"When a young girl's family is forced to flee, Iran, there isn't time to make a plan. With only one suitcase, Kimia is forced to leave behind many cherished possessions as well as say goodbye to her beloved grandmother, Nana-joon. As years pass, the family lives in vibrant cities like London and Paris, but are never able to stay for long. After traveling halfway around the world, they finally find a new place to call home on the island of O'ahu. When Kimia's new teacher assigns the class a special project - bringing a suitcase filled with meaningful objects - Kimia finds a way to weave her past into her present, celebrating both her roots and her growth."
So, I missed a key detail when I read the description of this book on NetGalley, which is that this is a heartfelt picture book. Definitely thought it was a children's chapter book, so I was a bit surprised when I started reading, but not disappointed! Jaclyn Sinquett did such a beautiful job with the illustrations, bringing Maryam Kia's story to life with bold, bright colors, emotion, and heart. Maryam's story was incredibly bittersweet and poignant, and the goodbye shared between Kimia and her Nana-joon was especially heartbreaking. However, I thought there was a perfect balance between hitting the sad notes - leaving home behind, struggling to fit in at her Paris school, leaving Boston, etc. - and finding bright moments, like her airplane birthday celebration and finding new friends in Hawaii. It was such a wonderful blend of sadness and hope.
Outside of the story, I really appreciated the notes from the author and illustrator at the end of the book. Leaving a familiar place and having to start fresh is something that many of my students have experienced, some of them multiple times, and reading those notes, I couldn't help but think of how much my students could connect with those notes and with Maryam's story. This book is so warm and full of heart, and I know my students would love it. It is a must-have for any elementary school library, and I can't wait to add a copy to mine!
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