One Green Apple

June 1, 2006
Gr 1-4 -As a Muslim girl rides in a hay wagon heading to an apple orchard on a class trip, the dupatta on her head setting her apart, she observes that while some of the children seem friendly, others are not. Her father has explained, - -&we are not always liked here. Our home country (never named in the story) and our new one have had difficulties. - Later, when she puts a green apple into the cider press instead of a ripe red one as her classmates have done, they protest. But the cider from all their apples mixed together is delicious -a metaphor for the benefits of intermingling people who are different. Lewin -s watercolors radiate sunlight and capture the gamut of emotions that Farah experiences on this challenging second day in her new school in the U.S. They show her downcast silence and sense of isolation because she can -t speak the language, her shy smile when a classmate befriends her, and, finally, her triumphant smile as she speaks one of her first English words, -App-ell. - This story, along with Bernard Wolf -s "Coming to America: A Muslim Family -s Story" (Lee & Low, 2003), can heighten youngsters - awareness of what it must be like to feel different and alone and that each person has something unique to contribute to the good of all." -Marianne Saccardi, formerly at Norwalk Community College, CT"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 14, 2006
Bunting (Fly Away Home) once again delves into a timely social topic with a straightforward, rather simplistic treatment-in this instance, the integration of an immigrant child into a rural setting. Farah, on her second day of school, goes on a field trip to an apple orchard. "I think it odd to have boys and girls sit together. It was not like this in my village." Her first-person narration gives the story authenticity, making readers privy to a newcomer's feelings of confusion and frustration. After her teacher explains that Farah is to pick only one apple, the girl chooses a hard, presumably unripe one from a tree that "is small and alone, like me." She notices many things: her classmates' smiles (some unfriendly, some warmer); how her dupatta (head scarf) is the only thing that sets her clothing apart from her peers; and how the sounds she hears (laughter, a classmate belching) are universal. Lewin's light-filled watercolors often resemble photographs, especially when depicting the students. Though Farah's insightfulness seems beyond her years, the symbolism of her green apple and the students' apple cider as a "melting pot" comes across as thoughtful, not overdone. Ages 5-8.

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from June 1, 2006
Gr. 1-3. This poignant, attractive offering fills a growing need for picture books about contemporary immigrants of Arab descent, without limiting its relevance to a single ethnic group. On her "second day in the new school in the new country," Farah, who cannot speak English, joins her class on a field trip to an apple orchard, where she enjoys the sunny day but feels desperately isolated, "tight inside [herself]." Though Farah wears a headscarf and knows that there are "difficulties" between her native and adoptive countries, specifics of religion and politics never distract from the child's experiences: the hay smelling of "dry sunshine," the spark of optimism kindled when classmates accept her help at the cider press. Young readers will respond as much to Bunting's fine first-person narrative as to Lewin's double-page, photorealistic watercolors, which, though occasionally stiff, plainly show the intelligence behind Farah's silent exterior. The old-fashioned assimilation metaphor Farah sees in the cider-making experience ("I will blend with the others the way my apple blended with the cider") needn't have been so overt, but with its large, read-aloud-friendly trim size and its age-appropriate premise, this book will work beautifully for teachers hoping to foster empathy for immigrant students, or for use in furthering character education aims.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)

Palynn - In life, when you're feeling lonely you usually get away from most people. In the short story “One Green Apple”, by Eve Bunting a girl named Farah came to a place where she gets judged by how she speaks, and her race. “One Green Apple” teaches me that if you're feeling lonely don't hide, put yourself out there. This is true when she went to a tree by nothing else, when she put an apple into the blender and that she couldn't speak to the others. First of all, if you're feeling lonely don't hide yourself out there. My first reason was when she went to a small and lonely tree by nothing else when Farah should have stayed with the others. In this part she rode on a wagon with all the other kids, they passed an orchard so they stopped and picked apples, after they were going to make apple cider. The author uses dialogue to show that she was upset. From the text Farah said “I pull away from the rest. Beside me is a tree, shorter than the other, that does not seem to belong. It's small and alone like me.” This is important because she's hiding from the rest by nothing else, and she says it's alone and short like her. Secondly, if you're feeling and they don't hide, put yourself out there. Another reason was when she put the Apple in to make apple juice. In this part she was the last kid to put her apple in. Everyone screamed “no “ and “don't do it” but it was too late, after she put her apple in she felt better, she felt like one of the other kids. The author used a 1st person narrator to show what she was thinking. The text said “ A boy moves towards me, as if to try to stop me from putting in my little green apple.” This is important because she felt left out and her friends welcomed her. Also she welcomed herself because she ignored the others and did what she wanted to do. Finally, if you're feeling lonely don't hide and put yourself out there. My last reason was when she tried to speak to the others. In this part she heard the other say apple a lot, she took a deep breath and tried to say apple. The author used a description to show every little detail. For example, the text said “I take a deep breath “App-ell” i say, Anna claps.” This shows every little detail step by step. Also how she got to the point right away. This is important because After the others say an english word they realized that she was just like them, and they started respecting her. As you can see Farah changes to the middle to the end. She changes by Putting herself out there. She changed when she went to a tree by nothing else, when she put an apple into the blender and that she couldn't speak to the others. From now on instead of being negative like saying “I can’t “ or doing something selfish or rude I will start saying and being more positive, like saying “I can” or doing things not only to help me but to help everyone else. I think people in the world should start being more positive and way more independent.