Home of the Brave is a story about a young African refugee named Kek. He’s face with many new challenges in his new home in Minnesota living with his aunt and cousin Ganwar. Kek is also challenged in his fifth-grade classroom. He misses his mother, who is still in Africa, but he makes friends to keep him company with Hannah, Lou, and Lou’s cow.
When Kek starts working on Lou’s farm, he learns her cow does not have a name. He brings this up in his class and gets help coming up with a name. Each student adds a name to the list, such as their teacher’s names, Mr. Franklin and Ms. Hernandez, Milkshake, and Big Mac. “When they’re done, Mr. Franklin asks me if I have a name in mind. I think for a moment. We have a word in my language, …show more content…
He helped Kek and many other refugees find their new homes, and he helps put separated families back together. Dave drives Kek to his new home with his aunt and cousin. During the car ride, Kek observes the new land around him and notices all the strange things about America. “We drive past buildings, everywhere buildings. Everywhere cars. Everywhere dead trees. Who killed all the trees? I ask” (Applegate 8). The car ride is long and boring to get to his new home, and Kek stares out the window the entire time, looking for new things. Then he spots a cow. “Stop! I yell...What? Dave asks. What’s wrong? Did you not see her? The brave cow in the snow?” Dave sees how much in would mean to Kek to go see the cow, and turns around to bring him to see her. They come to the farm and wade through the snow to get to the old cow, and Kek sees she isn’t in very good shape. While Kek is standing with the cow, Dave begins talking in Kek’s language. “I know cattle are important to your people, Dave says… A man I helped to settle here taught me a saying from Africa. I’ll bet you would like it: A cow is God with a wet nose.” They stand with the cow until she walks over to meet them. “I stroke her cold, wet coat, and for a moment I hold all I’ve lost and all I want right there in my hand” (Applegate 16). When Dave said “A cow is God with a wet nose,” he
When Kek starts working on Lou’s farm, he learns her cow does not have a name. He brings this up in his class and gets help coming up with a name. Each student adds a name to the list, such as their teacher’s names, Mr. Franklin and Ms. Hernandez, Milkshake, and Big Mac. “When they’re done, Mr. Franklin asks me if I have a name in mind. I think for a moment. We have a word in my language, …show more content…
He helped Kek and many other refugees find their new homes, and he helps put separated families back together. Dave drives Kek to his new home with his aunt and cousin. During the car ride, Kek observes the new land around him and notices all the strange things about America. “We drive past buildings, everywhere buildings. Everywhere cars. Everywhere dead trees. Who killed all the trees? I ask” (Applegate 8). The car ride is long and boring to get to his new home, and Kek stares out the window the entire time, looking for new things. Then he spots a cow. “Stop! I yell...What? Dave asks. What’s wrong? Did you not see her? The brave cow in the snow?” Dave sees how much in would mean to Kek to go see the cow, and turns around to bring him to see her. They come to the farm and wade through the snow to get to the old cow, and Kek sees she isn’t in very good shape. While Kek is standing with the cow, Dave begins talking in Kek’s language. “I know cattle are important to your people, Dave says… A man I helped to settle here taught me a saying from Africa. I’ll bet you would like it: A cow is God with a wet nose.” They stand with the cow until she walks over to meet them. “I stroke her cold, wet coat, and for a moment I hold all I’ve lost and all I want right there in my hand” (Applegate 16). When Dave said “A cow is God with a wet nose,” he