This book is written in simple free verse, making it an easy read. Kek finds friends, family, and stability while learning to deal with discrimination, survivor’s guilt, and new surroundings. Most of all, Kek must learn to find a home with his aunt and cousin. Even the most basic appliances are new to him. Adapting to the winter weather of Minnesota, attempting to speak and understand English, and trying to fit into a new world prove to be difficult. The life of Kek, a twelve year old Sudanese boy, is changed forever when he becomes a refugee. Home of the Brave is effective at enhancing one’s perspective of the difficulties of crossing borders and reminding one of the gift of home. In this story, the freedom of the United States is mentioned a lot, yet the struggles of leaving home for a seemingly new world where even the most basic communication is lost in translation are also part of the journey. For many crossing borders, especially refugees, the destination provides one with a voice and freedoms amid the chaos of one’s past. Its expanses of never-ending food in grocery stores, security measures in place for protection, and the freedom of an American appeal to many outside its borders. Often, the United States is portrayed in the media and popular culture as the pinnacle of living in comfort. It is about the journey a young African boy takes in moving to America. Crossing borders can be synonymous with the loss of one’s home, and Katherine Applegate’s Home of the Brave is a good reminder of all there is to appreciate in having a home, whether constituted by family, friends, or a roof over one’s head. For countless immigrants and refugees, the situation is switched. But there is a lot to be taken for granted when home becomes too familiar a place. COVID has brought many Americans nearly a year of experiences confined to home, and in many instances, home kept one going amid the chaos of 2020.
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