“An amazing story. ”
-Oprah Winfrey

"When class would end, and we'd put the book down, my class would sigh in disappointment. They couldn't wait to read it again. At the end of the novel, your story actually received applause. I have [heard] students applaud presenters, or even comment on the quality of a book, but this was the first time a class has ever actually applauded the story."
-Christie Mc Vicker, Literature Teacher McClure Junior High School, Western Springs, IL

“A moving memoir.”
-The Chicago Tribune

"A wonderful tribute to the unsung heroism of countless refugee families who press ahead despite economic, language, and cultural barriers. This is the most inspiring story I have read in recent years."
-Hayelom Ayele, Director/Community Liaison, City of Chicago Advisory Council on Immigrant Affairs

“Of Beetles and Angels has been our most popular book in years. Seniors found it inspiring; freshmen thought it amusing and ESL students, feeling Mawi's pain, cried over its application to their own experiences. Even faculty in other disciplines are reading it on their own. An uplifting story of hope, perserverance and triumph over adversity, it is both therapeutic and relevant in our current troubled times.”
-Cheryl Sullivan, English Department Chair Lisle Junior & Senior High School, IL

 “I read this book in one sitting and then left my chair convinced that the world was a better place than it had been when I sat down.”
-Allison Morris, New England Children's Bookselling Advisory Council  
 
“Wry and tender...what stays with you is the quiet, honest drama of a family's heartrendering journey.”
-Booklist  
 
“In 39 years of teaching, I've never assigned a book the kids like so well.”
-Judith Pond, 8th-grade English teacher, Richmond Middle School, Hanover, NH

“Our students have read Mawi's book, Of Beetles and Angels, and heard him speak...Mawi Asgedom is a hero to my students, and to me. ”
-Dr. Patricia Harvey, superintendent, St. Paul (MN) Public Schools