Nayeri, Daniel. Teacher of Nomad Land, The: A World War II Story. Levine Querido, 08/2025. 192pp. Fiction. Trade $18.99. 978-1-64614-566-9. GRADES 4–7. OUTSTANDING.
Award-winning author Daniel Nayeri explores the hidden history of World War II in Iran through the eyes of two orphaned children on a journey to the land of the nomadic Bakhtiari tribe. With his father’s teaching supplies strapped to his back, Babak and his little sister encounter a Nazi spy, British and Russian troops, and a lost Jewish boy as they search for a new home and survive the harsh wilderness. Nayeri showcases his signature introspective style and masterful storytelling with heart-stopping action and vivid descriptions in this slim novel. In a moving and deeply satisfying conclusion, Babak demonstrates that he has embraced his father’s teaching philosophy while also processing the grief over his father’s sudden death. This book will resonate with the right reader and has already won the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. An unforgettable journey.
Kelly Pollard—Alameda County Library