Common Sense Media Review
By Jasmine Baten
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Detained Indian girl migrant finds way in wrenching novel.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In THE FREEDOM SEEKER, Simi Singh has just been made the captain of her hockey team and is excited for the year ahead. Her bright outlook dims when she starts being targeted for her parents' interfaith marriage: her father is a Sikh man and her mother is a Muslim woman. The growing Islamophobia turns into violence when the family is threatened and her father is attacked, and the family must flee to the United States. The journey is made even harder by the fact that they have to go through Mexican deserts to escape. When Simi and her mother go on the journey to follow her father, they face incredible hardships, from sickness to separation. When Simi ends up in a detention center with no idea where her mother is, she uses every tool she can to get help and make her story heard.
Is It Any Good?
Ruchira Gupta's novel is an emotionally tough but heartfelt and important read. The Freedom Seeker will have readers in awe of Simi's courage even as they see how unfair and unjust the system is towards refugees and immigrants. Simi's bright spirit and caring soul will have readers hoping along with her, bringing their attention not just to this story, but to the stories of the many children like Simi. This reviewer recommends this book to readers of all ages for a much-needed reflection on just how much people have to endure to find safety.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the portrayal of migration in The Freedom Seeker. How was it reading about the difficult things happen to Simi when she is on her own (that are base don real life stories). Why did the author choose to have Simi face the detention center without her mother? What can we take away from this?
This story starts with the problems Simi's family faces in India. Why do you think the author started here? How does it change the story to see why a family migrates rather than just to hear about it later?
What can be learned from the stories of supporting characters like the family Simi and her mother travel with and the other children in the detention center? What kinds of character strengths help them keep going? How do the characters find courage and persevere?
Why would the author choose to use real locations and products in the book? How does this make us feel about the story?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Contemporary Fiction
- Topics : Friendship
- Character Strengths : Communication , Courage , Perseverance
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Scholastic Press
- Publication date : August 5, 2025
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 321
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 25, 2025
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