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“The book’s focus on immi­gra­tion and fam­i­ly will be rel­e­vant to many read­ers and enlight­en­ing to oth­ers. Meskerem’s expe­ri­ences and their his­tor­i­cal con­text are impor­tant for read­ers of all back­grounds. This wor­thy sto­ry, which approach­es race, big­otry, and mul­ti­cul­tur­al Jew­ish her­itage, is high­ly recommended.”

—Jillian Bietz, Jewish Book Council

Too Far From Home

Written by Naomi Shmuel
Illustrated by Avi Katz
Published by Kar-Ben Publishing

“There’s an Ethiopian; there’s an Ethiopian!” I heard them shouting. I looked behind me, but I couldn’t see any Ethiopian. Children began crowding round me, and I still didn’t realize that they meant me, I was the Ethiopian.

Meskerem was born in a small town in the Golan Heights of Israel, to an Ethiopian mother and an American father. Soon after Operation Solomon, when several thousand Ethiopian immigrants were brought to Israel, Meskerem’s parents decided to move to the center of the country, to the town of Herzelia.

Meskerem comes face-to-face with the ignorance and prejudices of her new classmates, many of whom are meeting someone dark-skinned for the first time. With the help of her Ethiopian grandmother, who remained in Kazerin, Meskerem comes to terms with who she is and finds strength in belonging to three different cultures.

Primary ISBN: 9781541546714
Publication Date: March 2020
Available As: Hardcover, eBook
Chapter Book, Age 08 or older

Community Represented:

Themes: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Setting: Israel

Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: Home Country

Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience

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