Oh, Give Me a Home: A Mostly True Story

Gr 4-7–Prolific children’s author Kurtz offers a lighthearted but impassioned memoir in verse that captures the feelings and experiences of a young girl growing up across several countries (her parents were American missionaries) while seeking interpersonal connection. Even while daydreaming about making friends and life in the United States, the author recalls the delights and sorrows of traveling across continents, from Maji, Ethiopia, to Ethiopia’s capital of Addis Ababa, to the American Midwest. Kurtz takes readers on a journey through her personal history, chronicling her experiences as the middle of five sisters. Her verses are bound by reflection and whimsy, and the book is accented by intentionally monochromatic photos that bring Kurtz’s world to life. In this memoir filled with tributes to sisterhood; saying goodbye to Ethiopia, the land she loved; and embracing the new through calendars, clocks, and loyalty, Kurtz’s vision of the world shines through.