Home of the Brave

Kek, a young Sudanese refugee, comes to Minnesota to live with an aunt and cousin. He arrives in winter and sees snow and ice for the first time, and he wonders if the people are like the weather--cold and unkind. Slowly he makes friends; a girl in foster care, an old woman who owns a rundown farm, and a cow who he names Gol ("family" in Sudanese). Written in free verse by Katherine Applegate, it could be a good read-aloud and discussion starter about why people immigrate and their feelings and experiences in a new country.