Z – Middle School Book ~ Blogging Through the Alphabet

We are at the last letter for this round of ABC Blogging or Blogging Through the Alphabet (whichever you prefer to think of it as).

Z

Oh, this one was actually kind of easy to find a book for.

Zlata’s Diary: a child’s life in Sarajevo by Zlata Filipovic
introduction by Janine Di Giovanni
translated  with notes by Christina Pribichevich-Zoric

I have tried to persuade my girls to read this one and have not yet succeeded. I may end up assigning it just to get them to take a chance on it.

This is a true diary, along the lines of Anne Frank. Zlata is 13 at the start of the diary, right before Sarajevo was blockaded and war broke out in 1991. Zlata’s family were not poor but money did nothing for them when there was nothing to be had. These are the thoughts that fill the head of a young girl who should be running around, visiting friends, and having fun, yet cannot leave the “safe room” in the building for fear of the shelling and shooting. As the war continues, thing deteriorate further and Mimmy (the name of the diary) is a friend when no others are there. Zlata is able to be evacuated safely a couple years into the war and so her story – and the story of so many other children trapped in war zones – is able to be heard. It is a tremendous read, full of life and emotion.

I will take a couple weeks break from the ABC series but will be back when the new round starts.

Blessings,
At Home.

The ABC linkup is hosted by Hopkins Homeschool, DoodleMom’s Homeschooling Life and Biblical Womanhood.

My previous posts in the series:

A – All-of-a-Kind Family and Adventures of the Little Wooden Horse
B – Ballet Shoes and A Bear Called Paddington
C – Counting by 7s and Cheaper By The Dozen
D – Door In The Wall & D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths
E – The Endless Steppe & Ella Enchanted
F – Family Tree & Fog Magic
G – Great Turkey Walk & The Great Brain
H – Half Magic & Horse Diaries
I – Indian in the Cupboard & Island of the Blue Dolphins
J – Journey to America & Julie: An American Girl – 1974
K – Kite Fighters & Key to the Extraordinary
L – Little Women & Long Way From Chicago
M – Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle & Mistakes That Worked
N – North Child & Number the Stars
O – One and Only Ivan & Our Only May Amelia
P – Pollyanna & Prism of Wings
Q – Quanah Parker & Quake!
R – Robin Hood & Rilla of Ingleside
S – Sisters Grimm & Singer of All Songs
T – Thick as Thieves & Twinkle Tales
U – Under the Lilacs
V – Valkyrie & Voyage on the Titanic
W – War That Saved My Life & Wonderful Wizard of Oz
X – Xander and the Lost Island of Monsters & Betty Before X
Y – A Year Down Yonder
Z – Zlata’s Diary

Tagged: ABC blogging, books, Middle School