Salma Makes a Home by @thedannyramadan made me cry, but in the best way possible. A story about the uncertainties of making a life in a new country, and holding more than one home in your heart, Salma is a protagonist we can all feel and root for.
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Salma and her mother have been in Canada for nearly two years without her Baba. He finally has his paperwork taken care of so he can leave Syria and reunite their family. When she tells her schoolmates her great news, she is alarmed to find she hardly remembers her home in Damascus. When Baba arrives, Salma becomes even more anxious that he won’t like the home they’ve made, and this anxiety is made even worse by his complaints about the cold weather, his insistence on watching Syrian TV and his struggle to learn English. Will Baba ever love the home she has grown to love? And is it okay to love more than one home?
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I adored this story about Salma, a follow up to Salma the Chef (also highly recommended). Danny Ramadan paints a realistic picture of the anxieties and torn feelings many children who are immigrants express. Salma is plucky and and also a worrier, and her love for her Baba shines through the story. I don’t think I’ve read another children’s book that discussed the complicated feelings of reuniting with a family member who migrates later. The overarching story that love is what makes a home, and that it is okay to love more than one home, resounds with hope. A beautiful snapshot into a difficult experience, I loved this book and hope to see it in many classrooms soon. Recommended for students age 6-9, this book may also appeal to early middle grade readers who are reading lower level texts.

A very well-illustrated & enthralling story that many young readers will find to be an engaging piece of literature.

Thank you to Amick Press and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

In this sequel to Salma the Syrian Chef, Salma’s father is finally joining Salma and her mother in Vancouver, Canada. Salma is excited to see her baba and nervous too – what if he doesn’t like it in Vancouver and wants to go back to Syria? What if Baba doesn’t love Canada as much as Salma does? Baba does have a difficult time adjusting and Salma’s worries and anxiety do get the better of her. They talk and Baba explains that Salma can hold two homes in her heart, her home where she was born and her new home where she now lives. This illustrated early chapter book is sure to be a hit with young readers. It is not necessary to have read The Syrian Chef prior to this one. Recommended for grades 2 – 4.

#SalmaMakesAHome #NetGalley

This was a heartfelt middle grade series debut from Syrian Canadian author Danny Ramadan that follow's new Canadian Salma as she and her mother prepare to reunite with Salma's father in Vancouver after being separated for months. We first met Salma in the picture book, Salma the Syrian chef and in this new series she learns how to reconcile having to homes - the one of her birth in Damascus and her new home in Canada.

I thought the author did a great job writing about a young girl dealing with big emotions while also showing some of the challenges new immigrants face leaving behind the home they love to make a new life in Canada. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review! I'm excited to see what adventures Salma goes on in the next book!

Salma and her mother have fled Syria and moved to Canada. While she has made some friends and enjoys school, she misses her father. It has been over a year since their separation. When he finally arrives, she is disappointed that he does not seem to enjoy Canada as much as she does. She is afraid he will want to leave her and return to Syria. Once they speak, this is obviously not the case. Excellent learning tool for children, and to anyone wishing to broaden their horizons.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

In this story, Salma and her mother are settled in Canada after leaving Syria, but her father is just now joining them. Salma reacts negatively to his longing for their former home because she is so desperate to convince him to like where she and her mother are now. Over time, she learns that she can hold onto her limited memories of life in Syria and consider two places home.

The emotional conflicts in the book are realistic but intense, without much to lighten to the story. The cute illustrations and family-oriented focus made me think of the Mindy Kim series by Lyla Lee, but unlike that series, which has lots of uplifting moments and fun everyday details, this one is mostly about hardship and difficult emotions. This is great for kids who are experiencing similar things, and can help others grow in compassion and understanding. However, someone who is just looking for a diverse early chapter book should know that this book is mostly heavy, without many lighter elements.

How do you explain longing for home, when you have left to start a new life in a new country because you can’t go back. Salma and her mother have left Syria to resettle in Vancouver, BC, but their father has taken a year, eleven months and six days to finally get to them.

Salma doesn’t understand why it has taken so long. She thinks her father loves Syria more than he loves being with her and her mother, so she tries very hard to persuade her father to stay with them in Vancouver, now that he is there.

Very well written view that children have about the reasons for leaving. And very well explained that you can have two homes, one in your memory, and one you now live in.

Apparently this is the first in a series, so there will be other stories of Salma, and her life in her new home.

<em>Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.</em>

With a history of taking in refugees in tough times, Canada has been changed for the better as a result of so many new people coming here in search of a safe place and a new life. More recently, Canada has welcomed Syrian refugees who have settled all across the country, bringing their culture and traditions with them. Danny Ramadan’s “Salma Makes a Home” is the story of a young Syrian immigrant, Salma, who has settled with her mother in Vancouver. In this book, they are waiting for the arrival of Salma’s father, from whom they have been separated for nearly a year. Salma is worried that her father won’t love their new home as much as she does. Ramadan is successful in navigating the emotions, hopes, and fears of Salma and does so with engaging text, descriptions, and characters. Part of the series,”Salma’s Adventures,” “Salma Makes a Home” is a great early novel that celebrates culture, tradition, and the balance between old and new. I would highly recommend this book for grades 2-5. 

-Teacher Tips-

* Find Syria on a map, look at photos of Damascus before the war. 

* What are some of the reasons why people immigrate to a new country? What is a refugee?

* What are some of the challenges that Salma’s father faces when he comes to Canada? Why does it seem easier for Salma?