Home of the Brave

Home of the Brave by Applegate, Katherine. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780312367657.

Kek comes from Africa. In America he sees snow for the first time, and feels its sting. Hes never walked on ice, and he falls. He wonders if the people in this new place will be like the winter – cold and unkind. In Africa, Kek lived with his mother, father, and brother. But only he and his mother have survived, and now shes missing. Kek is on his own. Slowly, he makes friends: a girl who is in foster care; an old woman who owns a rundown farm, and a cow whose name means "family" in Keks native language. As Kek awaits word of his mothers fate, he weathers the tough Minnesota winter by finding warmth in his new friendships, strength in his memories, and belief in his new country. Bestselling author Katherine Applegate presents a beautifully wrought novel about an immigrants journey from hardship to hope. Home of the Brave is a 2008 Bank Street - Best Childrens Book of the Year.