Middle Grade Monday: Twerp (audio book)

Title: Twerp
Author: Mark Goldblatt, read by Everette Plen
Publication Info: 2013, Listening Library. Hardcover 2013, Random House
Source: Library digital resources

Publisher's Blurb:
It's not like I meant for him to get hurt. . . .

Julian Twerski isn't a bully. He's just made a big mistake. So when he returns to school after a weeklong suspension, his English teacher offers him a deal: if he keeps a journal and writes about the terrible incident that got him and his friends suspended, he can get out of writing a report on Shakespeare. Julian jumps at the chance. And so begins his account of life in sixth grade--blowing up homemade fireworks, writing a love letter for his best friend (with disastrous results), and worrying whether he's still the fastest kid in school. Lurking in the background, though, is the one story he can't bring himself to tell, the one story his teacher most wants to hear.

Inspired by Mark Goldblatt's own childhood growing up in 1960s Queens, Twerp shines with humor and heart. This remarkably powerful story will have readers laughing and crying right along with these flawed but unforgettable characters.

My Review:  
This book was on the short list for the BOTM read for my Goodreads middle-grade books group, and since I needed something to read, I nabbed a copy. The theme for the month was bullying, and this one looked interesting (okay, half the books on the list ended up on my TBR list).

The book is more than interesting. Much of the story reads like a typical middle-school kind of story. Sixth-graders doing 12-year-old things, sometimes stupid, sometimes a little more self-centered than nice. But behind it all, as Julian writes his journal-like story, lurks the thing that he doesn't want to admit. Doesn't even want to think about.

Most of the time the reader can forget that there's something not yet revealed. The traumas of 6th grade--especially the whole things with girls--seem enough to make an engaging and mostly kind of fun story. In retrospect, when the author is done with the gut-punch of the thing Julian and his friends did, some of those incidents were steps on Julian's way to understanding difference. In that sense, the story feels maybe a bit more modern than its 1960s setting--it felt a bit like Restorative Justice. And maybe that concept isn't as new as we like to think it is.

I think this story works especially well as an instructive tale about bullying precisely because Julian isn't a bully. But then he does something--and he is. He is also a kid who is too willing to follow others, and there is just enough hint that he gets that, and in the end manages to move beyond it.

The audio is well done, the narrator's style felt a little too "6th grade" to me--a little too slow and a trifle stilted, kind of the way Julian himself might read it. Which is fine in some ways, but I'd have preferred a smoother read in some places. Not a turn-off, just not how I'd have read it.

My Recommendation:
This would make an excellent book for a class read, especially in a class (I'm thinking of Eldest Son's 6th grade class) where there's a  bit of a bullying problem. If it doesn't get kids to think about their own behavior, they may beyond thinking.

FTC Disclosure: I checked Twerp out of my library, and received nothing from the writer or publisher for my honest review. The opinions expressed are my own and those of no one else. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." 

Writer's Wednesday: Editing

This week, since I'm not really in a different place than for my last "Writer's Wednesday" post, I thought I'd share some thoughts on that first edit. The NaNo people have been sending out a lot of stuff on that topic, and I've even looked at some. Go take a look if you can--some of what they say is pretty basic, some is possibly helpful.

Every time I hit this point in a novel (i.e., the first draft is done and has steeped for however long I allow it), I find myself re-inventing the editorial process. The reason, of course, is that editing is hard, and there's no magic formula. But I have found a few things that seem to be good places to start. In my list below, "you" really means "me." Your results may vary.

1. Create a detailed outline. No, not before you write. An outline, scene-by-scene, of what you actually wrote. This time, I started adding location and time to the header for each scene, and halfway through, I realized I needed to include the weather (so embarrassing if your character mentions it's been raining for a week, but three scenes back the sun was shining).

2. Insert notes in the text (I use Bold brackets [ ] to make them easy to find) about things you think need fixing. At this point, struggle to avoid trying to fix them.

3. This is where I get fuzzy... how best to fix the problems? Maybe I can't find a neat plan for it because it's a unique process each time, depending on what needs fixing (in the current WIP, for example, I have a couple of characters who need to appear sooner and more often. I have to figure out where I can put them, and how that changes everything... ugh).

4. After a lot of revision, I get back to stuff I'm pretty clear on. At this point, usually 1-3 rewrites in, I send the book to my beta readers, and do something else while they work on it (I recommend writing short stories. What I usually do is go hiking, which is also a pretty good approach. The key is just not to fret about the story while it's out of your hands).

5. When you've studied the readers'/editors' notes, you get to either return to step 3, or move on to polishing.

6. I have several well-established steps for polishing, which I *thought* I had already written about. I can't find those posts, though, so I'll list them here.
    A. "Final" read-through to tinker with sentences and word choices (repeat as necessary).
    B. Use the "search" function to find and deal with about 15 problem words (some of these are common to most writers, some are personal. I think the list is a post for another day). This is also where in my Pismawallops PTA mysteries I now do a search to make sure that JJ's son Brian didn't become "Brain" anywhere.
    C. Read it aloud, making fixes and adjustments as I go. Ideally, I'd also do this a few steps back, but it's not my favorite thing to do (danged effective, though).
    D. When I'm really sure I'm done, I send it to my proof-reader. When she's done, I'm not allowed to mess with anything more (unless someone tells me about a typo or similar small problem--no rewrites that would let new issues sneak in).

That's pretty much the plan (with that giant hole in the middle where the real work happens). I'm considering trying something the NaNo Revision Guide suggests (see chapter 7): actually rewriting, or retyping the story. They suggest that you open a new file and rewrite the story. Not copy and paste, but type the words again. Even ignore that first draft and (using the much more detailed and reorganized outline and notes you created in Steps 1 & 2 above) rewrite it from scratch. It seems a bit radical, but also maybe fun? Maybe just another way to procrastinate, too--I wonder if I'd get anything any better the second time around?

What I want to know--has anyone tried that radical rewriting approach? Let me know how it worked--or didn't!

Cozy Mystery Review & Author Interview: Dead Week

Dead Week (A Cassandra Sato Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – Nebraska
Publisher: Emerald Prairie Press (December 7, 2019)
Paperback: 322 pages
ISBN-10: 1733742425
ISBN-13: 978-1733742429
Digital ASIN: B07ZHN2SMS

Publisher's Blurb:
Will Dead Week kill Cassandra’s career? VP of Student Affairs Cassandra Sato has a desk full of problems and it’s not even Thanksgiving break. A student’s injury and a deaf advocacy project brings national media attention to underfunded Morton College. Cassandra’s new boss talks to her dead husband. Cassandra’s mentor thinks he’s a superhero in a senior citizen’s body. And Cassandra, recently moved from Hawai’i, can’t crack the code of what to wear during November in Nebraska. Is there more to the Vietnam-era story of a student’s death? Cassandra’s search for the long-buried truth stirs up the wrath of those who want to keep the past forgotten.

My Review:
Cassandra Sato is back, and so is chaos and disruption at little Morton College. Academia has a long memory, and Cassandra is caught in the middle when a student starts something too big for her to handle. The mystery that develops is partly about a long-ago student's death, and partly about who is so upset about it and why. Brakenhoff does a great job of creating a compelling mystery without much of a body-count, because she is really writing about humans and their motivations.

I enjoyed the story, which was a solid puzzle (as with the first, I had a pretty good inkling about who did what, but enjoyed watching Cassandra work out the details). I also appreciate the continuing concern with deaf rights and advocacy. The author's sympathies are clear, and well-presented. The book skates at times perilously close to being an "issue story" but dodges that bullet--the deaf rights issues are truly central to the story because they are central to the characters.

And that, I think is the key to why the Cassandra Sato books are so satisfying: they are really about people. This time, the author fleshed out the secondary characters more fully. In some cases that happens gradually, as Cassandra stops seeing them as "types" and recognizes their motivations and needs. The romance element continues to be a bit of background complication, rather than a dominating part of the story. Cassandra seems to be at a point where she needs to examine her life and her choices. She seems to be at least thinking about doing so--I look forward to seeing how she resolves her many personal tensions.

For those interested, I reviewed the first book in the series here. 

My Recommendation:
Pour a cup of hot cocoa and settle down with a blanket and the book. Even if it's not cold where you are, you'll feel that Nebraska wind blowing right through you while you enjoy the story!

FTC Disclosure: I received an ARC of Dead Week from Great Escapes Free Book Tours, and received nothing further from the writer or publisher in exchange for my honest review.  The opinions expressed are my own and those of no one else.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."   


And now--we are pleased to have the chance to share our interview author Kelly Brakenhoff!

NL: Thanks for coming by! We'll start with the easy one: When did you start writing? Did you always know you wanted to be a writer, or did you stumble into it later in life? 
KB: You know how adults constantly ask children, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I always said, “Writer.” Usually accompanied by a shy shrug.

However, armed with an English degree from college, writing jobs were few and far between. Instead I followed my love of language and Deaf Culture into the ASL interpreting field and focused on raising my family for many years.

Cassandra Sato’s story began as a NaNoWriMo project in 2014 while my youngest kids were finishing high school. I toiled for more than four years revising and editing the first novel until it was finally published in spring of 2019. Checking a major dream off your bucket list is pretty exhilarating.

With Dead Week, and my recent children’s book, I’m making up for my late start! I love my day job and my family, but writing books feels like coming home to myself.
 
NL: Congratulations on that accomplishment! I know the feeling--I'm most fully "me" when writing. Speaking of your day job, you're happy with the one you have now. But... what is the strangest job you’ve ever held?
KB: In college I worked at an outbound telemarketing sales place where we had to call random strangers and sell them a credit card offer. This was the days before robocalls and fancy technology. I lasted two weeks. I couldn’t handle people hanging up on me or yelling at me.

NL: I don't think I'd last a day at that. You're tough! So now that you're safe from telemarketing, what's the best thing about being a writer?  
KB: Looking at the world through a writer’s lens! When I go to a party, spend a day at work, or just talk to people, book and plot ideas pop into my head all the time. Usually friends will say something funny and I’ll jot it down so I can use it in a book. Or I’ll read a newspaper story and think to myself, what if? Taking a kernel of a true story and tweaking it to fit my plot is so much fun. For example, last weekend I attended my husband’s holiday party. While watching his co-worker, it occurred to me that someone like him would be a great supporting character in my next book. I also listened to how people spoke and imagined how I’d describe their looks in print. My brain is always working on the next book.

Now probably if my friends read this interview, I won’t be invited to their parties anymore. Lol.

NL: It's an occupational hazard! Just in case your friends all dump you thanks to that confession, if you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? 
KB: In the Tuscan countryside, east of Florence, Italy. In an old farmhouse amid the grapevines. Maybe not forever, but wouldn’t it be fun to rent a place there for a year or two? Imagine how many books I could write amidst all that quiet beauty! And plenty of wine for leisure time!

NL: Hmm... I'm not sure. Great scenery and wine sounds like a recipe for staring out the window, not for writing! So you get your old farmhouse, and now there's a spider in the corner of the room, do you a) panic, b) have to drop everything until it is removed, or c) hope it’s planning on eating the more annoying bugs that get in?

KB: A then B then STOMP!

NL: Poor spider! Now back to writing... Do you draft your books longhand or compose at the keyboard?  
KB: My notes are often on sticky notes and scraps of paper or notebooks. When it comes to drafting the actual book, I’m all keyboard.

NL: What’s the weirdest thing you’ve had to research for one of your books? KB: For Death by Dissertation, I needed my stalker to have a past arrest for harassing a former girlfriend, without physically harming her. Naturally, I turned to Google and typed something like “Creepy stalker stories not murder.” My search feed filled with very disturbing scenarios that I gingerly picked through until I found one I could read without losing my lunch. Photos of weapons and cringe-inducing stalker articles popped up on my social media feeds for weeks afterwards.

NL: Ugh! That's the creepy side of the internet. Do one little search for something, and all the algorithms assume it's your main interest!
You're done the research... now, do you use a detailed outline before you start writing, or… ? 
KB: For all my books I’ve written extensive outlines and character sketches. Every wacky idea and the kitchen sink, too. Pages of notes and basic structure. But once I started writing, things changed, characters did the unexpected, and my carefully laid plans often had gaping plot holes. Thank goodness no one has to read the first few drafts while I’m sorting all that junk out.

My writing goal for 2020 is to keep learning how to write cleaner first drafts. I’m always studying how to improve as a writer, and better outlines is a great starting point.

NL: Good luck with that quest. Every time I think I've found the secret to a clean first draft, it blows up in my face. I still embrace planning and plotting and even outlining.
Thanks for stopping by the Ninja Librarian's blog! Before you go, is there anything else you’d like your readers to know about you?
KB: While many authors are introverts who hide in their writing lairs, I’m very extroverted. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by receiving photos of readers enjoying my book while lounging at the beach or watching their child’s softball games. I’d love it if you followed me on Facebook, Goodreads, BookBub, Amazon or wherever you like to hang out. Because I love talking about books!
 
NL: Thanks again, Kelly!  We'll pop those author links in here, along with a bit of a bio...

About the author: 
Kelly Brakenhoff is an American Sign Language Interpreter whose motivation for learning ASL began in high school when she wanted to converse with her deaf friends. Her first novel, Death by Dissertation, kicked off the Cassandra Sato Mystery Series. She also wrote Never Mind, first in a children’s picture book series featuring Duke the Deaf Dog. She serves on the Board of Editors for the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf publication, VIEWs. The mother of four young adults and two dogs, Kelly and her husband call Nebraska home. Her first mystery, Death by Dissertation, released April 22, 2019.  

Author Links:
Website – http://kellybrakenhoff.com/
Amazon – Https://amazon.com/author/kellybrakenhoff
Twitter-  https://twitter.com/inBrakenVille
Instagram –  @kellybrak
BookBub – https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kelly-brakenhoff
GoodReads  – https://www.goodreads.com/kellybrak

Purchase Link – Amazon 

 And, if all this isn't enough--we have a Rafflecopter giveaway!  Win your own ebook of the mystery and read it for yourself!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

All images and text ©Rebecca M. Douglass, 2020, unless otherwise indicated.
As always, please ask permission to use any photos or text. Link-backs appreciated!

Writer's Wednesday: Looking Ahead to 2020

The future is approaching at light speed...

Last Wednesday for the IWSG I did my review of 2019 accomplishments and failures. This week, it's time to set some goals for 2020!

The first challenge: decide if I want to set aspirational goals or realistic ones (solution: set both, but know the difference!).

So my realistic goals:
1. Revise, edit, polish, and publish Pismawallops PTA #5, Death By Donut. The draft from November/December is open on my laptop, and I've begun the first stage (notes).
2. Write a flash for each of the six WEP posts. Even if I'm traveling.
3. At least one blog post/week, even when traveling. Ideally, I'd manage one review and one flash per month. I've already missed that one, but we can start from here, right?
4. Find at least one local event to sell books.

I think that's it for goals that I have really no excuse for missing.

My aspirational goals:
1. Submit one story/month for publication, minimum. Can average this, and can use the same story over.
2. Put together, edit, and publish at least one collection of my flash fiction.
3. Either draft another murder mystery, or finally finish Gorg the Troll's novel!

That's about as far as I can take my aspirations without being totally unrealistic. Our current travel plans have us away from home at least 7 months this year, much of that out of the country, almost all of it hiking. In my dreams, I'm putting out two or three books, and finally figuring out how the heck to promote them. In reality, I'm deciding how many pairs of socks I need to take to Patagonia. I'm okay with that :)

Try to stop and reflect from time to time.

©Rebecca M. Douglass, 2020
As always, please ask permission to use any photos or text. Link-backs appreciated!

Middle-grade Monday: Dragons in the Waters, by Madeleine L'Engle

Title: Dragons in the Waters
Author: Madeleine L'Engle
Publication Info: Dell paperback, 1982, 330 pages. Original Farrar, Strous, Girroux, 1976
Source: personal collection

Publisher's Blurb:
A thirteen-year-old boy's trip to Venezuela with his cousin culminates in murder and the discovery of an unexpected bond with an Indian tribe, dating from the days of Simon Bolivar.

A stolen heirloom painting…a shipboard murder…Can Simon and the O'Keefe clan unravel the mystery?

Thirteen-year-old Simon Renier has no idea when he boards the M.S. Orion with his cousin Forsyth Phair that the journey will take him not only to Venezuela, but into his past as well. His original plan…to return a family heirloom, a portrait of Simon Bolivar, to its rightful place&—is sidetracked when cousin Forsyth is found murdered. Then, when the portrait is stolen, all passengers and crew become suspect.

Simon's newfound friends, Poly and Charles O'Keefe, and their scientist father help Simon to confront the danger that threaten him. But Simon alone must face up to his fears. What has happened to the treasured portrait? And who among them is responsible for the theft—and the murder?

My Review:  
The reason I'm writing a review of a book this old is because I got to thinking about cultural perceptions while I read. I have long been a fan of Madeleine L'Engle (A Wrinkle in Time, if you are trying to place the name). My feelings about her work have changed some over time, as I'm less interested in the religious aspects of the books, and more in a good yarn, but most of the books have stood the test of time and re-reading.

This book hit something that bothered me, and now that I think about it, it's a theme that runs through many of her "mystical" books. That is: L'Engle seems to have bought into something like the "Noble Savage" fallacy, an ideal of pure Native peoples living in a special harmony with the Earth that gives them powers of wisdom and healing. And that, to me, is just wrong.

I won't deny that many cultures may well have a better relationship with the Earth than your basic modern American. But the use of that trope by a white American writer ends up being disturbing, especially when I realize how consistently the thread runs through her work.

Now, L'Engle also likes to write pretty black-and-white good vs. evil stories, and I don't know if it's better or worse that she tends to have indigenous peoples (or in some cases, prehistoric peoples) who have either kept in harmony with the Earth and are wise and good opposed to others who have turned away from their traditional knowledge and become evil (i.e., not lumping ALL indigenous people's together, exactly), but I have to think that either she had a pretty poor understanding of other cultures, or was a little lazy at times, using a kind of short-hand instead of creating real people.

Okay, so aside from that, how's the story? Actually, pretty good. There's a nice little mystery, some kids doing did stuff and seeing more than the adults know they do (or sometimes, more than the adults see), and a little interesting history. The writing is good, and doesn't 'talk down' to its juvenile audience. Finally, she is also addressing an issue even more urgent now, that of pollution and the need for energy sources--and economic resources--that don't involve destroying the environment.

My Recommendation:
L'Engle fans should go ahead and read this--it fits into the long series of loosely connected books that descend from Wrinkle. But I'm not sure that I'd give it to kids, or if I did, I'd want to talk about the author's use of other peoples and other cultures--and about the environment, as well!

FTC Disclosure: I have owned a copy of Dragons in the Waters for ages, and received nothing from the writer or publisher for my honest review. The opinions expressed are my own and those of no one else. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." 

IWSG: Year End Review

Yeah, okay, so maybe I should have done the review before the year ended, but here it is! It's also IWSG day, and I'll answer the IWSG question below.

Writing:
The first thing I have to say, because otherwise I'll feel a little discouraged about progress, is that we spent a little over half the year traveling. I don't get much writer-work done when traveling (despite the photo above, where I'm writing under non-optimal circs. That's my journal, which is usually as much as I manage). So some things changed: my blogging became less frequent and much more erratic, and I wrote very few pieces of flash fiction for the blog, but posted more photos.

On the other hand, I managed to write, submit, and get accepted (eventually), two short stories, one in the IWSG Anthology (take a look below at the lovely cover).

I'm rather proud that I was able to do major revisions of the Pismawallops PTA mystery I drafted in November and December 2018 during our quiet times in Christchurch in February and March, which allowed me to spend the summer dealing with editorial feedback and publish that book Dec. 6, 2019.

We also stayed home, mostly, in November (aside from a 5-day outing to San Francisco and Sacramento), so I managed to finish a very rough draft of the PPTA Mysteries #5.

And I shouldn't forget The Christmas Question, a novella that I conceived in late summer and managed to pull together in time to include it as a gift to my supporters with my December newsletter. Of course, I had hoped to also revise and include a second holiday-themed short story, but ran out of time. Maybe next year!

Looking at that list of accomplishments, I actually feel pretty good! I didn't meet my goals about writing and submitting short stories--but I exceeded expectations with writing longer works.

The business of writing:
This part is less encouraging. My sales most of the year were lack-luster, probably due to a lack of effort on my part in the marketing department. I ended the year strongly, with good (for me) advance and early sales of Death By Library, but I won't see that money until next year. This year, due to the expenses of bringing out a new book, I'm ending in the red.

 Beautiful covers, all!

Now for the IWSG...

The first Wednesday of every month is the Insecure Writer's Support Group posting day, where writers can express their doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It's a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Check it out here and join if you want support with your writing. 

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.

 

The awesome co-hosts for the The awesome co-hosts for the January 8 posting of the IWSG are T. Powell Coltrin, Victoria Marie Lees, Stephen Tremp, Renee Scattergood, and J.H. Moncrieff!

 

Optional January 8 question - What started you on your writing journey? Was it a particular book, movie, story, or series? Was it a teacher/coach/spouse/friend/parent? Did you just "know" suddenly you wanted to write? 

I have always wanted to be a writer, and I have been writing stories since I first learned to write at all. But I did that for, erm, close to half a century before I published my first book, so what changed?

In some ways, nothing changed. I had been trying to complete, edit, and publish a novel since my grad school days (the one started then took something like 15 years from start to giving up). For two decades I wrote sporadically, working on several novels when I got the chance between school, work, and raising 2 kids. My first published book was written much the same way--one chapter/story at a time when I had a chance. It worked well for that book (unlike those first 2 mystery novels), because it was an episodic novel.

But why was that book published? Well, I'll admit it wasn't because I finally found a publisher. I didn't even try with The Ninja Librarian, because even I wasn't sure if it was juvvy or adult. What changed was that a friend I knew from another context told me about Createspace, and convinced me self-publishing was a legit means of sharing my work. After trying for so long to hatch a book without success, I liked the idea of just one out there, for my family to read if no one else. 

So I'll credit Dixie with helping me get published, but I'll credit a number of teachers along the way, from Mrs. Eggleston in the 2nd grade to Ms. Holmes and Mrs. Hollister in high school, for encouraging my writing--and a special shout-out to all the other teachers along the way who put up with me introducing stories into all sorts of homework where they didn't belong. 

How about you? Was there a special spark that got you going, or was it a natural bent from the beginning? 

Middle Grade Monday: Nowhere Boy (audio book)

 

Title: Nowhere Boy
Author: Katherine Marsh
Publication Info: 2018, Listening Library. Hardback published 2018, Roaring Brook Press, 368 pages.
Source: Library digital resources

Publisher's Blurb:

Fourteen-year-old Ahmed is stuck in a city that wants nothing to do with him. Newly arrived in Brussels, Belgium, Ahmed fled a life of uncertainty and suffering in Aleppo, Syria, only to lose his father on the perilous journey to the shores of Europe. Now Ahmed’s struggling to get by on his own, but with no one left to trust and nowhere to go, he’s starting to lose hope.

Then he meets Max, a thirteen-year-old American boy from Washington, D.C. Lonely and homesick, Max is struggling at his new school and just can’t seem to do anything right. But with one startling discovery, Max and Ahmed’s lives collide and a friendship begins to grow. Together, Max and Ahmed will defy the odds, learning from each other what it means to be brave and how hope can change your destiny.

Set against the backdrop of the Syrian refugee crisis, award-winning author of Jepp, Who Defied the Stars Katherine Marsh delivers a gripping, heartwarming story of resilience, friendship and everyday heroes. Barbara O'Connor, author of Wish and Wonderland, says "Move Nowhere Boy to the top of your to-be-read pile immediately." 

My Review:  

Another of my impulse-borrows, I stuck this on my phone and started listening without a lot of thought. I was intrigued by the premise: the unhappy American boy and the refugee, both lost and out of place, and wondered how the author was going to pull it off. Soon, I couldn't stop listening.

At the start, Max's story reads like so many middle-grade misfit stories. He's unhappy about the move to Brussels (for which I kinda wanted to dope-slap him, because--living abroad!), and no one understands him. Literally, since he's attending a regular public school despite knowing no French. It feels almost trivial.

The contrast with Ahmed's story is so stark as to make me wonder, at first, if this could work. The cover illustration captures that perfectly: one boy living in sunshine and color and whining about it, and the other living in a grey world and trying not to despair. What impressed me was the way the author gradually brings those worlds together, never losing sight of the fact that Ahmed's world is not, and cannot be, like Max's, but allowing them to at least share some overlap. Some aspects of the way the story works out felt a little unreal and forced, but I appreciated that there was a lot of hope offered in the end, and Marsh manages to make it believable.

The audio narration was not bad, but I was bothered by the use of a French accent to depict passages where people were meant to be speaking in French. It felt wrong, because of course they were NOT speaking with an accent; they were speaking their native language. For some reason that bugged me. On the other hand, the frequent insertion of bits of French into the dialog were kind of fun, and hearing those aloud brought back my own French studies.

My Recommendation:
This is a thought-provoking story about friendship as well as about the treatment of Syrian refugees--and maybe other migrants seeking safety and a better life in other parts of the world? The book is well worth reading, however you do it. Suitable for children 9 and up. There are some distressing bits relating to war and terrorism, as well as the deaths of family members.


FTC Disclosure: I checked Nowhere Boy out of my library, and received nothing from the writer or publisher for my honest review. The opinions expressed are my own and those of no one else. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."