My Name Is Sangoel

by Karen Williams, Khadra Mohammed, Catherine Stock (Illustrator)

Overview

Sangoel is a refugee. Leaving behind his homeland of Sudan, where his father died in the war, he has little to call his own other than his name, a Dinka name handed down proudly from his father and grandfather before him. 

When Sangoel and his mother and sister arrive in the United States, everything seems very strange and unlike home. In this busy, noisy place, with its escalators and television sets and traffic and snow, Sangoel quietly endures the fact that no one is able to pronounce his name. Lonely and homesick, he finally comes up with an ingenious solution to this problem, and in the process he at last begins to feel at home. 

Written by the authors of the acclaimed Four Feet, Two Sandals, this poignant story of identity and belonging will help young readers understand the plight of the millions of children in the world who are refugees. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802853073
Publisher:	Eerdmans, William B. Publishing Company
Publication date:	06/01/2009
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	36
Sales rank:	81,885
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD550L (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 10 Years

About the Author

Karen Lynn Williams has written several books about the difficult lives of children around the world, including Galimoto, Tap-Tap, and Circles of Hope. Karen has lived in Haiti and Malawi, and currently lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.


Khadra Mohammed is the executive director of the Pittsburgh Refugee Center and has worked with refugees both in the U.S. and abroad for more than twenty years. She and Karen Lynn Williams previously collaborated on the acclaimed Four Feet, Two Sandals. Kh


Catherine Stock is the author and illustrator of Where Are You Going, Manyoni? (Morrow) and Gugu's House (Clarion). She has illustrated numerous other books, including Karen Lynn Williams's Galimoto and the Gus and Grandpa series of books by Claudia Mills. She lives in New York and France.

Editorial Reviews

AWARDS and RECOGNITIONS
 
Smithsonian Magazine, Notable Books for Children (2009)
Children's Book Council, Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People (2010)
International Reading Association-Children's Book Council Joint Committee, Children's Choices (2010)
Maine Association of School Libraries, Chickadee Award Nominee (2010)
Pennsylvania Library Association, Carolyn W. Field Award, Honor Book (2010)
Children's Africana Book Awards, Noteworthy (2010)
Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Award, Nominee (2011)
Arkansas Diamond Primary Book Award, Finalist (2011)
Keystone State Reading Association, Keystone to Reading Book Award Nominee (2010-2011)
Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC), Choices (2010)
Friends of the Roanoke County Public Library, Roanoke Valley Reads (2011)
Junior Library Guild, Selection
United Society of Friends Women International (USFWI), Reading List
 

School Library Journal


"This simple story puts a child-friendly spin on a common immigrant experience. . . an excellent addition to the growing body of immigration stories for young readers."
 
Kirkus Reviews
"A sensitively written, hope-filled immigrant story. . . Though a skinny eight-year-old with downcast eyes, Sangoel is such a picture of quiet dignity that readers will come away admiring his courage and self-possession."
 
BookPage
"This is the gentle story of one refugee boy from Sudan and his adjustment to life in his new country, the United States. . . Through soft watercolors and the occasional torn photo or fabric collage, Stock's illustrations let the reader understand exactly how Sangoel is feeling and what a tremendous challenge it is to move to a new country and continent. . . Most schools in America have refugee children or children who are adjusting to a new culture and language; this is a book. . . that should help build compassion in many classrooms."

From the Publisher