Wanting Mor

April 1, 2009
Grades 5-8 Inthis novelsheartbreaking opening, a young Afghani girl, Jameela, discovers that her ill mother (Mor) has died in the night. Within a month, her father moves with Jameela to Kabul and marries a widow, who treats Jameela like a slave. When the widows son shows interest in Jameela, the widow is furious, and the next morning, Jameelas father leads her through the dusty maze of Kabul and abandonsher on a street corner. Ultimately, Jameela is placed in an orphanage, and her story takes an upward turn as she goes to school and has surgeryto correcther deformed lip. Set in 2001, this compelling story is based on real incidents. Jameelas matter-of-fact, first-person narrative will awaken young readers to life and conditions in Afghanistan. The story is packed with Pushto words that may slow some readers, but a helpful glossary is included. Pair this with The Breadwinner (2001) by Deborah Ellis for a picture of life before the American invasion.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)