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    My Name is Noel
    Unavailable
    My Name is Noel
    Unavailable
    My Name is Noel
    Ebook81 pages1 hour

    My Name is Noel

    By Jacqueline Grant

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    My Name is Noel is a middle-grade to young adult chapter book set in Miami, Florida. The main character is a 12-year-old Haitian boy named Noel. Noel and his grandfather have recently braved the ocean, in a small boat, to leave French-speaking Haiti and join his parents in Miami. He soon learns it is not popular to be Haitian in Miami and he thinks it is because of his French background and his dark skin. He cannot change his skin, but he can change his French name in the hope that his classmates will accept him. Instead of being called Noel, he asks to be called Neal. When Noel joins his new school’s soccer team and uses the soccer skills he learned from his father in Haiti to help the team win an important game, his schoolmates begin to accept him.

    My Name is Noel is written from Noel’s point of view and describes an immigrant boy’s struggle to fit in. The problems he faces trying to get used to a new country are compounded by his poverty and a general unfriendliness towards Haitians in Miami. Young people reading this story will see how overcoming their own prejudices can lead to real friendships.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherJacqueline Grant
    Release dateSep 18, 2011
    ISBN9781466176072
    Unavailable
    My Name is Noel
    Author

    Jacqueline Grant

    Jacqueline Grant is a music educator, songwriter, composer and sometime performer, among other things. Her mission is to get people to make music! Specializing in Caribbean folksongs. Has dabbled in Irish folk music by learning how to play Irish tenor banjo and mandolin. Also dabbled Japanese folk songs while trying to learn to play the shamisen.

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    Reviews for My Name is Noel

    3.5/5

    15 ratings7 reviews

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    • 1/5
      The topic was intriguing, but I didn't find the book interesting at all. I felt like I was reading a student's basil. The characters were flat and the story was rather predictable.
    • 5/5
      A short, simple story about a complicated subject, My Name is Noel deals with an immigrant child who has come to America because of struggles in his home country of Haiti. So many of us lose what we are used to at one point or another, but experiencing loss through Noel's eyes brings extra thought to how grateful we should be for what we have and how we should be willing to reach out to others like him rather than judging them based on sight alone.This is a book that should reach the hearts of older elementary children as well as anyone in an age range above them. The language is easy to understand and helps you to truly feel what the main character is going through. There are times when we literally see through Noel's eyes and feel through his heart and in these times a younger reader will understand the situation and emotions, but an older reader will be able to "read between the lines" and reach deeper for the true meaning of what is happening.Anyone who has experienced loss of a home or a loved one will be touched by this book. Anyone who has experienced living in a new city or country, who has changed schools or neighborhoods will find commonality with Noel and his struggles throughout the pages. But more importantly, everyone will understand what it is to feel like the outcast in a new place, having to deal with all of the above at once and just maybe this may change the heart of one or two readers who might not otherwise have thought of the words they used to greet the newcomer they meet in the hallway.Note: Though this book was a free gift from the author, the content of my review was in no way influenced by the gifting. The book speaks for itself and my review would have been worded just this way even if I'd gone out and bought it. I also give bonus points for Text To Speech enabling on Kindle format.... but that also wasn't a factor in the above review.
    • 4/5
      An interesting story, on a topic not often seen in juvenile fiction. Noel is a middle schooler who escaped Haiti on a boat and now lives in Miami. He's trying to find a way to fit in, and the only thing left that he loves is soccer. Can he make the team at his new Catholic school or will everything fall apart? I enjoyed the story that had nice short chapters, and just enough character development and plot for this short story.
    • 4/5
      My Name is Noel is an endearing story of a young, twelve-year old boy starting life in Miami after leaving his native Haiti in the midst of political turmoil. The boy’s observations and worries of life are very relatable; I can remember having many of the same feelings—worried that my parents’ fighting was somehow my fault, losing loved ones, and dealing with mean kids at school. Ultimately, Noel is very concerned about fitting in and even asks to be called “Neal”, which is another relatable and understandable part of growing up. The writing is descriptive and understandable for young adult readers; however, the dialogue seems a little too contrived, specifically kids’ talking to one other is more casual than and not as scripted as it sometimes is in the book. In general, this is a good book for any kid or preteen who is in a similar situation to Noel, finding him/herself in a new country, a new school, and surrounded by unfamiliar faces. Even children who have never been in Noel’s position may find it to be a good read by getting to know someone different than them. The most reassuring part of this book is that, even in a foreign land, Noel is able to find something familiar—soccer.
    • 2/5
      I liked the story, but I found the execution lacking. There was so much potential in the mentioned themes (tolerance, injustice, self-acceptance), but none of them were explored in very much depth. The plot hurried towards its end, and I never clicked with any of the characters.
    • 4/5
      I thought that this book was really well done. Noel is a sympathetic character and I really liked him. His struggles to fit in and the conflict between home and school are something that a lot of readers will identify with. It is a shame though that the book is so short because I think there are some issues that could have been dealt with in more depth.
    • 3/5
      My Name is Noel is a children's novel that takes place in Miami. It tells the story of Noel, a young boy whose family fled Haiti for a safer life in Flordia. It was cute, well written children's book, although I did notice one or two typos. I did enjoy it, despite the fact that it only took me about half an hour to read. I