HABIBI

I think Habibi is a great book for middle school students to read because it really gives insight on how to come accustom to a different culture by gradually learning through family and other citizens who live in that specific country.  I also think that it teaches American students that students who attend schools half way around the world still have the same interest and do the same activities as them.  This might sound cliche but by educating our students throughout their schooling about different cultures around the world could have the possibility of bringing the world closer to peace because by being educated on different cultures a person is able to see the similarities among cultures much more than the differences.

As I was reading this book I imagined myself in Liyana and the mother's shoes and how I would be if my family told me that we were moving to Jerusalem (Palestine).  I thought Liyana and the mother did a wonderful job assimilating themselves into the Arabic culture.  They really showed a lot of respect and I thought the mother was especially humble about it.  She left everything she has known and sacrificed for mostly her husband because he was the one who wanted to move there and really, I would say, embraced the Arabic culture.   

Also, when the Abbound family was mentioning the Arabic food such as grape leaves, hummus, and others, I knew what they were talking about because my family eats the same food and I would say that the food is delicious!