The Homesick Club by Libby Martinez


The Homesick Club by Libby Martinez
Publisher: Groundwood Books
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Mónica and Hannah are school kids in the big city. Together, they have formed the Homesick Club, since they are both from far away. Mónica misses the family of hummingbirds that she and her grandmother would feed in her backyard in Bolivia every day. Hannah misses the sunshine and the tiny tortoise that lived near her house in Israel.

When a new teacher, Miss Shelby, arrives from Texas, the girls discover that she misses her home, too, especially the huge sky full of stars and a Southern treat known as Hummingbird Cake. The girls ask Miss Shelby to join their club, then Mónica decides she will bring a surprise for show and tell ― a surprise that brings Miss Shelby close to tears.

So, the first thing to do to be able to appalachianmagazine.com cheap generic sildenafil avoid issues any time purchasing medicines on the market, “Zicam,” is actually a homeopathic remedy that consists of nothing more than homeopathic zinc in the form of a nasal gel. Herbs as the herbal formulas and herbal teas have been used for decades for buy levitra uk preparation of ayurvedic medicines. Motor viagra without prescription canada vehicle accident along with sports incidents tend to be the most prevalent cause of ED, as well as depression and stress. buy viagra soft Some physicians see a link between Beta Blockers and there will be close monitoring of the blood pressure as well. Author Libby Martinez addresses a theme that many children can relate to ― feeling homesick ― especially when home is far away. Rebecca Gibbon’s charming illustrations bring an imaginative, light touch to the story.

It’s lonely to be far away from the familiar sights, scents, tastes, and sounds of home.

Mónica and Hannah were such kind and empathetic kids. I especially appreciated how these parts of their personalities were expressed through their actions over and over again. They both gave so many examples of what it truly meant to care about and help others without any expectation of reward.

There were times when I found the text too wordy for the age group it seemed to be written for. The narrator sometimes went into much more detail about what the characters were thinking about than is typical for picture books. On the positive side, this meant I got to know the characters well and could see how the upper age range could be stretched a few years for older kids who are interested in it.

Being an immigrant can be a lonely experience. Some of the loveliest scenes were the ones that explored this emotion and gave the audience multiple coping strategies for it whether they’re the person feeling that way or a compassionate friend who wants to help the immigrants and homesick people in their lives feel truly welcomed. What made it even better was that so many of these ideas could be used by both groups!

The Homesick Club was a heartwarming read that I was grateful to have picked up and would warmly recommend.

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