BookBright
ABOUT THE BOOK
NO SPOILERSJude is a twelve-year-old girl living in a Syrian coastal town who loves American movies, dreams of becoming a famous actress, and spends afternoons eating snacks and practicing English phrases with her best friend Fatima. When her older brother Issa gets swept up in pro-democracy protests and the government cracks down, Jude's pregnant mother decides they can no longer wait to see how things unfold. Jude and her mother leave Syria to stay with Mama's brother in Cincinnati, Ohio, while Baba and Issa remain behind. Told entirely in free verse, the book follows Jude as she navigates a new language, a new school, a cousin who barely acknowledges her, and the constant ache of not knowing whether the brother she adores is safe.
Free Battle of the Books questions for Other Words for Home
SPOILERSEvery one of these has the same answer, and that is the point. In a real battle the question is read aloud with a dozen other books in play, and students have a few seconds to place it. Here is what a battle might ask about Other Words for Home. Use them as a quiz, a trivia round, or BOTB practice.
Where in the book they come from
- Early in the book
In what book is a Syrian girl named Jude told by her brother to "Be brave"?
✓ Answer
Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
Issa whispers "Be brave" in Jude's ear as the family says goodbye before she and Mama fly to America. The phrase echoes in her head as a chorus when she walks into her new school for the first time.
- First half
In what book does a girl arrive in Cincinnati and find she cannot pronounce the city's name?
✓ Answer
Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
After the long plane flight, Jude and Mama land in a city Jude cannot pronounce. She practices saying Cliff-ton, the easier-to-pronounce neighborhood where her uncle lives, and her cousin Sarah laughs at her.
- First half
In what book is the only girl in school wearing a headscarf the daughter of Lebanese restaurant owners?
✓ Answer
Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
Layla, an eighth grader, helps her parents Samir and Dasia run Ali Baba. She wears a headscarf the color of an eggplant and becomes Jude's first close American friend, peppering her with questions about the Middle East.
- Second half
In what book does a stranger point at a pregnant woman's headscarf and tell her she's free now?
✓ Answer
Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
As Jude and Mama leave the hospital after the ultrasound, a woman stops them, points at Mama's hijab, and tells her she doesn't have to wear it anymore in America. The cheerful Christmas mood instantly turns cold.
- Second half
In what book does a Syrian girl borrow a powder blue puffy coat to go sledding at Mount Storm Park?
✓ Answer
Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
Aunt Michelle insists Jude borrow Sarah's coat because her beautiful new coat isn't warm enough. The coat is so puffy Jude is sweating by the time they arrive at the park.
- Near the end
In what book is a girl cast as Plumette the feather duster in Beauty and the Beast?
✓ Answer
Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
Jude's role is small, two and a half lines, but it is a role and that is all that matters. Her cousin Sarah lands only a chorus spot and resents that Jude's part is bigger.
