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alykat_reads's review
fast-paced
5.0
I understand the sentiment of not talking to your children about difficult topics - such as war, but I definitely believe there are age appropriate ways to tell them. Besides, there are millions of children across the world who have to live through the wars and they are even younger than our children that we say aren't old enough to learn about it. They're experiencing it so the least our children can do is learn about it.
This being written in verse really added to the beauty of the writing. This was powerful and a good way for middle-grade children to learn about what is happening in Sudan in a way that is accessible. I listened to this, but other reviewers have said the illustrations are absolutely beautiful, so eventually I would love to do a re-read of this with the physical version so I can see all the illustrations as well.
This being written in verse really added to the beauty of the writing. This was powerful and a good way for middle-grade children to learn about what is happening in Sudan in a way that is accessible. I listened to this, but other reviewers have said the illustrations are absolutely beautiful, so eventually I would love to do a re-read of this with the physical version so I can see all the illustrations as well.
sgrizzle's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.25
“Amira, sorrow’s fence has locked you in,” she says. “The only way out is through time.”
This middle grade novel told in verse chronicles one family’s experience with the Sudanese war through the eyes of their daughter Amira. I read another middle grade verse novel for last year’s Read Around the World and decided to do it again because of the differing perspective that gave. This was overall strong and I would encourage it for youth, it gives enough of the difficult content to land powerfully but doesn’t get too graphic, we spend the time focusing on how Amira understands it all and how she feels. The ending was abrupt and is why I rated this as I did, but it’s a worthwhile read.
This middle grade novel told in verse chronicles one family’s experience with the Sudanese war through the eyes of their daughter Amira. I read another middle grade verse novel for last year’s Read Around the World and decided to do it again because of the differing perspective that gave. This was overall strong and I would encourage it for youth, it gives enough of the difficult content to land powerfully but doesn’t get too graphic, we spend the time focusing on how Amira understands it all and how she feels. The ending was abrupt and is why I rated this as I did, but it’s a worthwhile read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and War
lsparrow's review against another edition
4.0
I loved the style of this book written in a poetry style and the illustrations that went a long with it. I did feel that there were times when the English language seemed to guide the story in ways that seemed to not be connected to the character. however it is an English language book. overall I enjoyed this book
shirleytupperfreeman's review against another edition
It is hard to imagine an author brave enough to attempt a middle reader book about the genocide in Darfur but Andrea Davis Pinkney pulls it off. This is a lovely book written with poems and sketches. Amira is a bright young girl living in a traditional village in Sudan. She describes her life in the village, the day their village was attacked by rebels, the long trek to the refugee camp and life in the camp in beautiful, but simple, words and pictures. The underlying theme of Amira's story is her strong desire to go to school. The gift of a red pencil begins to transform her life. Pinkney perfectly handles the horrors of the attack and the hardship of the refugee camp to make it real but very accessible and appropriate for young readers. Highly recommend.
sometimes_samantha_reads's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
My 5th grade students are doing mini-book-club novel studies in March for Reas Across America. Students will be doing projects at the end of month. My students are in pairs reading a wide variety of books. Two of them chose The Red Pencil from the school library. I had not read it before and wanted to read it in order to help them throughout the month.
It was a deep and reflective book. Sad at many times but glimmers of hopefulness and childhood throughout. I think my students will appreciate and learn from this more serious and "grown up" book.
It was a deep and reflective book. Sad at many times but glimmers of hopefulness and childhood throughout. I think my students will appreciate and learn from this more serious and "grown up" book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Death, Blood, Animal death, Violence, Death of parent, Pedophilia, Genocide, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Gun violence
emily_mh's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
I am brand new to reading novels-in-verse, so take this review with a grain of salt.
A lot of the poems here only felt like poems because they were written in the style where one sentence is spread (somewhat randomly) over multiple lines. There wasn’t anything inherently poetic about them, they were just
prose sentences
written like
this.
And the line breaks weren’t really used to poetic effect either. It made me think that this book would have been much more effective as a prose novel, as the verse format didn’t help the story in any way.
I know that Pinkney wrote in verse in order to write about genocide and war in a way appropriate for MGs. However, I think it went too far the other way, so that a MG with no prior knowledge of the Janjaweed or the genocide in Darfur would have no idea what was going on. There needed to be more clarity instead of nebulous references.
The book unfortunately concludes without having wrapped up many loose ends. There needed to be a few more poems at least to round out Amira’s journey (both in plot and character).
While I obviously struggled with some parts of this book, there were others I enjoyed. The poetry was sometimes clever with its repetition of motifs; this was especially evident towards the end, where Pinkney tied these together. I also liked the drawings provided by Evans. He managed to emulate a child-like style so that we could see the world through Amira both in the poetry and illustrations. I also appreciated the theme of the healing power of art: how art is both an outlet and a way to process emotions and trauma. Finally, the characterisation of Amira was well-done. While sometimes the verse acted unintentionally to separate the reader from Amira and her feelings, Pinkney did write a believable 12 year-old girl, whose narrative voice shone through.
Rep: Black Muslim Sudanese MC and SCs
A lot of the poems here only felt like poems because they were written in the style where one sentence is spread (somewhat randomly) over multiple lines. There wasn’t anything inherently poetic about them, they were just
prose sentences
written like
this.
And the line breaks weren’t really used to poetic effect either. It made me think that this book would have been much more effective as a prose novel, as the verse format didn’t help the story in any way.
I know that Pinkney wrote in verse in order to write about genocide and war in a way appropriate for MGs. However, I think it went too far the other way, so that a MG with no prior knowledge of the Janjaweed or the genocide in Darfur would have no idea what was going on. There needed to be more clarity instead of nebulous references.
The book unfortunately concludes without having wrapped up many loose ends. There needed to be a few more poems at least to round out Amira’s journey (both in plot and character).
While I obviously struggled with some parts of this book, there were others I enjoyed. The poetry was sometimes clever with its repetition of motifs; this was especially evident towards the end, where Pinkney tied these together. I also liked the drawings provided by Evans. He managed to emulate a child-like style so that we could see the world through Amira both in the poetry and illustrations. I also appreciated the theme of the healing power of art: how art is both an outlet and a way to process emotions and trauma. Finally, the characterisation of Amira was well-done. While sometimes the verse acted unintentionally to separate the reader from Amira and her feelings, Pinkney did write a believable 12 year-old girl, whose narrative voice shone through.
Rep: Black Muslim Sudanese MC and SCs
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content, Grief, Violence, Animal death, Gun violence, Genocide, Death, Excrement, and Death of parent
Minor: Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Sexism, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, and War
Minor: childbirth, loss of a loved one, child bridescorvingreene's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This is a novel in verse for young readers told from the POV of a young girl during the Darfur crisis. The poems and sketches worked well together and the author’s research paid off in a story that feels very authentic, heartbreaking, yet beautiful with the love of family and the MC’s drive to be educated.
caseybug's review
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
qrb's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, and Gun violence
Minor: Adult/minor relationship