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I Am Not Being Lazy, I Just Don't Understand

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Georgette is new to the country. She is starting the fifth grade and does not speak any English. She is trying to participate and make friends in class, but it is not going well. No one speaks her language. However, she is determined and eager to show everyone that she is not lazy, she just doesn’t understand. Follow Georgette as she fights through her fears and fumbles with her words on her journey to learn English and make friends.

38 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 20, 2020

2 people want to read

About the author

Gina Paul

4 books1 follower

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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Profile Image for _sassy_39.
2,488 reviews148 followers
August 7, 2020
I am not being lazy, I just don't understand is a children's book by the author Gina Paul and illustrated by DG. This is a story of Georgette who moved to the new country New York with her family and got admitted in 5th grade in the school there. The problem is that nobody speaks her native language of Haitian Creole here.

Georgette doesn't understand English and others don't understand her native language. So, she was all lonely at her new school. Only her teacher Mrs Levy was able to communicate with her through some gestures. Lunch time was tough as initially Georgette doesn't know how the food will taste and she has to eat alone.

In the classroom, she overheard students calling "She is being lazy" and pointing to her. On reaching home, Georgette asked her mother what does it mean. She was shocked to know about the meaning.

Read this interesting story to know will Georgette be able to make friends? Will she understand English?

This is an intriguing story with nice Illustrations. The narration of the story is clear and smooth. Language is simple so kids will be able to understand it easily. Discussion questions at the end of the story is a fun exercise. I enjoyed reading this story of Georgette and recommend this to kids.
Profile Image for WeLoveBigBooksAndWeCannotLie.
553 reviews28 followers
October 26, 2020
Have you ever visited another country?🌎

I have noticed that when I visit another country as a tourist, I can easily get by without knowing their language.

Alyssa and I have been to Haiti many times and we immediately realized that we wanted to learn Haitian Creole.🇭🇹
We have had wonderful translators, but we couldn’t connect with people without speaking their language, especially the children.

When Gina Paul reached out to us about her children’s book I’m Not Lazy, I Just Don’t Understand, we knew we wanted to review and highlight it!💜
Georgette moved to the US at 10 years old and didn’t speak any English. @gina.paul.author has a similar story and I wondered about her own experiences as she made this transition.

This book teaches compassion and understanding. When learning a new language, it’s easy to feel stupid or slow. Georgette struggles to make friends and keep up in class, but she’s determined and intelligent and overcomes many challenges.

I adored this book, I would encourage anyone with school age children to pick it up!
Thank you so much @gina.paul.author for gifting us a copy of your sweet book.
Profile Image for Cynthia.
626 reviews2 followers
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September 9, 2021
Great bridge chapter book.
Categories for future reference: New kid stories, language barrier stories, immigrant experiences

A very sweet book that puts you in the life of Georgette, a new student and also new to the US and English. Gina Paul does a great job of putting you in Georgette's shoes and has some good discussion questions at the end.
Profile Image for The Endless Unread.
3,418 reviews63 followers
December 1, 2020
A very moving story that will hit you with all the feels. My heart broke for this little girl who just wanted someone to understand and be her friend. Fantastic storyline and one that people can relate to. Outstanding work.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews

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