1. What do you know about Jude and her
life in Syria?
2. Jude’s brother and father argue over
how the people should handle the revolution, while Jude just wants peace at home
(pp. 16-17, pp. 29-33). Why do you think families become divided over opinions
about how their country should be?
3. When they land in the United States,
Jude says “It is strange to feel lucky / for something that is making my heart
feel so sad” (p. 66). Describe her mix of emotions about leaving home, and how
her struggle evolves (pp. 168, 170).
4. Have you heard or read about similar
mixed feelings in other refugees’ stories? How do you decide whether you are
lucky or unlucky when your feelings are mixed?
5. Jude’s mom tells her, “Americans
don’t have much history / so they like things that are old” (p. 74). Did you
ever consider the United States as being young compared to other countries
6. From the time they arrive in the
United States, both Jude and her mom struggle with the idea of loyalty to home.
Jude doesn’t want to seem too impressed by her uncle’s house (p. 76), and her
mom resists forgetting home (pp. 88, 90, 96). How do their ideas of what home
means change as they grow accustomed to living in the United States? Who and what
help Jude see that she doesn’t have to choose only one?
7. Jude thinks of Arabic proverbs to
explain puzzling behavior she sees in other people. Discuss the proverb “He
cannot give what he does not have” (p. 180). How does this help her understand
her cousin and her uncle? What does this proverb mean to you?
8. When Jude begins wearing hijab, many
people look at her differently, and even her aunt suspects that she has been
forced or pressured to wear it. What do you think of her decision to wear hijab
even though people don’t understand it?
9. Why do you think Jude is able to
befriend people as different as her cousin Sarah, Layla, and Miles? Do you
think it is unusual for people to have such different friends?
10.Are your friends all similar, or
different? What are some benefits of having relationships with different kinds
of people with different interests?
11.After an attack in a city far away,
Layla tells Jude that now she will learn what it means to be Muslim in America.
What does she mean? What are some acts of kindness that help Layla and her
family get through this difficult time?
12.Food plays an important role in this
book as a reminder of home. What foods would remind you of home?
13.Discuss the titles given to the parts
of the book: Changing, Arriving, Staying, Hoping, Growing, and Living. How do
these words reflect Jude’s journey from the beginning to the end of the book?
Does she change? Do you think her changes are positive?
14.Why do you think Jasmine Warga titled
the book Other Words for Home? Do you think that Jude found a home by the end
of the book?
15.What can we do to make immigrants
from other nations feel welcome in the U.S.?
16.Did you have any questions while you
were reading Other Words for Home? Do you like the book? How many stars would
you rate the book?
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