Lucky Broken Girl | 
so-soI enjoyed some parts of the book, but in the end, a so-so read.
What works for me: rich cultural diversity; family support; reading and drawing helps to overcome loneliness; hopeful.
What doesn‘t work for me: whiny main character; stiff dialogues; writing feels clunky and childish.
#MiddleGradeMarch #MiddleGradeMarchThroughTime
I got this the day it came out. I think five years ago?
Anyway it is a much loved book amongst the students I work with.
AS it is CUBA in some regards those of you who prefer middle grade for #FOODANDLIT this may be a good one to do! Also you #middlegrademarch folks may want to read it as well! A teacher just asked me about it today over text and I thought OH I SHOULD SHARE THIS ON LITSY! Because all things in life come back here right?
pickMy first book of the month was one of my #MiddleGradeMarchThroughTime books. This was an excellent story showing all the spiderwebbing places in a young life pain and suffering can intersect, but also how easy it is to supplant suffering with joy. It was written well, and got me curious enough to do some research on Jewish exiles from Cuba, which was interesting.
pickI almost didn‘t like this book. As the title, “Lucky Broken Girl,” conveys, it is a book of opposites. The MC, Ruthie, a 10-year-old Cuban-Jewish immigrant, ends up in a body cast after a terrible car accident. What follows is A LOT of graphic, visceral toilet talk (which helps to convey her shame). However, there are also moments of true beauty: pure white snow, fluttering confetti, & the kindness of strangers.
Thursday night homework sesh. ✌🏻
pickThis middle grade novel had me in tears several times. It is devastating, but also hopeful. When Ruthie‘s family is in a car accident, she is stuck in bed in a body cast. She feels lonesome and frustrated much of the time, but she learns much about friendship, family, and life from a wonderful cast of characters and her own introspection. She and her family are immigrants to New York from Cuba, and her life is full of people from around the world.
pickExcellent Middle Grade Read!!!!
To all my #MGBUDDYREAD folks this one is really worth the read!
pickThis is a fabulous read! I enjoyed the fresh approach to the multicultural historical genre. If you liked Sandra Cisneros‘ A House on Mango Street, you‘ll love Lucky Broken Girl.
pickA sweet story about hope and healing based on the author‘s childhood.
Ruthie and her parents, Cuban-Jewish immigrants, are involved in a serious accident, leaving Ruthie in a full-body cast for a year. While she lies in bed, terrified that she‘ll never walk again, friends and family do their best to keep her spirits up. I loved the diverse cast of characters and the sensory details of language and culture that weave through the narrative.
pickJust finished Lucky Broken Girl by Ruth Behar. A beautiful written story.
My TBR list in #Libby is getting crazy. So many good books to read!! 😜
🔢=Litsy By The Numbers Challenge
📚=TBR
📖=ebook only
✊🏾=POC author
🏆=challenges (I would use it for award winners but I‘m not tracking them)
pickSweet coming of age story about Ruthie - a Cuban Jewish fifth grader living in NYC during the 1960s. Solid middle-grade book that captures the immigrant experience and celebrates diversity. It should have a place next to modern classics such as Wonder and George in classrooms.
“If you happen to drop some of that on the floor, I won‘t tell the family that this was your breakfast.”
pickMade me remember of being the bilingual kid learning English in elementary school.
Chapter 1, paragraph 1, as a bilingual student I knew this feeling all too well. #Bilingual #notdumb
so-soThis was an uplifting story of a tragedy that deeply affected a young girl's life. Some of the pacing felt slow to me but perhaps parallels the slow recovery process the narrator (and the author) experiences.
Getting started on my 2018 personal book reading challenge--25 books before 2019--a little early. What's your challenge?
We did a mini genre project at work over the past few months. My genre was multicultural books and due in June. I'll be sharing a few of the books here. Below is my annotation:
Ten-year-old Cuban-Jewish Ruthie Mizrahi has recently emigrated from Cuba to Queens, NY with her family. She's smart, but she doesn't feel so smart at her new school where she's held back because her English isn't good.
Reading with my 8 year old son, after a long day in the sun curled up in bed. This book is amazing. He wanted me to keep reading! ❤
pickA transformational story of a young Cuban refugee girl who is bedridden after a car accident. The story is loosely based on the author's own experiences. #WeNeedDiverseBooks
pickdrawn in by the cover, confirmed by @BethFishReads recommendation, and deal sealed because the author will be ay my indie in a few weeks, this middle grade fictionalized autobiography does not disappoint.
pickWow. Not the book I was expecting. Based on the author's own life, the novel is not so much an immigration story as the story of how a young girl heals after a terrible accident. Get out the tissues! I esp loved the way spiritual beliefs and different cultures are explored from young Ruthie's perspective. Even if you don't normally read MG, I recommend this book. Thanks to @penguinusa for the review copy
I'm on an immigrant story binge because pretty much everyone in the USA is an immigrant or within a few generations of an immigrant ancestor. And because it's especially important to remember these days. This is a semiautobiographical novel. @PenguinPublishing
pickReally enjoyed this semi-autobiographical story of a young Cuban girl in 1960s NYC. Ruthie's story reminds me a lot of the Judy Blume books I devoured as a kid. Hand this to tweens who love character-driven stories. Coming in April! #howiereads #ownvoices #weneeddiversebooks
Starting on this (over breakfast tacos) and was immediately charmed by Ruthie! Looking forward to following her journey.
