Grab Your Edition Count Me In By Varsha Bajaj Presented As Copy
message behind the story of this book is really important and one which should be discussed more with children.
But, I just thought the writing was poor, At some points reading it I felt a little like when an adult is trying to be "down with the kids", the language used just didnt mesh with how the younger people I've been around speak.
A good book to read with children to discuss racism/hare crimes but I think there are probably better out there.
I just wish the cover was better than this, However, what matters the most is the actual story, the plot, the characters, the representation and the writing, But, dear publishers, hopefully the cover gets changed in the next edition,
I feel the representation is done fairly well regarding how racial discrimination still exists and how people of different cultures are treated differently, even threatened for their lives.
The author is a genius with the writing,
I just read two books by the author back to back in a single day and well I am thoroughly impressed!
I am so ready to read every book the author writes.
Amazon Vine
Karina and Chris are neighbors who go to the same school, Karina is Indian American and Chris is Caucasian, Karinas grandfather moves in and starts to tutor Chris in math, One day after the session Karinas grandfather is attacked in a violent manner, Even though this is a tough subject matter I feel that this is a very important read, I did struggle with how well both Karina and Chris both bounced back from the ordeal, I would think at any age witnessing an assault would be a traumatic experience but especially at their age, Despite that minor issue this was a well written story about not letting hate win, I honestly feel if people took the time to get to know each other things could be SO different, CountMeIn Important message, but the writing is, . . not great.
Looking for something similar Try Supriya Kelkar's As American As Paneer Pie or Hena Khan's Amina's Voice, A timely, important, powerful book about how we all belong in the United States, . . except some think we don't, some commit hate crimes, COUNT ME IN would be a great class novel readaloud that would lead to important conversations as to whether we want to be part of the problem or part of the solution on discrimination and immigrant issues.
My only concern was that I wish Karina's and Chris' voices in alternating chapters had been more distinct, I would catch myself reading at times and have to flip back to see who was narrating that chapterwith more distinct narrative voices that would not have been an issue.
Still, a mustread for all middle school students, This made me feel things, Full review available sitelinkhere! A book about hate crimes that's easy to love, So happy to welcome this book into the world, Bajaj mixes moments of humor in with an examination of a tough and timely topic in a story that is sure to be a splendid success.
A story told in two perspectives via Karina and Chris, They arent initially friends but their relationship begins to change when papa comes to live with them,
When a hate crime is committed, the kids, family and community are propelled into action, Its a great story and will give readers a new perspective to consider and offer opportunities for action,.starsfor kids and tweens,,for me, an upbeat story about making a difference, If you like stories like sitelinkShine! about doing the right thing, read this, It's really too hard to write about this one without giving the plot away,
CountMeIn, SayNoToHate, IAmAnAmerican, WeBelong and SupportHeals are only a few of the hashtags used in this uplifting story about accidental activism.
Karina and Chris are neighbors who become friends when Karina's grandpa, Papa becomes his math tutor, What happens after they witness a incident makes for a very hopeful story about what tweens and young teens can do to make a difference.
You're never too young to StayStrong, I have been asked about this book a few times because of the visibly Muslim hijab wearing girl on the cover.
There are really no Muslims in the book, The story is told by a Sikh girl, Karina, in Texas and her Christian neighbor, Chris, The two middle school voices take alternating chapters to tell how they got to know each other, experiencing a hate crime against Karina's grandfather, and the aftermath.
The perpetrator assumes that the brown Karina and her Grandfather are Muslim, and that Chris must therefore be a Muslim lover.
It is noted that none of them are Muslim, When a post by Karina goes viral it mentions that Muslims respond sharing pictures, some teens wearing hijab and hence the cover of the book.
That is all the Islam present,
The book is well written, it makes it very clear that hate harms all members of society, and the storytelling is sweet and engaging for MG readers.
As a Muslim book reviewer, I could have stopped when I realized there were no Muslim characters, but I was genuinely invested and enjoyed theor so pages.
I saw myself in Karina and in Chris and think most young readers will as well,
It does have triggers of death, bullying, physical assault, hate, discrimination, racism, Islamophobia, and othering, Listened to the audio! Very important story and will inspire meaningful discussions in the classrooms, Sometimes you stumble upon stories, so important and so needed, that it almost feels as if the clouds have parted and the sun is coming through.
That is how I felt when I opened up the pages of my advanced reader copy of Varsha Bajaj's Count Me In.
The story of Karina Chopra and Chris Daniels is one of pain and hope, It tells the story, through alternating perspectives, of a friendship between a second generation Indian American girl, her white next door neighbor, and her grandfather before during and after a hate crime.
The story asked really important questions like: What does it mean to be an American How can people be so hateful What does it mean to stand up against hate
What I really appreciated about this book were all of the little moments within it that showed the goodness of humanity that outweigh all of the nefarious and hateful parts.
The book was hopeful and I will definitely be recommending it to my students, teacher peers, and anyone who wants to read more about immigrant stories.
I love the message of this story and the strong voice Karina develops from her experiences, I wish the writing were more compelling, but I thinkth graders will enjoy this story!
Second read with myth graders: It was definitely a good choice for their maturity level in talking about hate crimes.
This title is a Chapter Book nominee for the Nebraska State Golden Sower Award for theschool year,
I only picked this book up because it is on my state award list, Before that, I was COMPLETELY unaware that it existed, My school is grades, and I naturally gravitate towards more YA reads, so this was one that just slipped my radar.
It is, in my opinion, more geared towards readers in grades, Overall, it was a completely fine, completely "bland" look at racism and hate crimes for younger readers, It takes a very complicated and distressing topic and makes it palatable for younger readers, which also makes it kind of boring for an adult to read.
this is not to say that it is bad, it's just to say that it wasn't, and probably won't be, my favorite book
Told in alternating viewpoints, this is a book about Karina and her neighbor Chris.
They've never been friends, but when her grandfather starts tutoring him in math, they become closer, Then, when they are all three walking home together, and a man on the street stops and assaults them because Karina and her grandfather are Indian, their friendship is cemented.
But now Karina has to decide how to see the world and how she wants the story of this event to unfold since everyone seems to have an opinion about it.
I liked Count Me In so much that I am going to make it my last read aloud of theschool year.
I cannot wait for my students to meet Karina and Chris, These characters and their story will hold a special place in the hearts of children, This is a special book, Guys this book. It is SO GOOD. There is humor and empathy and friendship and family and it shows how social media, so often demonized, is nothing but a tool.
It can be used for good or ill, and can be used to show others a viewpoint or a sight or an understanding they may not have had before.
The book is told from the alternating viewpoints of two kids Karina and Chris, Sometimes that is a struggle to keep involved with, but I felt it was done really well here, And it was good to see how the same attack, and the same issues, affect two very different people, Thankfully, it's also not a PREACHY book, which many kids would just roll their eyes at and move on,
This isn't a sappy story, but there are moments when I had tears in my eyes, It IS a very timely story, as hate crimes are on the rise, and have been for some time, Those are hard things to explain to kids, and I feel this book can go a long ways in helping kids to understand what a hate crime is, how they affect so many more people than just the target, and how people can combat hate when they come across it.
Sometimes it's little things, and sometimes bigger but everyone has a voice, and this book shows that using your voice is the best way to help.
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