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    Something Like Home
    Something Like Home
    Something Like Home
    Ebook255 pages1 hour

    Something Like Home

    By Andrea Beatriz Arango

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    The Pura Belpré Honor winning novel in verse, in which a lost dog helps a lonely girl find a way home to her family . . . only for them to find family in each other along the way. From the Newbery Honor winning author of Iveliz Explains It All.

    “Trust me: this book will touch your heart." —Barbara O’Connor, New York Times bestselling author of Wish

    Titi Silvia leaves me by myself to unpack,
    but it’s not like I brought a bunch of stuff.
    How do you prepare for the unpreparable?
    How do you fit your whole life in one bag?
    And how am I supposed to trust social services
    when they won’t trust me back?

    Laura Rodríguez Colón has a plan: no matter what the grown-ups say, she will live with her parents again. Can you blame her? It’s tough to make friends as the new kid at school. And while staying at her aunt’s house is okay, it just isn’t the same as being in her own space.

    So when Laura finds a puppy, it seems like fate. If she can train the puppy to become a therapy dog, then maybe she’ll be allowed to visit her parents. Maybe the dog will help them get better and things will finally go back to the way they should be.

    After all, how do you explain to others that you’re technically a foster kid, even though you live with your aunt? And most importantly . . . how do you explain that you’re not where you belong, and you just want to go home?
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRandom House Children's Books
    Release dateSep 12, 2023
    ISBN9780593566206
    Author

    Andrea Beatriz Arango

    Andrea Beatriz Arango is the Newbery Honor Award-winning author of Iveliz Explains It All. She was born and raised in Puerto Rico, and is a former public school teacher with almost a decade of teaching experience. Andrea now writes the types of children's books she wishes students had more access to. She balances her life in Virginia with trips home to see her family and eat lots of tostones de pana. When she's not busy writing, you can find her enjoying nature in the nearest forest or body of water.

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    Reviews for Something Like Home

    4/5

    23 ratings6 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Laura believes she is at fault for calling 911 when her parents were unresponsive and that’s why she’s being sent to live with an aunt she doesn’t know. While her parents are in rehab, Laura feels tremendous guilt for what she did to her parents and anger at the social worker and her aunt for keeping her away from them. Laura is determined to reunite with her parents by any means possible, even working on training her new puppy to be a therapy dog so she can bring him along to visit her parents in rehab. It takes time for Laura to realize that everyone is doing the best they can and that family doesn’t always have to look the way she thinks it should.
    • 4/5
      Ooooof, right in the feels. A beautiful book about Laura, suddenly moving in with an aunt she does not know after a crisis in her home. And about Titi Silvia, a doctor making a home for a kid who needs a place to be and an unexpected puppy, rescued and now learning to be a therapy dog. And about Benson, an immediate friend with sickle-cell and a delightful pug. Great characters, emotional storyline that is so relevant right now, and a lot of dog love.
    • 4/5
      Reminiscent of Joan Bauer and Sharon Creech, this snappy paced contemporary read is a good addition to the collection for offering a peek into the world of a loving family with a major problem. I could have done without the mom-left-Puerto Rico-for-a-woman bit of the story, it felt like a late insertion to be on-trend rather than a genuine aspect of the story. That the puppy just HAPPENED to be a pit bull and Benson just HAPPENED to have a terrible disease also kind of read as add-ons, but are hallmarks of the necessary lack of subtlety for children’s lit. I think she could have expanded this into a sequel, Laura is a character we could happily get to know even better.
    • 4/5
      A beautifully told novel in verse about foster care from a child's point of view, who takes on all the blame of the adults in her world. For all Laura knows of her aunt - almost nothing, she calls her "My Aunt That Is Not My Aunt" - she could be a stranger, and living with all her rules is unbelievable; she never knows she did something wrong until she's scolded. In her new school, she tries to keep her head down, but is recognized as needing help reading. Fortunately, the librarian understands her and gives her graphic novels, not baby books. Graphic novels that she can relate to like "Guts" (:a true story about a fifth grader") and "The Okay Witch" where the girl looks like her.. Then she finds a puppy abandoned in its crate, dehydrated. She's devastated and runs to her aunt's apartment. She's so surprised when her aunt immediately takes the dog to the vet and says they can keep him. Her parents would never have let her have a dog! Laura starts to realize her aunt may not be as difficult as her parents told her. And that other people may really care about her and want to help her. I related to Laura with her love of birds (see the "Sixth-Grade Heron" chapter). Don't miss the Author's Note for information about foster care and therapy dogs.
    • 5/5
      Trigger Warnings: Foster care, abandonment, parental drug use

      Twelve-year-old Laura Rodríguez Colón has a plan: to do whatever it takes to live with her parents again. She’s okay with living with her aunt - but only temporarily. So when Laura finds a puppy, she begins to train him as a therapy, hoping to use his skills as an in to her parent’s treatment center. Maybe Sparrow will help her parents get better so they can all be together again.

      I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for pitties so when I saw the pittie on this cover, I was immediately drawn to it. And, I love me a novel in verse. I also didn’t recognize the author until I was getting ready to read it - but Iveliz Explains It All ripped by heart out last year. As soon as I registered it was that author, I knew I was going to be in for a good book!

      As with her other book, Something Like Home isn’t an easy read, but it’s a needed one. It tells a story of a young girl separated from her parents by foster care because of their drug use, who, even though they’re neglectful of her when they use, still very much love their daughter. It shows the difficulty of not only that relationship but also what that was like for the aunt (Laura’s mom’s sister).

      There’s amazing growth in this story of multiple characters, but Laura’s were my favorite. She had two unexpected relationships - one with the dog Sparrow, and one with a classmate, Benson. Sparrow and Laura’s journey was adorable and cute and shows the love that happens between a pet and their owners. Benson’s relationship with Laura was very organic, especially in the sense that there was a craving for a best friend, but that was hard for both because of previous wounds.

      Though this is targeted for the Middle Grade readers, I highly recommend this to all as Laura’s story is sure to tug at your heartstrings, no matter your age.
    • 3/5
      First sentence: The drive to Titi's house takes exactly eighteen minutes.
      I know because my current Rubik's Cube solving time
      is about two minutes,
      and I solve my scratched-up, faded cube
      a grand total of nine times.

      Premise/plot: Something Like Home is a middle grade 'problem' novel written in verse. Laura Rodríguez Colón, our protagonist, is living with her aunt...temporarily...or not??? So much is up in the air since being separated from her parents. Life wasn't perfectly perfectly perfect living with her parents. But it was in some ways familiar chaos. Now there is SO much change and it's all happening so quickly. She's living in a new (to her) home with an aunt that is practically a stranger. She's going to a new school, has new teachers, new classmates. She has no idea what the future holds....enter a DOG, an adorable dog. Her situation doesn't necessarily change, but, her perspective starts to slowly but surely.

      My thoughts: This isn't really an action-driven, big-things-happening novel. It is all about the main character's growth, her coming of age. There's also a dog, of course.

      I liked this one. However I almost feel like I blinked and missed the ending. It could be ALL on me. Perhaps my brain tuned out the last dozen or so poems and I missed vital changes. But the last few poems seemed to come out of nowhere in terms of character growth. Again, this could be all me. I missed the AHA moment perhaps? I missed the moment where her and her aunt came together and decided to be besties.

    Book preview

    Something Like Home - Andrea Beatriz Arango

    Cover for Something Like Home

    ALSO BY ANDREA BEATRIZ ARANGO

    Iveliz Explains It All

    Book Title, Something Like Home, Author, Andrea Beatriz Arango, Imprint, Random House Books for Young Readers

    This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

    Text copyright © 2023 by Andrea Beatriz Arango

    Cover art copyright © 2023 by Oriol Vidal

    All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.

    Random House and the colophon are registered trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.

    Visit us on the Web! rhcbooks.com

    Educators and librarians, for a variety of teaching tools, visit us at RHTeachersLibrarians.com

    Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.

    ISBN 9780593566183 (trade) — ISBN 9780593566190 (lib. bdg.) — ebook ISBN 9780593566206

    Random House Children’s Books supports the First Amendment and celebrates the right to read.

    Penguin Random House LLC supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin Random House to publish books for every reader.

    ep_prh_6.1_148350780_c0_r0

    Contents

    Cover

    Also by Andrea Beatriz Arango

    Title Page

    Copyright

    Dedication

    Time and Space

    Did You Know?

    My Room That Is Not My Room

    My Aunt That Is Not My Aunt

    Yo Sé

    Unpacking

    Questions I’ve Asked Janet

    Answers Janet Has Given Me

    Did You Know?

    Riverview Elementary School

    Picture This

    Just a Regular, Normal Kid

    The Introduction I Don’t Make

    The Introduction I Do Make

    I Miss My Friends Back Home

    Decisions

    Someone Is Always Watching

    Trust Is Overrated

    My After-School Routine Because I Live with a Very Controlling Aunt

    Titi Silvia Is the Worst

    Letter #1

    Dinner for One

    Things I’ve Already Done That Are Not Okay According to Titi Silvia

    Things Titi Silvia Has Already Done That Are Not Okay (She Is Not My Mom)

    Spanish vs. English

    School Uniform

    Lunch at the Library Again

    Big-Kid Graphic Novels

    I Avoid Benson in the Hallways

    Most of the Time? I’d Rather Be a Bird

    Split in Three

    Worth It?

    Did You Know?

    Superhuman Laura

    Blurred Memories

    Rejected

    Spirals

    Split in Half

    Dog on the Brain

    My Aunt and This Dog

    What Is a Name?

    Sparrow Is Broken

    My Bedroom: Before

    My Bedroom: Now

    Question Time: My Aunt

    Monday

    Guts

    Question Time: Benson

    Sixth-Grade Heron

    Licks

    Visit One: Social Services

    Rehab and Therapy

    Youtube: What Are Therapy Dogs?

    Training: Sit

    Other People Probably Regret Things Too

    Reading Help

    Laura Rodríguez Colón: Junior Dog Trainer

    Benson Joiner: Master Dog Trainer

    Letter #2

    Mezcla Saturday

    Why Mom Doesn’t Talk About Puerto Rico

    My Aunt Never Gets It

    Guess I’m Not the Only One with Secrets

    I Take My Time Walking Sparrow

    Sneaking Out

    Dominion Springs Hospital

    Room #211

    Awkward Silence

    Sickle Cell Disease

    Question Time: Me

    Who Decides What Is Safe?

    Benson Listens Carefully

    Google: How Do You Get Sickle Cell?

    Benson Visit #2

    Titi Silvia: Hiker?

    The Big Plan

    How Many Letters Is Too Many?

    My Mom Tried to Get Clean Once

    Company

    Did You Know?

    Forever Friends

    Trouble

    The Letter I Don’t Send

    Letter #3

    Grounded

    Inside Exploration

    Binoculars

    Apologies: Titi Silvia

    Apologies: Me

    Google: How Do You Become a Therapy Dog?

    What Sparrow Will Be Graded on According to the Sheet Titi Printed Out for Me

    What Sparrow Can Do Already

    Benson Is Back

    Eating Solo

    Titi Silvia: Advice

    Am I a Mean Person?

    Video Call

    Benson Finds Me in the Morning

    Letter #4

    Visit Two: Casa

    Excuse Me, What?

    Brenda–1, Titi–0

    Silent Night

    Hanging Out

    Social Tips

    I’m Gonna Miss Benson

    Friend Hypocrite

    Family Partnership Meeting

    The Adults

    My Parents: The Phone Call

    Updates

    I Leave the Room

    Brenda

    Updates, Part II

    Letter I Don’t Send #2

    Family Therapy

    Sparrow the Baby

    2 A.M.

    Youtube: Does Rehab Really Work?

    Math Help

    School Interruptions

    Slow Motion: Pause

    Fast Motion: Unpause

    Slow Motion: Pause

    Titi Is Very Upset

    Running

    Did You Know?

    Hey, Sparrow

    Sick Day

    Training: Stay and Come

    Gossip Travels Fast

    Letter #5

    Did You Know?

    Goodbye, or See You Later?

    Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

    After-School

    Readychildren Therapy

    Me and Dr. T

    Questions Without Answers

    Dog Park

    Confessions

    Bench Talk

    Ex-Friends

    Awkward

    Family Therapy Session #1

    Real Talk

    Reservoirs Are Full of Birds

    Things Are Better

    Supervised Separation

    Good Citizen Test

    10/10

    Did You Know?

    Author’s Note

    Acknowledgments

    _148350780_

    PARA MI MAMI—

    THIS BOOK WAS BORN FROM YOUR IDEA. TE AMO.

    TIME AND SPACE

    The drive to Titi’s house takes exactly eighteen minutes.

    I know because my current Rubik’s Cube solving time

    is about two minutes,

    and I solve my scratched-up, faded cube

    a grand total of nine times.

    I can feel Janet watching me in the rearview mirror,

    probably wondering if I’m okay,

    and I wish for the hundredth time that I could

    twist my way out of her too-clean car,

    line my life back up as easily as the sides of my cube,

    erase all the ways I messed up this weekend,

    so that instead of driving to the rich side of town,

    I’d be at my parents’ bright red food truck,

    and instead of a black bag of packed clothes at my feet,

    I’d be dishing up plates of yellow rice for my friends.

    Janet doesn’t actually care how I feel.

    She’s just here ’cause it’s her job.

    So even though she offers to carry my bag

    after we park,

    even though I’m sweating through my shirt

    and my glasses keep slipping off,

    I carefully put the cube in my sweatpants pocket,

    lift my bagged-up things with my own two hands,

    take a deep breath, ignoring Janet,

    and start walking by myself toward my aunt’s door

    and my weird

    weird

    new life.

    DID YOU KNOW?

    Most birds don’t recognize their family members

    after more than a year has passed.

    So it makes sense that I’m wearing

    my favorite owl shirt

    as I stare at a woman I don’t recognize,

    but that Janet assures me is my aunt.

    Titi Silvia is a doctor,

    but one that looks like a model,

    like the doctors on those TV shows

    my mom won’t ever let me watch.

    And even though I usually try not to care

    about the clothes I wear or how they fit,

    I definitely care today

    as I feel her staring first at my hair

    and then at my wrinkled clothes,

    moving down to my socks and slides

    and then back up to my stomach,

    like everything about me

    is out of place, different

    from what she’d like.

    I don’t know how I’m supposed to greet her,

    this woman that is basically a stranger

    and who looks nothing like me,

    so I just shrug at her awkward hola,

    wait for her to tell me where to put my stuff,

    and then I leave her and Janet talking

    and hide in the office,

    aka my (temporary) new room.

    MY ROOM THAT IS NOT MY ROOM

    Titi Silvia’s apartment is beautiful,

    but it almost doesn’t look real.

    It’s all white and clean

    and full of art that makes no sense,

    and I can tell my aunt’s really tried to turn her office

    into a bedroom for a kid,

    because there’s a big inflatable mattress in the middle

    and she’s added a princess blanket that is

    pretty babyish

    and way too pink,

    which she probably bought

    because she doesn’t know what sixth graders

    actually like to watch on TV.

    And if I was here for different reasons,

    I’d probably just laugh at the blanket

    and bounce on the inflatable bed,

    but the problem is,

    I’m supposed to actually live here.

    Titi Silvia already mentioned

    something about Ikea and furniture

    as I slid past her in the hall,

    and who

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