Kiki and Jacques

Reviewed by: Mary Lehmer - Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

Jacques and Kiki both live in a small Maine town. Jacques has lived there all his life and comes from a poor family. He loves playing soccer and hopes to be the captain of the school soccer team. Kiki is new to town and is a refugee from Somali. The two become friends despite the teasing and harassing of other people in town. This book takes a looks at what it would be like to be from a poor family that needs money and the effect that has on the choices a person makes. Even when you have a strong set of morals, when your family is in need, stealing or not telling the truth can be tempting. It also gives a glimpse into what it would be like to be a refuge trying to start a new life in a new community. Traditional customs, as Kiki and Jacques find out, can get in the way of making friends or becoming part of the community. On the whole though, this book is a bit slow and might not hold readers interest unless it was used as a jumping off point for discussions about refugees assimilating into a community.

Overall Book Score: good