Shaney is a Technical Processing Assistant who mostly works behind the scenes at the library. She helps prepare books, movies and other items in our catalog for patrons (like you) to enjoy.
Shaney recommends Everything Sad Is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri. It is available as a children’s print book (also in large print), an e-book (on Libby or hoopla) or a digital e-audiobook.
Summary
At the front of a middle school classroom in Oklahoma, a boy named Khosrou (whom everyone calls "Daniel") stands, trying to tell his story, but no one believes a word he says. To them, he is a dark-skinned, hairy-armed boy with a big butt whose lunch smells funny, who makes things up and talks about poop too much.
Still, Khosrou's stories are beautiful and terrifying, from the moment his family fled Iran in the middle of the night with the secret police moments behind them to the refugee camps of Italy and further back to family tales set in the jasmine-scented city of Isfahan, the palaces of semi-ancient kings, and even the land of stories.
She recommends it because…
"Everything Sad is Untrue has an incredible story. After reading, I wrote to the author to tell him not only how great I thought the book was, but how important it was for people to read. (He even responded!) It is such an honest portrayal of the refugee experience."
Who might enjoy it?
Shaney recommends this book to anyone who enjoys human-interest stories, stories where the underdog wins, or fairy tales.
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