Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
70th out of 127 books
—
298 voters
Tell Us We're Home
Jaya, Maria, and Lola are just like the other eighth-grade girls in the wealthy suburb of Meadowbrook, New Jersey. They want to go to the spring dance, they love spending time with their best friends after school, sharing frappés and complaining about the other kids. But there’s one big difference: all three are daughters of maids and nannies. And they go to school with th...more
Hardcover, 304 pages
Published
May 4th 2010
by Atheneum Books
(first published April 21st 2010)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
449)
This book was off very much. It was a decent read, but it was not tasty, and I found myself rather disappointed. I had heard of the book somewhere else and had seen it with a better cover and summary, which intrigued me. It was a big disappointment.
The characters are unlikable, bratty, and ungrateful, especially Lola and Maria. Basic overused plot pieces I've read before: old lady ends up in hospital, distant relative comes to check out her stuff and he doesn't know a thing about her. A parent h...more
The characters are unlikable, bratty, and ungrateful, especially Lola and Maria. Basic overused plot pieces I've read before: old lady ends up in hospital, distant relative comes to check out her stuff and he doesn't know a thing about her. A parent h...more
Summary:
Tell Us We're Home is the story of three teenage girls who are the daughters of immigrants. Over the course of the novel, the story alternates point of view, and each girl has the chance to tell her story.
Jaya, Lola, and Maria all felt awkward and alone attending school with the children their parents work for. When they meet and discover they all have this in common an amazing friendship is formed. They make plans to attend the spring dance. When Jaya's mother is accused of stealing so...more
Tell Us We're Home is the story of three teenage girls who are the daughters of immigrants. Over the course of the novel, the story alternates point of view, and each girl has the chance to tell her story.
Jaya, Lola, and Maria all felt awkward and alone attending school with the children their parents work for. When they meet and discover they all have this in common an amazing friendship is formed. They make plans to attend the spring dance. When Jaya's mother is accused of stealing so...more
Lola, Jaya, and Maria became friends almost instantly when they learn that they are all daughters of maids and come from immigrant families. Each girl struggles with who she is and what she stands for consistantly through the book. Lola believes she is an outspoken revolutionary, however she fails her huge history project, on which she thought she knew everything. Maria's cousin and his friends are harrassed by the high school lacrosse team, beacause the lacrosse team wants the field to practice...more
The premise of this book was a really good one: exploring the life experiences of three middle school girls, all children of immigrants who work for affluent families in their town. One mother is accused of stealing, and the girls' friendship unravels. The book had some lovely and heart-wrenching moments, but all in all I found myself bothered by the tone. There was so much bitterness against the affluent characters; all the girls, especially, were depicted as hair-highlighted, Uggs-wearing, and...more
Nora's Review:
A good but flawed tale of three immigrant children growing up in New Jersey. The novel is billed as being about class (the children of maids and nannies vs. rich kids), but it seems more about the adolescent immigrant experience. Lola (Russian), Jaya (Trinidadian), and Maria (Mexican) become friends because of their shared outsider status. However, the teens soon find out that their friendship is more fragile than they expected.
It is interesting that the book takes typical adolesc...more
A good but flawed tale of three immigrant children growing up in New Jersey. The novel is billed as being about class (the children of maids and nannies vs. rich kids), but it seems more about the adolescent immigrant experience. Lola (Russian), Jaya (Trinidadian), and Maria (Mexican) become friends because of their shared outsider status. However, the teens soon find out that their friendship is more fragile than they expected.
It is interesting that the book takes typical adolesc...more
view 1 comment
Jaya, Maria, and Lola may live in a wealthy town, and they may go to an excellent high school, but it's not because their parents are doctors or lawyers. It's because they are the daughters of the maids and nannies of the rich doctors and lawyers of Meadowbrook, New Jersey, all of whom came to America for better opportunities for their children. But even though each girl knows they should be grateful for the opportunity, they are constantly reminded of how they don't fit in. Will their friendshi...more
Three friends whose mothers are all housekeepers in their affluent town drift apart as each girl struggles separately to find a place in America where she can feel at home.
Each girl is an immigrant from a different country: Jaya is from Trinidad, Maria is from Mexico, and Lola is from Slovakia. They were originally drawn together by shared feelings of alienation from the wealthy Americans around them and the fact that their mothers are all maids.
After Jaya Lal's mother's employer suffers a massi...more
Each girl is an immigrant from a different country: Jaya is from Trinidad, Maria is from Mexico, and Lola is from Slovakia. They were originally drawn together by shared feelings of alienation from the wealthy Americans around them and the fact that their mothers are all maids.
After Jaya Lal's mother's employer suffers a massi...more
Many of the rifts pulling apart these girls who are seemingly so alike stem from differences in coping with the challenges associated with being a marginalized teen. This certainly adds to the realism of Budhos' novel. The similarities of the girls as immigrants with mothers who share the same subservient occupation does not necessarily render each girl one in the same. Rather, each girl possesses a unique set of personality, ambition, and strengths. However, the similar experience of each girl...more
This is the story of three teenage girls (Jaya, Maria, and Lola) who are immigrants living in a WASP community. They form a friendship based on their mutual outsider status. They also share the burden of going to school with the same kids for whom their mothers provide daycare and housecleaning services. When Jaya's mother is accused of theft, it affects everyone in their community. The girls must each decide where they belong, and who their friends are.
The book did a nice job of showing each gi...more
The book did a nice job of showing each gi...more
This book most assuredly falls into the category of "after school special - let me preach to you" YA lit. In fact, I think I'll make a goodreads shelf for that.
The learn-from-me aspect wasn't as strong as other books I've read, but the narrative about multiple girls whose moms work for rich people just didn't fly with me. It's fairly well understood that the rich are different than the rest of us. I think that's a universally understood concept with any teen who has wanted to buy something and h...more
The learn-from-me aspect wasn't as strong as other books I've read, but the narrative about multiple girls whose moms work for rich people just didn't fly with me. It's fairly well understood that the rich are different than the rest of us. I think that's a universally understood concept with any teen who has wanted to buy something and h...more
Three girls--a Mexican, a Russian, and one from Trinidad, all find themselves going to the same high school in a bedroom community which is primarily white. Many of their peers are the sons and daughters of their parents' employers, which makes for some awkward situations which get worse when tensions about the immigrants erupt in the community. All the girls feel a sense of dislocation and a lack of belonging which they overcome as they work at building and maintaining their friendship. The sto...more
The Skinny: Budhos' next book in the MG market reveals her full mastery of the pen, outshining her MG debut Ask Us No Questions by a landslide. Some other authors who take a more ambitious storytelling angle flounder at the unravelling of too many story threads. Budhos, on the other hand, flourishes with the added textures to her story. Filled with moments of kindness, love, heartbreak, and fear, it's message of friends, family, and home shine like a blaze against a backdrop of a world that does...more
Not sure what I disliked abt this one. Just didn't care for any of the characters. Couldn't make any connections.
This book is sort of like The Help set in the present time except that it is about the daughters of "the help" in a town full of rich white people.
This is one of those young adult books that I wonder if I would have liked it better if I were a young adult reading it. As it is, it just seems too stereotypical and kind of boring to me. All of the white people could be classified as good or bad, smart or clueless. The girls really only had one side to their personalities too... Plus it frustrates...more
This is one of those young adult books that I wonder if I would have liked it better if I were a young adult reading it. As it is, it just seems too stereotypical and kind of boring to me. All of the white people could be classified as good or bad, smart or clueless. The girls really only had one side to their personalities too... Plus it frustrates...more
A realistic story that leads us through the lives of three young girls that are immigrants in the US. Each young girl's mother is working to help their family in a new land but must face challenges of discrimination and hard work. It doesn't present many male role models for the young girls.
Each young girl has issues within their family that they must struggle with and then the challenge and pressures of school presents more stress.
I liked the strong female characters in the story and apprecia...more
Each young girl has issues within their family that they must struggle with and then the challenge and pressures of school presents more stress.
I liked the strong female characters in the story and apprecia...more
The story of three normal 8th grade girls, Jaya, Maria, and Lola. They live in a wealthy suburb of Meadowbrook, NJ and just like everyone else they are trying to find their spot in the social world. However, unlike everyone else Jaya, Maria, and Lola are not wealthy. They are the daughters of immigrant workers who serve the wealthy families of the other students. I enjoyed this book because it gave an honest view of the Jr. High social structure. A great story about friendship of three girls on...more
Three 8th grade girls, friends brought together by circumstance, camaraderie, and familiarity, are the outsiders in the well-to-do town of Meadowbrook, New Jersey. Jaya from Port-of-Spain, Maria from Mexico, and Lola from Slovakia are living the immigrant experience in a town that is not always respectful of civil rights amongst newcomers. They are steadfast in their loyalty to each other, though, mostly because they can relate to, and have empathy for, their fears and tribulations.
When Jaya's...more
When Jaya's...more
The lives of Jaya, Maria, and Lola are united by their mothers. They clean other peoples houses and babysit. They all feel left out of the town that they live in by their lack of money, that keeps them from being like the rest of them. Things get worse when suddenly their world gets even worse by the things that happen around them.
Jaya has come from Trinidad with her mother. She works cleaning the house of an old woman and is accused of stealing. Things are worse when her mother keeps losing her...more
Jaya has come from Trinidad with her mother. She works cleaning the house of an old woman and is accused of stealing. Things are worse when her mother keeps losing her...more
Sometimes it's necessary to read books that are a bit difficult. Whether they're difficult because of the subject matter, or perhaps the prose, but as a reader, you have to challenge yourself. Tell Us We're Home falls into the subject matter category. Most Americans have our own immigrant stories to tell. My family has been here for at least two generations (and in some cases, several more than that) so it's easy to forget those that have arrived more recently. I won't get too political here, bu...more
Dec 11, 2010
Christie
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommended to Christie by:
Teen Book Scene
Shelves:
read-in-2010
Tell Us We’re Home is the story of three teenage girls who are the daughters of immigrants. Over the course of the novel the story alternates point of view, and each girl has the chance to tell her story.
Jaya, Lola, and Maria all felt awkward and alone attending school with the children their parents work for. When they meet and discover they all have this in common an amazing friendship is formed. They make plans to attend the spring dance. When Jaya’s mother is accused of stealing the girls a...more
Jaya, Lola, and Maria all felt awkward and alone attending school with the children their parents work for. When they meet and discover they all have this in common an amazing friendship is formed. They make plans to attend the spring dance. When Jaya’s mother is accused of stealing the girls a...more
Jaya is from Trinidad, Maria is from Mexico and Lola is from Slovakia. I liked that each girl's cultural background was different, and yet their experiences were similar. I've read many books about Mexican immigrants and I have many Mexican friends so I was familiar with Mexican culture, but I knew very little about Slovakia or Trinidad. The reader spends the most time with Jaya and learning about her family and life in Trinidad (you would only want to visit Jaya's Trinidad, not live there. Cont...more
Loved the concept behind this novel, but I felt like it fell short of its promise. Three girls who are all daughters of maids/nannies in a small but rich suburban NJ town form a friendship based on their common experiences. Some of the writing is a little loose, and I found myself having to reread paragraphs to understand exactly what was going on. Also, with one small exception most of the suburban kids are spoiled, entitled rich kids. It came across as an over-simplified view of most realities...more
This is an excellent story with absolutely spot-on observations about racism and privilege and class in the suburbs. Unfortunately I felt the writing wasn't up to the standards of the story - using third person really distanced me from Lola, Jaya and Maria's experiences. This could have been a devastating read if we could have gotten just a little closer to the story, so it felt less like we were being told about all of these things that happened, and instead got to experience them along with th...more
Three girls bond because they are all outsiders in their small, wealthy, white town. One is from Mexico, one from Trinidad and the third from Russia. All of their mothers are maids or nannies, and they go to school with the kids that the mothers work for. When Jaya's mother is accused of stealing from her elderly employer, it throws everything out of whack.
A really thoughtful and engaging book about three 8th grade friends. Each girls' mother works as a maid in their wealthy New Jersey suburb. It's not often that books require young readers to think about class and how it forms our characters and influences the self-esteem of young people. The writing is beautiful and engaging.
Sep 13, 2012
Petlyn Namelo
added it
Honestly, I don't really like this book. I mean it's not like super crappy, but it's okay though. So if you like stories that are like chick flicks that really touch your heart and stuff, then you like legit have to read this book. But if you dont then dont read it! ;D
Middle school can suck enough without having to hide the fact that your mom's a housekeeper. You're hoping that the girl in your math class doesn't realize that your sweater came from her family's yard sale. Your dad can't find a job and is more than depressed. Your mom's accused of stealing from her employer, and you're hoping your cousin can control his temper and stay out of jail. Your neighbors keep complaining that too many people live in your apartment, but you know it's really because you...more
A good story of the daughters of the women who clean the houses and raise the children of the wealthy. Not groundbreaking, but a lovely tale of friendship and heartbreak with a very real ending.
Love the cover! Loved the girls but I wished their voices felt more distinct. I kept getting them confused. Definitely addresses some important issues for us suburbanites.
Aug 25, 2010
Marilyn
added it
Great to read a book about the daughters of housekeepers. Well-drawn characters and a strong sense of place.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Marina Budhos is an author of award-winning fiction and nonfiction.
She has published the novels, Ask Me No Questions (Simon & Schuster, 2006), an ALA Notable and winner of the first James Cook Teen Book Award, The Professor of Light (Putnam, 1999), House of Waiting (Global City Press, 1995) and a nonfiction book, Remix: Conversations with Immigrant Teenagers (Henry Holt, 1999).
Her short storie...more
More about Marina Budhos...
She has published the novels, Ask Me No Questions (Simon & Schuster, 2006), an ALA Notable and winner of the first James Cook Teen Book Award, The Professor of Light (Putnam, 1999), House of Waiting (Global City Press, 1995) and a nonfiction book, Remix: Conversations with Immigrant Teenagers (Henry Holt, 1999).
Her short storie...more
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
