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The story of Melissa who struggles to find a sense of belonging with the gender she identifies with. A boy from birth, who fears to let the world know that she is a girl and not a boy. At her school play she wants to characterize a female role, which not everyone approves of. She has family and friend support, specially from her best friend who helps her dress up and have the experience of walking out into the world as a girl.
The heart map is a great activity to dig deeper and understand a characters perspective. How the character's experience can impact our perspective of their challenges, struggles, and successes.
With my heart map I wanted to represent what it was like for Melissa at home and at school. What she had to face in her everyday life, her fears, her curiosities, shame, vulnerability, and judgement.
Topic/Theme: Gender and Sexuality
The story does permit some cause for hope as Melissa is determined to prove that a character of a play should not be determined by assigned gender, but based on the talent of the auditioned.
I believe that the story has a deep, clear and simple message of tolerance, equity, inclusion, courage, support, and respect. The story is definitely believable because it is a real issue that we are facing in our current society. The lack of tolerance, inclusion, and acceptance.

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I really enjoyed reading this story, and I thought that the message it was portraying was very important. This book represented how far a girl would go to support and provide for her family. Parvana was brave, and I believe that what she did for her family showed how much she truly loved them. I think that an important message behind this story is fighting for the ones you love.

For my heart map image, I chose to do it on Parvana. She disguised herself as a boy when she had to work and support her family at the same time. When her father got arrested, she knew what she had to do for everyone she loved. I think that this message is very inspiring. All of the words that I used to describe Parvana's character represent who she is as a person, and all of the attributes that she portrayed throughout the story. I think that a heart map project will be one that I incorporate into my classroom no matter what grade I end up teaching. I think that it can apply to many stories and subjects.

After looking at the list of themes represented in Chapter 9, I believe that this book represents the theme of gender, and the lengths that people would go to help support their family. Parvana truly stepped up when she needed to although she was disguised as a boy when women/girls didn't have a lot of rights in a male-oriented community.

After reading this book, I truly believe that this book permits a cause for hope. It represents and portrays that no matter what Parvana would find a way to help her family. I loved the message behind this book, and I believe that it is one that I will be including in my future classroom library.

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I enjoyed this book! There were several comic relief moments, in addition to several raw minutes. I felt like it gave some great insight to what it feels like being an African American middle class kid, transferring in to a predominately white private school. Alongside Jordan telling his story, he drew several comic strips to go along with it making the book super entertaining. In my heart map I described Jordan's interests, and some of the daily issues he faced. Alongside what it means to simply be Jordan.

I think the Heart Map is a great way to have students pick a main character in an assigned story and really break down what makes that character unique. It gives everyone a glimpse into a story they've never read before, and into what made the story and character significant to you.

In regard to themes, I think New Kid would've fallen under a few. Peer Friendships & Bullies, Life within Local & Global Communities, and Difficult Life Decisions & Coming of Age.

I would say this story was both a disguise for a heavy-handed moral lesson and believable. In fact, I think the events were actually based upon the Author's life, and I would say the moral lesson was racism. There were several comments, and dialogue throughout the book indicated so.

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I really enjoyed reading this story. I think that this is such a good book for young students to read when starting to get into more sophisticated books. Although the story is very sad there is a really good message and a lot of good insight & lessons to learn here. I chose to do my heart map on Parvana who decided to dress as a boy in order to become the family's breadwinner after her father got wrongly arrested. I chose to do her for my heart map because I think she has so many incredible qualities that I wanted to display within the map. I think that heart maps are a really good way for students to learn how to analyze characters by breaking it apart and seeing what was important to the character. I think that heart maps can be good for any grade level. I think at any stage of education students are able to think about the characters and talk about them. I also think that the heart is a great visual for students to be able to see their thoughts laid out in this way.

I think the theme that this matches is with gender. The fact that she had to dress as boy to become the breadwinner of the family and the obvious discrimination towards women in Afghanistan is the center of this book.

To evaluate the book criteria, I think that it fits all of these points. The book is very believable because these things have/continue to happen in so many countries around the world. The book has a great message of hope, courage, and bravery. You can learn a lot about the characters personalities and their experiences.

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This was an amazing book to read. The author did a fantastic job giving the readers the raw and authentic experiences that women and families in Afghanistan may have experienced in the 1990s when the Taliban took over. It brings awareness to what many people experienced during these times. I believe that every classroom should have this book on its shelves.
In my heart map, I wrote down a number of traits that I saw in Paravana. I believe she has many more things I could have added but I wanted to only include the most significant traits.
Looking at the list of themes in chapter 9. This book really captures the themes of gender and sexuality, relationships and family, and difficult life decisions and coming of age.

This story does permit a cause for hope because Parvana found a way to help her family and was hopeful for a better future regardless of the her father getting arrested. It does not have a thin disguise for a heavy-handed moral lesson and it is very believable.

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This book was so fascinating and eye-opening for me to read. The story of the main character was extremely moving, and it was a perspective I've never really explored in fiction. It was interesting to put myself in the shoes of a transgender person and to see the emotions and thoughts individuals might experience. I could sympathize with Melissa's anxieties, hopes, and personal thoughts that she spoke about in the book and it was a very moving story to feel everything she went through.
This was an instance where I got to read a book as a window versus a mirror, and I had the opportunity to view a demographic I've never really had the chance to see from such a personal point of view. I loved how this book is a window and a mirror for readers; it's an opportunity for questioning readers to possibly see themselves represented and also a chance for other readers to get to meet an identity they may not be familiar with.
For my heart map, I decided to explore Melissa's character. For the majority of the book she goes by George, but Melissa is her chosen name at the end. I included emotions that she felt such as the fear, desire to find herself, and also the courage it took to show her true self to the world. A central plot point in the book is about the novel Charlotte's Web and how Melissa wants to play Charlotte in a play, even though Melissa is told that Charlotte can only be played by a girl. Towards the end of the story, allyship and support from loved ones are key focuses as Melissa's friends and families openly support her.
I think that this book would fall under the topic of Gender and Sexuality. I think that this story checks off all the criteria for the evaluation of realistic fiction. It permits some cause for hope because despite all the hardships and fears that Melissa endured at the beginning of the book, at the end she was accepted for who she is and got to be the person she always wanted to be. I would say this story is believable because I'm sure countless transgender children may be in this position and experiencing these same fears and situations with friends and family. This story is also a thin disguise for a heavy-handed moral lesson because while the focus is on Melissa wanting to be a girl, it touches on subjects such as support, acceptance, and understanding others.

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I think that the story did a really good job at shedding a light on issues that children around the world must deal with, it is great for younger children who may not understand how life is in other parts of the world. The story shows a daughter who is willing to risk her safety to help her family.
My heart map shows some things about Parvana, like how she was a female, that she was Afghan, that she showed great bravery, and held a lot of love for her family.
Of the themes listed in Chapter 9, I would say that this story focuses on relationships within families, gender and sexuality, and difficult life decisions and coming of age. The story is about a girl coming of age, who has to pretend to be a boy so that her family can survive.

As far as book evaluation go the book does permit cause for hope, the story does have a thin disguise for a heavy-handed moral lesson, and the story is believable.

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Hannah Davidson: The Thing About Jellyfish

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Hannah Davidson: The Thing About Jellyfish

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This book took me for a ride with all of its twists and turns and the message that it gives. It was a very deep read and was filled with a lot of emotions. Suzy is struggling with the loss of her best friend and in order to cope she is trying to understand how she really died. It is hard for her because she feels like no one around her can relate to how she is feeling and she doesn't know how to deal with the guilt she has. A lot of people struggle with survivors guilt and I believe that this is a big part of the story.
In my heart map, I focus on the main character of Suzy and the emotions that she is struggling with after the sudden death of her best friend Franny. She is experiencing loss, grief, guilt, bravery, and so much more. The effectiveness of this heart map allowed me to see all of the different emotions that Suzy is dealing with and how many "big" emotions she has to go through with this loss. I also was able to connect the main reasons why she was feeling all of these with the people around her, the research, Franny, etc. I think that a heart map is a great way for students to reflect on a book that contains a lot of emotions and they are able to connect those connections to the "heart".
This book would be a great addition to the classroom because this was a very well-written book and had such a powerful message in teaching young readers about not only grief but survivals guilt and what our minds might trick us into thinking in order to cope with the loss of losing a loved one. It shares that a lot of people go through the same emotions and it is okay to feel these big feelings in order to make ourselves feel better and understand the situation.

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The Thing About Jellyfish: Heather Ketcham

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The Thing About Jellyfish: Heather Ketcham

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This book was different from other books that I have read because of the storyline within it. I thought it was a very powerful story about a young girl dealing with the death of her best friend. Death is a hard topic to bring up with children especially if they have never dealt with it in their life. But it helps them to better understand it and how others around you go through something like this.
In my heart map it's about the main character Suzy and how she has been dealing with the loss of her best friend and what she does/goes through during this time. She experiences grief, sadness, heartache, friendship, etc. I think this book is in the category of physical, emotional, mental and behavioral challenges because of what Suzy has to go through in the process of accepting her best friend is gone.
I think that this story is believable because of the way that it carries itself, the way the author used her words and how this character went through this challenge was something that others go through also even if we all experience it in our own ways. It gives off hope on there is a way to get pass a hard time in your life. There is a thin disguise in this story, and it has to do with grief and acceptance.

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I really loved this book. I loved the message that it shares and think that this book is one of the more crucial ones that needs to be shared with students. I love that it brings a family aspect into it and how the daughter tried so hard to do everything she could for her family. Throughout the entire story, Parvana shows courage and resillenece and that is exactly the message that children need to hear. Yes, it is scary to be courageous, but, it will get you so much farther in life!

I chose to do my heart map activity on Parvana. Parvana is the most courageous character in the entire book. She had to step up for her family after her father was arrested. Parvana is an eleven year old girl from Afghanistan. Parvana has to disguise herself as a male in order to become her family's breadwinner. She needs to become her family's breadwinner due to her father's absence. I think that the heart map activity is a great activity to really put yourself in the shoes of the character that you chose. This will definitely be an activity I use in my future classroom.

This book fits under the theme of gender. Throughout this book it is very prevalent that women do not have many rights where she is from. She has to step up and be "the man" of the house, when in reality, everything she was doing as a boy, was easily done by a girl!

Lastly, the story permits a cause for hope. It teaches people to never give up and to show courage. When times get hard, there is always a good something good to come out of it! This story is definitely a thin disguise for a heavy-handed moral lesson. I think that the story does a great job of making it seem light-hearted when in reality, it is not. Lastly, this story is very believable and very powerful. I cannot wait to share this story with my future class.

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I loved everything about this book and thought it shared a great message with the world. I think it's extremely important to be educated on topics such as living in different countries, and what it's like. Omar and his younger brother Hassan had to flee from home due to the war. They lost their father in this Somalia war, and their mother right before they left. They still have hope she is alive, but they go on with their lives during this time in order to pursue their dreams. This book had more than enough pictures, it was almost similar to a comic book, just a little longer. The heart map activity not only helped me understand the book better but is a great interpretation of what the main character Omar and his brother Hassan are thinking, and going through.

This story does permit hope. No one chooses to be a refugee. I can't imagine going through the mindset every day of not being able to leave or do what I want. The author shares this story with others who are too scared. Omar always cared for his brother and had hope that they would be kept safe and healthy while being refugees.

I believe this story can be seen as a moral lesson from a different point of view. treat others the way you want to be treated. The way that our world created an environment where people were being controlled by others is wrong and should be corrected.
Yes, this story is believable. This has happened to several people, and they all have similar stories.

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I thought this was a really good book with an even better message.  This book shows how Parvana did everything in her power to keep her family safe and provide for her family.  Parvana showed a lot of courage in this book and it showed how much she loved her family.  It also showed how people act in times of need.

I chose to do my heart map on Parvana.  Parvana stepped up when her dad got arrested and dressed up in disguise as a boy to work and provide for her family.  She was very proud of this and she knew that she was doing the right thing for her family.  Parvana is very inspiring in the story and spreads a very good message.  I really liked the heart map activity and it is something I could definitely use in my future classroom.

This book definitely fits under the theme of gender.  it shows how Parvana is a strong woman and how she helps her family in a community that is very male-oriented and doesn't allow women to have many rights.  This book portrayed gender in a lot of different ways.

The story does permit a cause for hope. It shows how even when times are tough that good things can happen. It also shows how people can break barriers and go the extra length for their family. This story is a true story and the book does a good job of portraying this. This book has a big message and a very strong message. This book is very powerful and one that I can definetely use in my future classroom.

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I personally really did enjoy this book because it has such a great message and it is very eye opening while reading it. This book showed the importance of diversity in schools and how being accepting to others is so important. As well as knowing how to create friendships and bond with others that are different from you. It is a great story for students to read. This book could also be comforting to students who struggle with having different backgrounds or are different from other students in their school. I definitely recommend this book!
I chose to do my heart map on the main character in the book, Jordan Banks. Jordan is a new African American student in a private school. His parents sent him to the private school to try to give him educational opportunities that they never got. Jordan experienced bullies, feeling different, excluded and not feeling wanted. It was hard for him to go through this and we see him overcome his tough experiences and meet some really awesome friends. Jordan and his friends learn the importance of friendship and that it is ok to be different. I believe the heart map has a great effect for students because it has students think about the characters on a deeper level to truly understand them.
In the topics stated in chapter 9, the book New Kid would fit under "Life within local and Global Communities" and "Peer Friendships and Bullies".  Jordan experiences many new things from a new school, people and friends.  I do think this story permits some cause of hope and is believable because it is a real life experience that someone can go through. Also, I wouldn't say this story is a thin-disguise for a heavy-handled moral story because it does give good detail and emphasize on the powerful message in the book.

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This book was a really good and heartfelt read. It's a sad story of tragedy about a young girl Suzy that had an unfortunate event happen in her life, her best friend passed away suddenly. This book would definitely be a little tough to read to young students, but from grade level 3rd and up, I think it would be a great book to discuss the topic of death. Especially with how the author talks about acceptance through death and the process one has to go through during the heartbreaking tragedy that is death. This book could be very comforting for students who have had to go through a death in their life, knowing theyre not alone and the feelings that they feel are completely normal and okay. I loved how the author connected her love for jellyfish with the main character. It was also super cool to see how smart Suzy was and how she connected the dots, which could also be inspiring for kids. My heart map shows the common themes I felt like were the most present in this great read.

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I really enjoyed this book because it had a good message that Parvana was wiling to do whatever it took in order to save her family and make sure they were safe with food on the table. It showed how during hard times people who barely knew one another were willing to come together and become friends and work together. This is such a nice thing that people will do for one another in times of need.

I chose to do my heart map on the main character in the book named Parvana. She is a young girl, yet disguises herself a boy in order to be able to keep her family safe and provide them with food. She is very brave and courageous for the acts that she does. As well as very smart and clever with the way that she creates a business and is able to make money. I included the people in her life that were important to her, such as Shauzia who worked besides her, as well as Mrs. Weera who helper take care of her family, and her mother and father. Even though Shauizia wasn't her actual family I put her in that category since they had a special relationship.

Heart maps are a great way for students to be able to connect to a certain character in a book and be able to learn more about their character traits. It lets you analyze a character more in depth and be able to see what their perspective is on everything clearly.

Of all the themes listed in chapter nine, mine would fit in the category of difficult life decisions and coming of age. The reason I say this is because Parvana had to make a hard decision about what she wanted to do for supporting her family. She was still so young when she had to make such a hard decision, so she was still coming of age during this time and maturing in many ways.

This story does permit some kind of hope. It shows that even when times are rough and it seems like there is no good, there can be something happy that comes out of it in the end. This was seen through the father coming home and Parava getting away with being a girl dressed as a boy.

This story is a thin disguise for a heavy-handed moral lesson, because it does teach the importance of being courageous and finding strength within yourself. As well as doing anything for your family and the people you love and care about, even if it is dangerous.

The story is believable, because it takes place in Afghanistan which is a real place. It also is based on a true story so it is believable because a lot of parts of the story really did happen. It shows the importance of being courageous and strong during hard times, and finding a way to get something done that is a little risky.

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I really enjoyed this book that I chose for this assignment. I felt that I have never really read a book like this one. When I chose it, looking at the cover I was not expecting it to be about what it was. The author told a really powerful story about the main character, Suzy, dealing with the grief she felt due to her best friend suddenly passing away. I feel like this topic of death is one of those topics that is harder to discuss with younger children so this book felt very moving with the way the story was told. This is a book that I would add into my future classroom library because it addresses so many important themes. My heart map addresses all of the themes of grief, sudden loss, acceptance, friendship, science, and discover all along with the main character, Suzy Swanson. I feel like this book would be a thin disguise. I also feel like this story is very believable because it talks about the main character going through her process of acceptance and grief and that is something that so many people go through, just in different ways.

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This book has such a powerful and courageous story that is so important for students to hear, especially since it is non-fiction. This gives students a historical context, as well as showing them truthful events that happened within history.

My heart map is about the main character, Parvana. Parvana is a young girl who faces the struggle of gender equality and suffering. To show her bravery and her courage she cuts her hair so that she can look like a boy to obtain a job, since girls can not get jobs within their society. Even though there is a lot trails and tribulations, Parvana has strength and hope, which helps her to push through and make money for her family.

The heart map activity is great for young readers to connect overall to the text that they are reading. It allows them to question what they are reading and make common themes of the character and their personal characteristics, allowing them to study that character. Not only does it allow them to identify these characteristics, but it allows them to learn and process the book overall and take information from it to further learn.

Out of the topics and themes listed in Chapter Nine, I think this fits in the gender and sexuality category because the whole story is based off of how Parvana herself had to make herself look like a boy in order  to work within society, because girls were not aloud to take on roles like that.

According to the textbook...
- The story permits a sense of hope because Parvana stays true to her family and goes past society's gender rules and proves that she is capable of providing for her family in a time of need.
- The story has a thin disguise for a heavy-handed lesson because it promotes courage and strength though generosity and love for her family and their needs.
- The story is very believable because it is a true story.

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This book was extremely powerful. It really gave the reader a true sense of what it is like in other parts of the world, specially in this book it was Afghanistan. Also the fact that it is a true story, but also a graphic novel I think students will be able to access the message and story in this book easily.

My heart map is about the main character, Parvana. Together Parvana and her father sell whatever they could find just to be able to put food on the table. Due to the conditions and the realities there at the time, Parvanas father was kidnapped. Without a father to provide anymore, Parvana knows she has to be strong. She disguised her self as a boy to go out and provide for the family. She was proud of this, and knew she was capable. She was very hardworking, and fought for herself and for her family. She was also very determined.

I think the heart map is a great way for students to dive into one specific character more closely. I think its also a great way to connect with the author and see why they chose to portray the character in the way they did.

This book definitely has a lot to do with gender. Where she grew up, women were not allowed out of the house without a man, and dealing with her father being forced away Parvana had to gain the confidence and strength to go beyond the "rules" and still find a way to support her family.

This book does permit some cause of hope. She is hopeful that even though she is a girl and her father is taken away that she can still provide and be strong. This story is a true story, and I think this book does a powerful job of portraying the realities. There is definitely a large moral lesson, and things to be learned/taken away from this novel.

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This story was a very different from anything I have read. It was such a unique way to tell a story of someones journey of grief. In the authors note, she talks about how this story began due to her obsession with jellyfish. i feel that there was a connection between the author and the main character. It was a beautiful story about a subject that a lot of people don't want to discuss with children. I believe a lot of students would benefit from a story like this because it gives them something to relate to.
My heart map follows the main character, Suzy. Her obsession of jellyfish started after her best friend passed away due to drowning. In order to cope, Suzy starts doing research on jellyfish, ultimately bringing her to the conclusion that she died from a sting of a jellyfish. Suzy is very smart and is constantly stating random scientific facts. She and her late best friend,  Franny have many fond memories together. Suzy's parents are divorced, that is why they are on each end of her heart. She has to go to therapy, which she hates. She has to go because she hasn't talked much since her Franny passed away. The piece of heart that says Jamie is part of her research project, she wants to find a jellyfish expert that lives in Australia.
The heart map activity is a really great way for students to connect to the text. I believe it helps them identify key ideas and moments within a book. It was a creative way for students to identify important moments. I believe this story permits some sense of hope because she wants to figure out why her friend died. I believe this is a thin disguise because I figured out that it was a book about grief. The really lesson behind Suzy's story was to show how she was coping. It was never about jellyfish, it was always about Suzy losing her best friend. I believe this story is believable because we all go through hard things and we cope differently. This story would be a great addition to any classroom library because it shows that other people are going through hard things too.

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I loved how this book was a true story because it can give students a different outlook on the book than a fictional book.

My heart map is about the main character Parvana. Growing up for her, it was hard to fit in with the family and the people around her because she was a women. She courageously decides to cut her hair and dress like a boy so she can be welcomed into society and even into her own family.

In the topics stated in chapter 9, I think it fits in the gender and sexuality chapter. She has dealt with the struggle of being a woman in her society and that is a big part of gender and sexuality.

I believe this book provides some sense of hope because she turns herself into a man in terms of hope.
This is a thin disguise for heavy handed moral lesson especially because it is a true story.
This story is believable because it is based on a tru story that is very powerful.

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Given that it is based on a true story, I think this would be a very powerful story for students. It would open their eyes to what is going on in other parts of the world and what other people have to go through.

My heart map is based off of the character Parvana from the story the Breadwinner. Parvana is an Afghan girl who faces some struggles. She is brave and cuts off all of her hair so that she looks like a boy. She then gets a job and works very hard to make her family money. She has a sense of invisibility behind her haircut. Parvana is a very confident child. She has very firm beliefs and always trusts herself. I think this is great for students to better understand characters.

Out of thetopics/themes listed in chapter 9, I think this fits in the gender and sexuality category. I think this is the best fir because she had to cut her hair short and make herself look like a boy in order to get a job to support her family.

According to the textbook...
- The book provides a sense of hope because Parvana sticks to her beliefs and supports her family.
-The book is a thin disguise for a heavy handed moral lesson because she had to look like a boy in order to get a job.
-The story is believable because it is based on a true story.

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My heart map shows Omar as he goes through life from a Refugee Camp in Kenya to living in the United States. He was torn from his mother but was able to have his brother with him the whole time. I thought it was amazing to see how he persevered through horrible and cruel times and made a life for himself despite all of his hardships.

This activity is great for young students because it allows them to slow down and comprehend one character at a time. This will help them determine the role they play in the story and how they have grown or grown stagnant. I believe that this book would fit the theme of social graphic novels. This book was also non-fiction, so it may be something different as well.

According to the criteria in the textbook (page 123), this book does all of the following:

The story permits some cause of hope due to Omar being able to break free and make a life for himself.

The story has a thin disguise for a heavy-handed moral lesson, such as refugee camps and being torn from choice in one's life.

The story is believable being that it is based on a true story.