Availability:
Library | Call Number | Format | Status | Item Holds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... Duxbury Free Library | YA GN B KHAN | BOOK | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Searching... Walpole Public Library | ON ORDER | NEW BOOK LOCAL HOLDS | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
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Summary
Summary
Nina is 18 in the mid-1990s. She's trying to find her place in a world constantly throwing her differences back at her face. Nina was born in a multi-culltural and multi-ethnic family: her father is black Muslim of Gambian origins and her mother is of Polish-Jewish descent. But Nina will turn her differences into strength as she embraces track and field. She runs, not to escape reality, but to be the champion of her own life.
Adapted from the best selling French semi-biographical novel by Rachel Khan, "Les grandes et les petites choses" and drawn by cartoonist Aude Massot, this book will definitely prove you that no challenge is too big, regardless of where you're from or how different your family is!Reviews (1)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up--Translated from the French book "Les Grandes et les Petites Choses," and now in graphic novel format, Khan shares a coming-of-age story about racism, microaggressions, identity, and love loosely based on her own life. In 1990s Paris, college student Nina Gary discovers she has a gift for running. Struggling with biased professors, she finds solace in being praised for her athletic abilities. Nina has an African father and Eastern European Jewish mother. There are no multiracial people in her life, and she is constantly navigating not-always-subtle racist and sexist remarks. Struggling to find her place, even as her running career shows promise, Nina finds herself smoking, drinking, and spiraling out of control after experiencing a sexual assault. This graphic novel doesn't pull its punches, and it's at times hard to see the protagonist sinking under pressure. The complex makeup of her family and her conversations about identity are refreshing and honest. Readers will root for Nina, despite some bad choices along the way. VERDICT A great book that touches on many timely, sensitive topics teens will want to read about. A good purchase.--Carol Youssif