August’s Theme: The Rich Diversity of the UK
I can hardly believe it is August already! This month we are exploring the United Kingdom! As I mulled over which country to explore, I realized that most families tend to take European vacations this time of the year. In fact, cities like London and Paris are known to be in the top five summer destinations in the world. When we decided on London, I knew I wanted to explore it in a manner that would highlight the rich diversity of the city, outside of the tourist attractions and the Royals.
So as part of our continuing efforts to shatter the single story, we have chosen books that showcase the diverse cultures in the U.K. Our Hatch box will feature a beautiful picture book with an Indian-British boy with a big imagination! Our Nest Jr. book is fun, witty and laugh-out-loud funny! Follow along with this Pakinstani-British boy as he navigates school and home life and goes on an adventure along the way. And I just love our Nest selection! This book about friendship and community will draw you in and give you hope! It also highlights the Syrian refugee crisis. And last but certainly not the least, our YA selection for the Soar box is simply riveting! Set in 1750s England, this story of a mixed-race British teenager who embarks on a journey to solve the mystery of his father’s murder will have you and your kid glued to your seat and flipping pages! Just don’t read it while making dinner. You might just end up burning the rice. Ask me how I know… ?
If you aren’t subscribed yet, you have until August 18 to get one of these boxes! These are good y’all!
– Bunmi SUBSCRIBE
RELATED BOOKS IF YOU CAN’T WAIT FOR OUR AUGUST BOX!
Kasia’s Surprise by Gurney-Stella
A heartwarming story about a feisty young Polish girl determined to be unhappy in her new life in England – but who finds herself settling in despite herself.Kasia wishes that she and her mum hadn’t moved to the UK – she misses Poland and all her old friends, and most of all she misses her grandparents. As the long school holidays stretch out in front of her, Kasia wonders how she’ll fill them: her mum has promised to take her out for some day trips, but the rest of the time she’ll be at work. Then Babcia and Dzadek arrive for a surprise visit, and Kasia is delighted! As she proudly shows her grandparents round her new town, Kasia realizes that maybe she’s happier here than she thought.
Voices: Now or Never: A Dunkirk Story by Bali Rai
Fazal’s world is now focused on Company 32 and the animals he cares for in the midst of one of the most frightening times in history. And as he and his friends make their way to the beaches of Dunkirk, Fazal must deal with even more than the terrors of a dangerous trek to reach the evacuation zone.
The Company’s captain defends his troops in the face of a terrible betrayal at the point of rescue: not everyone has welcomed the help brought by the Royal Indian Army Service Corps. Now Fazal is forced to question why he is even there and why he is expected to be loyal to a king whose people don’t all see him as their equal.
Tall Story by Candy Gourlay
Andi is short. And she has lots of wishes. She wishes she could play on the school basketball team, she wishes for her own bedroom, but most of all she wishes that her long-lost half-brother, Bernardo, could come and live in London where he belongs.
Then Andi’s biggest wish comes true and she’s minutes away from becoming someone’s little sister. As she waits anxiously for Bernardo to arrive from the Philippines, she hopes he’ll turn out to be tall and just as crazy as she is about basketball. When he finally arrives, he’s tall all right. Eight feet tall, in fact—plagued by condition called Gigantism and troubled by secrets that he believes led to his phenomenal growth.
In a novel packed with quirkiness and humor, Gourlay explores a touching sibling relationship and the clash of two very different cultures. Great for Nest readers.
Red Leaves by Sita Brahmachari
Aisha is a thirteen-year-old refugee living in London. Happy for the first time since leaving her war-torn home, she is devastated when her foster mother announces that a new family has been found for her and she will be moving on. Feeling rejected and abandoned, Aisha packs her bags and runs away, seeking shelter in the nearby woods. Meanwhile, a few doors down, twelve-year-old Zak is trying to cope with his parents’ divorce. Living in a near-building site while the new house is being refurbished, he feels unsettled and alone. Discovering a piece of rubble with the original builder’s signature set into it, he starts researching the history behind his home – and in doing so finds a connection with a young soldier from the past, which leads him to an old air-raid shelter in the same woods. Both children, previously unknown to each other, meet in the heart of the ancient city woodland as they come into the orbit of Elder, a strange homeless woman who lives amongst the trees – and, as helicopters hover overhead and newspapers fill with pictures of the two lost children, unexpected bonds are formed and lives changed forever . . . Great for Soar readers.
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Our goal is to bring you globally diverse books that will develop your child’s empathy and broaden their worldview!
