Skip to main content

The Night Diary

Image
By
By Veera Hiranandani
Dial Books for Young Readers, 2018. Fiction

12-year-old Nisha isn't much of a talker - she doesn't like to talk to her father, her Dadi, or her schoolmates. The only place she likes to talk is in her diary, where she writes to her mother who died in childbirth and tells her all about her world. It is 1947 and Nisha's home country of India has suddenly been torn apart. Though Nisha and her twin brother Amil are half-Muslim and half-Hindu, their family is forced to leave their hometown of Mirpur Khas when it becomes part of a new country called Pakistan. Nisha and her family leave everything they know to embark on a dangerous journey seeking refuge in India.

This book is packed with a lot of depth and emotional weight that is lightened up by the strong voice of a 12-year-old narrator who is only trying to understand why people aren't as inherently good as she'd always assumed them to be. This work of historical fiction is impeccably researched and gives a voice to the 1947 Partition of India that many young readers probably don't know about, but it bears comparison to the many forced refugees looking for homes today. Hiranandani's writing is remarkably well-handled making for a richly affecting story that is both compelling and complicated.

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Faker

By
Faker By Gordon Korman New York: Scholastic Press, 2024. Fiction. 214 pages. 12-year-old Trey is used to starting over at a new school -- he has the routine perfectly memorized: make new friends, introduce his dad to the wealthy parents of his new friends, and "Houdini" themselves out of there before they get caught running their latest scam. Trey's dad is a master con artist, and Trey has just been promoted to full-partner. Their new scheme for the next big score brings them to the affluent suburb of Boxelder, TN where Trey's dad has cooked up a fake electric car company for investors to buy into. The only problem is that Trey is starting to grow tired of moving around and never putting down roots, especially after forming a fast friendship with Logan and developing a crush on Kaylee, a socially conscious girl in his class. As Trey longs for a normal life, is there any way he can convince his dad to get out of the family business? Gordon Korman is a perennial favorit...
Post a Comment
Read more

If You Like...Ladybugs

By
Spring is almost upon us! We'll have more rain instead of snow, flowers will start blooming, and more bugs will be out. Ladybugs are some of the prettiest insects--and the least intimidating for those more wary of bugs. If you like ladybugs, check out these books! Ladybugs Do Not Go to Preschool Written by Ali Rutstein Illustrated by NinĢ‹a Nill Richmond, VA: Bright Light, 2024. Picture Book. Ravi loves ladybugs--he eats aphids instead of cornflakes for breakfast, brushes his mandibles instead of teeth, and has a ladybug costume complete with wings and antennae. He is certain that ladybugs don't have to go to preschool, and when Mom says that Ravi still has to go to school, he is nervous. However, thanks to Mom's patience and gentle encouragement, Ravi makes some new friends and realizes that preschool might be a good place for ladybugs after all. A Perfect Spot By Isabelle Simler Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2022. Picture Book. A ladybug is ready to ...
Post a Comment
Read more

You Need to Read: Percy Jackson

By
I was a kid myself when  The Lightning Thief  by Rick Riordan was published, and it didn't take long for the Percy Jackson series to take the world by storm. Being the son of a Poseidon, Percy Jackson has some unique challenges as a half-blood. Here's some books that I think could've helped Percy when he was on his adventures trying to save the world: Greeking Out: Heroes and Olympians Written by Kenny Curtis and Jillian Hughes Illustrated by Javier Espila Washington D.C.: National Geographic, 2024. Informational. 191 pages. Percy, I know Chiron did a good job teaching you about mythology in Latin class, but this book is sure to be good to have on hand while you're traveling across the United States. Greeking Out  is written in a kid-friendly voice with vivid illustrations and a sometimes-snarky tone (much like Percy himself). It also presents real-life creatures and places along with the information about Greek mythology. The Homework Squad's ADHD Guide to School S...
Post a Comment
Read more