A Sky-Blue Bench
by Bahram Rahman (Author) Peggy Collins (Illustrator)
It's Afghani schoolgirl Aria's first day back at school since her accident. She's excited, but she's also worried about sitting on the hard floor all day with her new prosthetic helper-leg.
Just as Aria feared, sitting on the floor is so uncomfortable that she can't think about learning at all. She knows that before the war changed many things in Afghanistan, schools like hers had benches for students to sit at. If she had a bench, her leg would not hurt so much. The answer is obvious: she will gather materials, talk to Kaka Najar, the carpenter in the old city, and learn to build a bench for herself.
In A Sky-Blue Bench, Bahram Rahman, author of The Library Bus, returns again to the setting of his homeland, Afghanistan, to reveal the resilience and resolve of young children--especially young girls--who face barriers to education. Illustrator Peggy Collins imbues Aria with an infectious spunkiness and grit that make her relatable even to readers with a very different school experience. An author's note gently introduces an age-appropriate discussion of landmines and their impact on the lives of children in many nations, especially Afghanistan, which has the highest concentration of landmines of any country in the world.
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Praise for A Sky-Blue Bench
2021 The New York Times "What to Read: Four Children's Books" selection
2021 Foreword Reviews Book of The Day (Nov 3rd)
2021 Quill & Quire "2021 Best of Fall guide: Kids' books" selection
2021 49th Shelf "Books for Back to School" selection
★ STARRED REVIEW "A timely, eye-opening portrait of resilience, community, and hope."—Kirkus Reviews Starred Review
"Together with her mother and brother, Aria decides to build a bench herself, painting it skyblue: the color of "courage, peace and wisdom."—Foreword Reviews
"[A] heartwarming story about a resilient young girl who faces a barrier to her education."—Quill & Quire
"Illustrator Peggy Collins imbues Aria with an infectious spunkiness and grit that make her relatable even to readers with a very different school experience. An author's note gently introduces an age-appropriate discussion of landmines and their impact on the lives of children in many nations, especially Afghanistan..."—CBC Books
"How beautiful and heart-breaking to read this lovely picture book about a young girl...who finds a way to be comfortable at school by building her own bench. The ingenuity and determination of Afghani women and girls is explored..."—Youth Services Book Review
"The narrative was powerful and impactful and drew specifically on some experiences the author had growing up in Afghanistan. There is an authors note with terms that I think will be helpful to parents/caregivers if they read this will children."—Bookishrealm, Goodreads
JUV039140 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance
JUV039150 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Special Needs
JUV030020 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | Asia
