Shenaaz Nanji

Packs a lot into a short book -- starting a new school, bullying, heritage foods and cooking contests, missing your parents when they leave for major family matters and a little bit of mystery thrown in. Set in Calgary, and Alina has a faithful cockapoo dog and a youtube channel (not sure how, given that she's definitely not a teenager). On the whole, a great book -- good messages, good heart, and I love that her family is East Indian out of Kenya. Lots of good food celebrations as well.

Some things I find curiously unexplained and would be more annoyed about in a longer book:
Why do Kim and Liam (the 2 kids she connects with) get to leave school for lunch at home each day?
Why does Liam wear a sherwani on International day? Is it part of the message not to judge other people without learning more about them? -- that was a great message, by the way.
The illustrations are cute but kind of crude -- there are size differences between Alina and Nani that are very odd, and the detail is lacking in kids' faces.

Honestly, I'm still just really impressed about how much story there is in this short chapterbook. Lots to engage with and get into.… (more)

In January, 1971 Idi Amin came to power in Uganda. Uganda was a divided country, along tribal lines and in a loose class system that saw Asians controlling the upper and middle classes. The country’s financial strength was in the hands of these people who originally came from countries like India. They were the bankers and business owners. Amin needed to get his hands on that money both because it would help him buy the loyalty of the military and also for his own outrageous spending. Lumping these people together as Indians, Amin gave them 90 days to leave the country. They were not allowed to take more than one (well searched) suitcase and no large sums of money were to be taken out of Uganda.

Through the eyes of fifteen year old Sabine, author Shenaaz Nanji tells the story of this time of terror and confusion in Child of Dandelions. This story captures perfectly the feeling of total disbelief and bewilderment that eventually gives way to acceptance and sadness that she and her family must leave their home forever. Life-long friends turn their backs and refuse to see what is happening, soldiers walk the streets and have total control over everyone. People disappear and are never seen again. Eventually her father becomes a target and he must flee the country. Her mother soon has to join him, leaving Sabine and her brother, with the help of her grandfather, to obtain vistas and get them out to safety in Nairobi.

The title Child of Dandelions refers to a statement that Amin made about “weeding” out the Indians in order to redistribute the land among the native population. Some 80,000 people of Asian heritage were expelled and the countries of Britain, Canada and the United States took the majority of them in. This book defines the shock, horror and brutality of this time by telling this simple story that touches on feelings of love, betrayal, fear and ultimately forgiveness and hope.… (more)