At Home in a Faraway Place
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected Feb 18, 2025
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
From Newbery Medal winner Lynne Rae Perkins, this short novel for younger middle grade readers explores themes of empathy, friendship, discovery, language, and the life-changing epiphanies of travel. Features black-and-white illustrations, including full spreads, comic panels, and vignettes throughout.
Lissie, her dad, and her grandmother travel “to a faraway place, in a different part of the world” in this short illustrated novel. Their destination is Guatemala, where Raúl—Dad’s friend from high school—and his family live. Lissie doesn’t know how to speak Spanish, and initially the world is cloaked in mystery. But Lissie is a fearless explorer, both of language and new places, and soon she is embracing the sights and sounds, the delicious foods, the family stories and history, and the people she encounters. There are memorable discoveries and almost disasters, but mostly there are new friends—including a forever friend named Flory—who Lissie hopes she will meet again one day. A gorgeous book about the joys and rewards of opening yourself up to new experiences. Illustrated in black and white throughout by the author.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this conversational illustrated travelogue by Perkins (Violet and Jobie in the Wild), a tween discovers friendship that transcends a language barrier and the exhilarating mysteries of an unfamiliar environment. While visiting her father's high school friend Raúl in "a part of the world where most people speak Spanish," white-cued Lissie catalogs the things she observes and the ways they make her feel; a looming nearby volcano unsettles her, but she is charmed by gardens inside people's homes and muses that "maybe there are a lot of different ways to make a house." She cheerfully collects Spanish words and phrases and incorporates them into her narration, which proves useful as she befriends Flory, the Spanish-speaking daughter of Raúl's girlfriend. A trip to the ruins of a Mayan pyramid spurs thoughtful conversation between Lissie, her grandmother, and the tour guide, giving Lissie further opportunity to ponder her place in time and space and ruminate on the connection she feels to this new place. Realistic full-page b&w illustrations punctuate the narrative, evoking a gentle episodic feel to the plot and emphasizing Lissie's wide-eyed insights. Ages 8–12.
