SUNFLOWER BY INGRID LAGUNA

Ingrid Laguna’s Junior Fiction novel is a wonderful study of the complexities of friendship and loyalty. It follows on from her first book Songbird where we were introduced to Jamila and her journey into her new life. Here, in Sunflower, Jamila has settled well into her school and things have become more comfortable and familiar. She and her best friend Eva’s favourite things to do are singing and cooking. Grade 6 is fun and with the choir, Jamila is happy.

When she hears her best friend Mina and her family will be coming from Iraq she is excited to be re-united with her old friend. But when Mina arrives, Jamila sees that she has changed. Her experiences in her war-torn country have left Mina sad and anxious. She struggles to learn English and fit in to her new world just as Jamila did.

Jamila is torn between her loyalty to both her friends and finds it increasingly difficult to gather them all together into the perfect friendship group. Jamila and Mina have both had to adapt to new customs and language. But Eva too, has had to battle her own feelings after her mother died. The girls must find a way that they can all be together in harmony.

The themes of friendship and loyalty are clearly investigated in this touching novel. The feelings of the girls are laid out in ways that draw the reader into their hearts.

For Ages: 8+ years

Number of Pages: 165 paperback

Published: August 2020

Themes: Friendship, loyalty and trauma

Rating: 3.5/5