Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate

Kek comes from Africa. In America he sees snow for the first time, and feels its sting. He's never walked on ice, and he falls. He wonders if the people in this new place will be like the winter - cold and unkind.

In Africa, Kek lived with his mother, father, and brother. But only he and his mother have survived, and now she's missing. Kek is on his own. Slowly, he makes friends: a girl who is in foster care; an old woman who owns a rundown farm, and a cow whose name means "family" in Kek's native language. As Kek awaits word of his mother's fate, he weathers the tough Minnesota winter by finding warmth in his new friendships, strength in his memories, and belief in his new country.

Bestselling author Katherine Applegate presents a beautifully wrought novel about an immigrant's journey from hardship to hope.

"Home of the Brave" is about a young boy named Kek who is brought to the United States to live with his aunt and cousin, Ganwar. Kek must leave his home country of Sudan after his brother and father are killed in a vicious attack. Kek is unsure if his mother is alive or dead and is overwhelmed by the sheer vastness and fast-paced world of Minnesota. When Kek sees an old cow at a nearby farm he starts to feel more at home and realizes that helping others may be just what he needs to escape the nightmares from Sudan. It is a fast paced book written in free-verse. It will appeal to both male and female students who are apprehensive about reading or just looking for a quick read.