*Review* The Rock in My Throat by Kao Kalia Yang

 

Genre: Children's 5-10 years

Published: March 5, 2024

Pages: 32

At first, no one noticed when I stopped talking at school.

In this moving true story, Kao Kalia Yang shares her experiences as a young Hmong refugee navigating life at home and at school. Having seen the poor treatment her parents received when making their best efforts at speaking English, she no longer speaks at school. Kalia feels as though a rock has become lodged in her throat, and it grows heavier each day. Although the narrative is somber, it is also infused with moments of beauty, love, and hope.

This is a story for anyone who has ever struggled to find their voice.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

This is a story about an immigrant girl who stops speaking at school. It seemed to me that she stopped speaking because English is a hard language to learn, but I'm not entirely sure that was really the reason. It just wasn't made very clear in the story, but I suppose that ambiguity would make the story more widely relatable. It made me a little sad that the girl's teacher didn't do anything to try to help the girl feel more comfortable speaking at school and in class. 

I could somewhat relate to the little girl in the story. Although English is my only language and speaking in class wasn't a problem for me in elementary school, by middle school, teachers stopped listening when I'd answer questions in class, and wouldn't call on me if my hand was raised, so I also stopped talking at school. But my experience still doesn't really compare to this poor girls. The illustrations were muted, largely browns and grays, mirroring the way the girl felt. 

Overall I give The Rock in My Throat 4.1847 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Jiemei Lin is an artist born in Hangzhou, China, currently living and working in the Inland Northwest, Washington State. Lin works with both digital media and traditional media to create paintings, murals, and illustrations. Lin's mission as Illustrator is to represent and communicate with all audiences from underrepresented groups in her own visual language. As a public artist, Lin has been designing and executing large-scale public murals in both the pacific and inland Northwest.

Kao Kalia Yang is a Hmong American writer, teacher and public speaker. Born in the refugee camps of Thailand to a family that escaped the genocide of the Secret War in Laos, she came to America at the age six. Yang holds degrees from Carleton College and Columbia University. Her work has won numerous awards and recognition including multiple Minnesota Book Awards, a Charlotte Zolotow Honor, an ALA Notable Children's Book Award, the 2023 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, Dayton's Literary Peace Prize, and a PEN USA Award in Nonfiction.