Mónica is from Bolivia. Her best friend, Hannah, is from Israel. Both miss things about their homelands. For Hannah it's the desert sun, the sound of the wind, and the little tortoise that lived near her home. Mónica misses the sound of the frogs, mango trees, and watching hummingbirds with her grandmother. In fact, she wishes she could bring a hummingbird for Show and Tell. Miss Shelby joins their class on Monday, after their regular teacher has a baby. Seeing Miss Shelby, who's from Texas, standing alone in the lunchroom reminds Mónica that being new is hard for everyone-even teachers and grownups. Inviting Miss Shelby to join the Homesick Club she and Hannah started at lunch, she learns Miss Shelby misses the stars in the open sky, peach trees, the raccoon at her kitchen window, and hummingbird cake. Hummingbird cake? Once Miss Shelby explains, Mónica knows exactly what to bring for Show and Tell. Engaging details in both the narrative and art propel a story in which Mónica, Hannah, and Miss Shelby are wistful but not melancholy about what they've left behind. (Ages 5-8)

A story about making new friends and missing home, wherever home may be.

Mónica and Hannah are school kids in the big city. Together, they have formed the Homesick Club, since they are both from far away. Mónica misses the family of hummingbirds that she and her grandmother would feed in her backyard in Bolivia every day. Hannah misses the sunshine and the tiny tortoise that lived near her house in Israel.

When a new teacher, Miss Shelby, arrives from Texas, the girls discover that she misses her home, too, especially the huge sky full of stars and a Southern treat known as Hummingbird Cake. The girls ask Miss Shelby to join their club, then Mónica decides she will bring a surprise for show and tell — a surprise that brings Miss Shelby close to tears.

Author Libby Martinez addresses a theme that many children can relate to — feeling homesick — especially when home is far away. Rebecca Gibbon’s charming illustrations bring an imaginative, light touch to the story.

Key Text Features
recipes
diagrams
Flags

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.9
Compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in stories.