Too Far From Home by Naomi Shmuel

 

Title: Too Far From Home

Author: Naomi Shmuel

Illustrations: Avi Katz

Publisher: Kar-Ben Publishing

ISBN:  9781541546714

 

Review:

Meskerem is leaving her home. She’s been raised by her grandmother since she was a baby. Her mother is an educational counselor and works for Israel’s Ministry of Education and manages the placement of new Ethiopian kids in public school. Her family was moving to Herzliya. On her first day of school she was bombarded by kids asking her lots of questions because she was the only Ethiopian in her class. Now, she is faced with the challenge of proving that she is Jewish too.

 

Young readers will become engaged in this trying story of identity and belonging. Parents and teachers can use this as a tool to teach heritage and multiculturalism to young readers to help them better understand diversity. This is also a great read-a-loud book to help open up discussions of race and religion.

 

Courtesy of Kar-Ben Publishing