Bookverdict.com

Gr 4–7—This story, told in three parts, begins with a boy and an old man: Malik and Papa. Malik, who is nine, doesn't know his estranged grandfather very well, but they are bound together ever since soldiers came in the night to take Malik's mother away. Papa assures his grandson that his mother will be waiting for them at the port, the place where the duo is heading. Papa, who once owned factories, and Malik, who lived in a nice house, are now scavenging for food and seeki...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

In this crisply plotted, somber, and suspenseful displacement novel we follow young Malik as he escapes from an unnamed wartorn European (it seems) country and arrives in the New World. In part one, Malik’s grandfather, Papa, uses all the means at his disposal -- connections, bribery, threats, lies, and his skill as a conjurer -- to get Malik a place on a refugee ship. The tension here resides in the fact that Malik is too you...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

Young Malik escapes from an unnamed war-torn country and grows up quickly in the company of older boys on the refugee ship. ...Log In or Sign Up to Read More