“Nasreen’s Secret School: A True Story from Afghanistan” by Jeanette Winter
(Beach Lane Books, 9781416994374, $16.99,
for ages 4 and up)
From the author of “The Librarian of Basra” and "Wangari’s
Trees of Peace” comes this new picture book that tells the real-life
story of a young girl living in Afghanistan under the rule of the Taliban.
Nasreen lives with her grandmother in Herat, a city known for its art and
culture, but she isn’t allowed to go to school any more. Soldiers have taken
her parents, and now all the women in the city must wear heavy cloaks and
stay indoors almost all the time. But Nasreen’s grandmother has heard about
a special school--a secret school--where young girls still go to learn, and
she is determined that her granddaughter will study there.
Down a quiet street, behind a green gate, inside a private house, Nasreen
and many other girls go to school. They read books and learn to write, and
they learn all about the boundless world outside of their classroom. Nasreen,
who has not spoken since her parents went missing, makes a friend and
slowly, slowly, she begins to talk again.
Jeanette Winter illustrates “Nasreen’s Secret School” with pictures that
look pieced together and almost quilted; they are quiet and lovely images
that bring Nasreen’s world to life. Her powerful, relatable story makes a
distant land feel close and helps express the importance of education even
to very young children. An author’s note from Winter tells more about life
in Afghanistan before and after the Taliban took power, offering important
context for older readers. With Afghanistan so much in the news and on our
minds, this is a timely addition to many schools, homes, and libraries, much
like “Listen to the Wind,” which retells the story of the bestselling book
“Three Cups of Tea.”
Review by
Mark David Bradshaw, October 7, 2009
