Jude lives in Syria with her family. She worships her older brother, Issa. Home is a coastal city that attracts many tourists, but war is threatening everyone everywhere in Syria.
A decision is made for Jude and her mother to leave the only place she's known as home and travel to America. They will live with Jude's uncle and aunt in Cincinnati. It will be safer for a young girl and for a pregnant woman, but it won't be home.
Leaving Syria means learning a new language and new adjusting to unfamiliar customs. Jude's cousin Sarah isn't exactly welcoming. When Jude starts school as a seventh grader, she finds there is only one other Muslim girl in her class. She is the victim of taunts and teasing and only feels comfortable in her ESL class. The teacher there makes everyone feel welcome and encourages them as they learn English and much more.
Despite her fears, Jude begins to assimilate with the help of a kind boy who always wear t-shirts with space references and a surprising part in the school musical. Jude feels more at home every day. The birth of her baby sister and the relief of knowing her brother and father are safe in Syria help Jude learn that home may have different meanings.
Author Jasmine Warga gives readers a look at the refugee life most only hear about on the news. OTHER WORDS FOR HOME is a must have for libraries and classrooms.
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