperating from major surgery, she offers Tiph an after-school job walking her beloved bulldog, Loki, and emptying the litter box of her pampered cat, Flosshilde. The weekly pay will enable Tiph to fulfill her dream of buying Gretel, a tiny specialty doll. To her stepmother’s consternation, Tiph finds an attentive listener and non-judgemental advisor in the older woman. Szilvia Neni, in turn, has an excuse to haul out a dollhouse, handcrafted by her distant father and sent to her from Hungary when she was seventeen. The pair share a fascination for dolls and an enthusiasm to restore the dollhouse together. But Tiph has light fingers. She has already stolen from the toy store in the past, and when accompanying Szilvia to pick up supplies for their project, she steals Gretel. Tiph’s first person narrative reveals her shame and confusion at her actions; yet, in other aspects of her life, she is boldly truthful and sincere. Szilvia recognizes these admirable traits and offers Tiph unconditional love, along with tea and toast as she learns of Tiph’s inability to make friends in the new school, her desire to have a part in the school play, and her ambiguity about her place in her blended family. In alternating chapters, readers follow the narrative of the dolls and animals who awaken at night to their own world, but always with concern for the human one. It is the dolls that find the secret behind the sealed door in the dollhouse and devise a plan to have Szilvia notice it and discover a heartwarming treasure. The excellent writing talent of Laura Amy Schlitz highlights two strong yet vulnerable voices in Tiph and Szilvia, while still giving life to the dolls: the tentative Gretel and the spunky Red Riding Hood, and other minor characters. Tiph’s awakening to her own good qualities and desires resonates well with middle-grade people. The playfulness and humor depicted in both human and animal/doll characters elevate The Winter of the Dollhouse to a page turner. This cozy, intergenerational friendship holds many lessons. To those who gravitate towards this book, introduce the classic, The Borrowers by Mary Norton, and the Doll People series by Ann M. Martin.

THOUGHTS: This review took me so long to write/condense, and I don’t think I did it justice. The Hungarian Revolution and being a new immigrant are behind Szilvia’s story. Tiph is an oldest child with a nice but busy stepmother who still expects Tiph to entertain and care for her three-year old brother who has gone through heart surgery and her doted on, beautiful baby sister. Middle grade students may be feeling that same disregard if they have younger siblings. Szilvia offers a warm but genuine profile of an older person’s relationship with a younger one.

Fantasy

YA – Everything We Never Had

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Ribay, Randy. Everything We Never Had. Kokila, 2024. 978-0-593-46141-9. $18.99. 288 p. Grades 8–12.

Randy Ribay’s most recent novel, weaves together an emotional story that spans four generations of Filipino American boys. Told through alternating times and perspectives spanning Philadelphia in 2020, Denver in 1983, Stockton in 1965, and Watsonville in 1930, readers see the violence and inequities that the Maghabol men have faced as well as seeing the familial relationships between the generations. 

THOUGHTS: This novel gives readers a look at some of the hardships and racial charged events that Filipino Americans have faced (and continue to face) throughout the years. It shows the intricacies of familial relationships and how they can be strained through the years, how different generations have different values. There is some mature language throughout the book.

Historical Fiction 

Grades 9-12.

Francisco, Emil, Chris, Enzo. Award-winning author Randy Ribay places his novel first at a migrant farm in California circa 1929 then 1960’s, then Colorado in the eighties, and finally in Philadelphia during the COVID pandemic. Flipping back and forth in the narrative, he traces a family history steeped in activism, alienation, and assimilation. Fifteen-year old Filipino immigrant, Francisco Maghabol, is starting to regret his decision to come to America to work as a migrant worker so he could help his family. This regret turns to determination to stay when the migrant workers face violent racism from white men in Watsonville. The reader learns that Francisco becomes a leader in the United Farm Workers movement. Emil, his son, resents his father’s dedication to other people over his own family. Emil’s curtailed childhood molds him into a person who rejects his Filipino heritage, and his father and impels him to choose a conservative, safe way of life. In Colorado, years later, Emil’s son, Chris is a star high-school football player, but Emil demands he quit the team because of some missed assignments. While researching his paper, Chris learns about the oppression of Filipino dictator, Ferdinand Marcos. This project sparks a desire to study his heritage; but when he tries to share this with his father, Emil will hear none of it. The schism grows between father and son. Conversely, Chris wants his son, Enzo, to feel comfortable speaking to him, to make his own choices, and to care about other people. When COVID strikes, Chris moves Lolo Emil from his assisted-living facility into his West Philadelphia home to keep him safe. Enzo, Chris’s son, suffers from anxiety, which COVID quarantine exacerbates. When Lolo Emil moves in, though, Enzo and Emil form a surprising yet fragile bond, despite Emil’s stoicism. Underlying this generational family story is the lesser-known story of the Filipino instigation of the United Farm Workers’ Union. While most readers are familiar with Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huertos and their work in organizing farm workers, many may not be aware that the Filipino farm workers started the movement. Everything We Never Had provides a raw look at the good and bad of sacrificing for a cause and the inconsistent legacy produced through different times, perspectives, and experiences.

THOUGHTS: This story provokes a lot of thought. On one level, this is a story of relationships. Each narrative can be examined, compared, and contrasted with the other to determine the psychological reasons for the characters’ discord. On another level, it is a story conveying Filipino history: immigration, farm workers’ organizing, Marcos’s dictatorship, United States government’s role in perpetuating racism and unfairness to the Filipino people. Discussions around activism, the necessity of it, and its toll on the activist as well as families can be interesting. The book does not resolve perfectly and readers may wish to speculate on the continuation of the protagonists’ relationships. There are a couple of instances of foul language. One of Chris’s best friends is in an undeveloped lesbian relationship that the author notes with Chris finding the two girls kissing. I could find no mention of Francisco Maghabol in Filipino Farm Worker history; he is a fictional character.

Historical Fiction
Realistic Fiction

MG – The Secret Library

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Magoon, Kekla. The Secret Library. Candlewick Press, 2024. 978-1-536-23088-8. 384 p. $18.99. Grades 4-8.

Sixth grader Delilah (Dally) Peteharrington is living a life of privilege on her family’s massive estate in present-day South Carolina. Her widowed, work-obsessed mother grooms her to take over the family business by micro-scheduling academic activities and requiring Dally to make appointments to see her. Dally’s only fun time is with her grandfather. When he dies abruptly, her misery is momentarily assuaged by the gift he left her: A map to a library that holds people’s secrets. Well-trained by her grandfather, Dally cracks the code on the map and creates a ruse to visit this “secret library” during her one free hour after school. Dally follows the map and the edifice magically appears, whisking Dally into a world that offers her comfort as well as challenges. Guided by the kind librarian, Jennacake, Dally returns day after day to choose a volume revealing a different type of secret. At first, Dally chooses simple secrets, like where the housekeeper stashes her “cheer up” candies; but, gradually, her time travel excursions take a more radical turn, not only does she become a witness to her own parents’ relationship, but also, the lineage of her ancestors. Dally is biracial, but learns there are family secrets about race and color passing in her family, as well as secrets around gender identity. The Secret Library contains adventurous escapades, thoughtful commentary on discrimination and societal constructs, and a complicated parent-child relationship. Jennacake advises Dally that she will learn about herself through her experiences at The Secret Library, and that proves true as she finds herself on a pirate ship in 1850 or on her own undeveloped homestead in the 1950’s. Author Kekla Magoon offers an unpredictable story with enough interest to keep young readers turning pages, though the action gets a bit muddled as the author tries to wrap up Dally’s connection with The Secret Library. Fans of Trenton Stewart’s Mysterious Benedict Society or Pseudonymous Bosch’s The Name of this Book Is Secret series may like this book.

THOUGHTS: Kekla Magoon serves up some surprises in this book, once Dally explores her family history. These surprises make the book interesting, but also a bit heavy handed.

  • The secret sends her to 1850 to a pirate ship led by white Eli and his first mate, a Black man,Pete. Dally shares with them that where she is from men can love men. When she returns around 1854–Eli and Pete are imprisoned and Eli’s appearance has changed and– big surprise–Eli has a baby, but says they want to be a man. During the 20th century, her visits to the past show her great-grandfather as white passing and disowning his own Black family as he grows his financial empire. At another visit, Dally gives a simple explanation of racial construct to her then-teenaged grandfather.
  • In our world where privacy is hard to maintain, The Secret Library gives an ethical balance about keeping others’ secrets.
  • Dally’s relationship with her mother is contentious; she feels ignored and unloved because her mother is driven by work and wealth. However, the visits show another side of her mother, one Dally doesn’t comment on.
  • (Spoiler) Eleven-year-old Dally is posed to take over as librarian at The Secret Library, eliminating any chance of having a life of her own, with her own adventures. However, Magoon devises a way for Dally to live a robust life and still wind up as the librarian for The Secret Library. This part is jammed in at the end and confusing.
  • Time–is it linear or parallel?

In summary, The Secret Library stands out as an unusual and interesting book There is a lot going on. Some readers will like the action and fantasy part; some readers will understand the racial, gender, and relationship implications.

Fantasy

Elem./MG – Tree. Table. Book.  

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Lowry, Lois. Tree. Table. Book. Clarion Books, 2024. 978-0-063-29950-4. 194 p. $18.99. Grades 5-8.

Two Sophias. They both love tea. They both have strong opinions. They both love each other. However, one Sophia is in elementary school and the other is not. The book starts with the older Sophia forgetting that she left the kettle on and struggling with other memory things. The younger Sophia decides to help her out when she overhears that elder Sophia’s son is thinking of putting her in a nursing home. The reader will follow as Sophia tries to help her best friend with the help of her neighbors and friends more her own age, Ralphie and Oliver. By trying to help her friend, Sophia will hear stories of the past that she never knew and learn things about her friend that she didn’t expect.

THOUGHTS: This was amazing! I wish there were more flashbacks because I would have read 100 more pages about Sophia’s life before we meet her on page 1. Overall highly recommended for any elementary or middle grade collection.

Realistic Fiction

Eleven-year-old Sophie Winslow’s best friend is her next door neighbor, eighty-eight year old Sophie Gershowitz. They make up games together and share stories; despite the age gap, the younger Sophie relates more closely to the older Sophie than she does to fellow sixth grader, Ralphie, or autistic Oliver, her two other pals. When the precocious girl overhears her parents talking about Sophie’s worsening condition and the impending arrival of her accountant son, Aaron, she commits herself to making sure her best friend stays in her home. To help her in her project Ralphie gives her an old Merck Manual, a cast off from his father, a doctor, and Sophie looks up the guide for checking one’s cognition. She believes if she can prepare Sophie Gershowitz to answer the questions correctly, she can keep her in New Hampshire with her instead of having the older woman’s son take her to Ohio. As young Sophie narrates her daily steps in trying to get the elder Sophie up to snuff, the reader learns that memory is a fragile but powerful thing. A Polish immigrant, Sophie Gershowitz connects far-flung memories with the words her young friend suggests. Though the older woman’s short term memory is failing, certain words trigger deep and vibrant past memories. Urged by the words Sophie introduces, Sophie Gershowitz recalls scenes from her childhood in Poland: her memory of a favorite tree; the peril the Nazis brought to her Jewish family; and her deliverance into hiding. Even though she tries her best, young Sophie cannot prevent the inevitable. The older Sophie burns the kettle, can’t recall what they did that afternoon, and uses tricks to tell what day it is, so her son decides she needs special assistance closer to him. Much of this story is relating the pair’s close relationship and the young girl’s methodical and driven efforts to train her older friend so she can outsmart the cognitive tests. However, the underlying message here is that those with memory loss can still bring us joy and can still connect deeply with those around them. In true Lowry style, this book is written with tenderness and restraint and appeals to the sensitive reader

THOUGHTS: Other books like The Pictures of Hollis Woods, by Patricia Reilly Giff; Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Meg Medina; and Ruby, Lost and Found, by Christina Li have that same intergenerational theme that brings home the impact dementia has on those close to them and how their disability still warrants they be treated with dignity. Tree.Table.Book has a protagonist who understands what is happening to her older friend and is quietly raging against it, which may be not as relatable to the average middle school reader.

One weird turn in an otherwise thoughtful and well-written book is the over-explanation of Ralphie’s large family attributed to his Catholic religion.

Realistic Fiction

Meet the Sophies: Sophie G is in middle school and Sophie W is 80.  Yep, 80! Despite their age differences, they are best friends. Sophie W’s son is coming to visit, and Sophie G overhears her parents talking about why.  Lately Sophie W is having some memory lapses, and her son is suggesting she move home with him to a memory care facility. Sophie G will have none of it. Borrowing a medical text that has a memory test in it, Sophie G decides to prep her dear friend for her upcoming doctor visit. Sophie W does fine on some parts of the test, but when it comes to remembering certain words, she fails miserably. Sophie W comes up with a plan. She will have Sophie W tell a story about each word to help her remember them. Her memories are deeply personal, some she has never shared with anyone else! Even though this exercise is unsuccessful, the two friends become closer than ever after revealing these personal memories.

THOUGHTS: Wow! A little slow at first, once Sophie W starts telling her stories, this book becomes unputdownable! Our 5th grade reads Number the Stars by Lowry, and this would be a great read aloud to partner with that story. Filled with stories of war, loss, and hope this book will stick with you for a long time!

Realistic Fiction

Elem. – Spanish is the Language of My Family

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Genhart, Michael. Spanish is the Language of My Family. Illustrated by John Parra. Neal Porter Books. 978-0-823-45004-6. 36 p. $18.99. Grades K-3. 

When Manolo’s school holds a Spanish-language spelling bee, he is the first in his class to sign up because Spanish is the language of his family. He already knows how to spell some Spanish words, but he turns to his Abuela for help preparing. They review the list of words together, and as she quizzes him, Abuela also shares stories about how school was a very different place when she attended as a little girl. She describes how students were not allowed to speak Spanish and how they were sent home, spanked, or had their mouths washed out with soap if teachers heard them speaking the language. Her stories inspire Manolo to study even harder, and on the day of the contest, his whole family is in the audience to cheer him on. He takes a deep breath and spells his first word correctly. More and more correct spellings follow, until only he and one classmate remain on the stage. His final word, “respeto” reminds him of the respect he has for his family’s language, and he spells the word correctly. Backmatter includes the letters and sounds of the Spanish alphabet. Also included is a note from the author that describes the inspiration for this story; information about the National Spanish Spelling Bee; a history of the prohibition of Spanish in schools during long periods of American history; and background information about El Dia de Los Ninos, or Children’s Day. This title was simultaneously published in Spanish as El espanol es la lengua de mi familia. 

THOUGHTS: This intergenerational story celebrates being bilingual as a strength and a source of family pride. Short sentences and vibrant acrylic illustrations will hold students’ attention, making this title a good choice for a read-aloud, particularly at the end of April when Children’s Day is celebrated. 

Picture Book

MG – The Lost Year: A Survival Story of the Ukrainian Famine

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Marsh, Katherine. The Lost Year: A Survival Story of the Ukrainian Famine. Roaring Brook Press, 2023. 978-1-250-31360-7. 368 p. Grades 6-8.

Flipping between the days of the pandemic in 2020 and the Holodomor in the Ukraine in 1933, this eye-opening historical fiction work tells the story of Matthew, a young man barely tolerating the conditions brought on by COVID days and three cousins from the Ukraine. Matthew’s mother has moved GG, Matthew’s 100-year-old great-grandmother, to their home to protect her health. As a diversion from video games, she encourages her son to help GG sort through the many boxes from storage that GG brings with her. At first reluctantly, then gradually eagerly, Matthew gets to know his immigrant grandmother in a new way, learn about this atrocity that was suppressed in even prestigious newspapers like the New York Times, and form a tighter bond with his journalist father who is seconded to Paris for his work. In each compelling chapter, the reader uncovers the struggles, beliefs, and failures of the girls: Helen, the cousin who lives in a cramped apartment in Brooklyn and is trying to shed light on the Ukrainian famine; Mila, the spoiled daughter of a staunch Stalinist who has grown up believing the doctrine of the Communist Party; and Nadiya, the poor peasant whose family resists the collective farms and suffers terrible consequences. Author Katherine Marsh, whether deliberately or inadvertently, draws similarities between the disinformation prevalent during COVID in contemporary times and the near silence on the Ukrainians’ years of starvation in the early thirties. With the current war in the Ukraine continuing, the reader cannot help but feel sympathetic toward this country that has endured so much.

THOUGHTS: Students having Ukrainian or Russian ancestry will gain the most from this book, but everyone who reads it will know of the Holodomor. (I asked a student whose family came from the Ukraine if she knew about the Holodomor and she immediately said yes, though I just learned about it from this book.) It provokes discussion of perpetuating true information and encourages a stronger discernment of governments and the news they pass on. This title is a springboard for preserving family stories. Matthew’s search for information is contagious, and the action keeps building, but more prolific readers may predict the plot twist before it happens.

Historical Fiction                                          

Elem. – Mama Shamsi at the Bazaar

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Hassani, Mojdeh, and Samira Iravani. Mama Shamsi at the Bazaar. Dial Books for Young Readers, 2023. 978-0-593-11061-4. $18.99. 40 pages. Grades PK-2.

Samira is a sweet young girl who is heading out to the bazaar in Tehran for the very first time, accompanied by her beloved grandmother. Samir is nervous. What will the bazaar be like? Will it be crowded? Loud? Samira begs to wrap up in her grandmother’s chador, where she will be safe and comfortable. Grandmother gently amuses Samira by explaining that wrapped in the chador with the girl, the two would look like a turtle, a kangaroo, even a giraffe. Grandmother recommends instead that the two hold hands and stick close together to get the shopping done. Samira is no longer afraid.

THOUGHTS: This mother-daughter author team wanted to write a children’s book demystifying the veil. In the author notes each describes their own memories of playing within the loving warmth and comfort of their grandmother’s chador as children. The book depicts a beautiful grandparent relationship full of love and wisdom. While amusing her young charge, the grandmother distracts Samir with comical descriptions to ease her fears. Gentle, delightful illustrations by Maya Fidawi.

Picture Book