Drita, My Homegirl
Written by Jenny Lombard
Published by Puffin Books
Drita and her family come to New York as refugees from war-torn Kosovo. Even though she barely speaks English, Drita can’t wait to start school and make a new best friend. But her new classmates don’t make it easy, teasing her about virtually everything.The worst is Maxie, a tough African American girl whose sassy attitude hides a painful secret. When Maxie takes things too far, their teacher assigns Maxie a paper on Drita and her journey to America from Kosovo. Suddenly, Maxie realizes she and Drita have more in common than she thought. And when Drita’s mother gets sick, there’s only one person who can help–Drita’s new homegirl. A sensitively written story of two worlds coming together, Drita, My Homegirl touchingly explores the effects of war on a family and how friendship sometimes appears in the unlikeliest places.

Primary ISBN:
Available As: Paperback
Chapter Book, Age 09 or older
Community Represented: Kosovar/Kosovar American, Muslim/Muslim American
Themes: Cross-Group Friendship, Death of Family or Friend, Refugee Journey, Refugee: War/Conflict
Setting: United States (New York City NY)
Character’s New Arrival/New American Status: Refugee
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