The Land of Forgotten Girls

APA Bibliography: Kelly, E. E. (2016). The Land of Forgotten Girls. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books.

Readability Lexile: 640L

Book Information: https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062238641/the-land-of-forgotten-girls/.

Genre: Realistic Fiction, Diverse Protagonist, Engages Middle Schoolers

Author Information: http://www.erinentradakelly.com

Summary: The Land of Forgotten Girls is about two sisters, Soledad and Ming, who move to the US from the Philippines with their dad and step-mother,Vea, after their mom passed away. After they get settled into a small two-bedroom apartment, Sol's dad goes back to the Philippines and never comes back. Sol does everything to protect Ming from Vea, who abuses them. Sol has one best friend, Manny. They talk about everything from being poor to kissing to stealing bomb pops from the grocery store. After one bad incident of pinecone throwing, Sol finds another friend in Caroline, who from a completely different lifestyle. To keep Ming's hopes up, Sol tells her fairytales. One such fairytale is about Aunt Jovie. Ming gets so caught up in it the she starts believing Aunt Jovie is real. When she finds out she isn't, Ming is completely shattered and Sol tells her about the land of forgotten girls. Sol trades a plant for a row boat with Blackbeard for Ming to take to the imaginary land of forgotten girls.

Target Audience: The target audience for this book is children ages 10 and older. This book has some words and phrases which would not be recommended for children younger than 10. It talks about some important concepts and themes which would not be comprehendible for children younger than 10. 

Evaluation: I think this is a great book overall. I definitely enjoyed reading this book and would recommend 10/10. It has some important themes such as family, friendship, and poverty. When you don't have much in your life, you go to your happy place, which may be imaginary. It gives you hope to live on and continue. This was Sol's and Ming's life. They didn't have enough money to have a happy living, but they lived through their friends and each other. This is what the author wants the readers to know. Even if you are having a tough time, look at the good things you have. 

Reader Response Activity: An activity you can do with your students is that you can have them write a story about what their happy place is when they are having a bad day. Have them explain why they chose that place and what the significance is. This activity will keep them engaged because it relates to them personally.