Boy, Everywhere chronicles the harrowing journey taken by Sami and his family. From privilege to poverty, across countries and continents, from a comfortable life in Damascus, via a smuggler's den in Turkey, to a prison in Manchester. Once safe in the U.K., Sami is bullied and de...cides he'd do just about anything to return to Damascus - including, possibly, becoming a stowaway. His is a story of survival, of family, of bravery... and of how thin the line is between them and us .
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| ISBN |
9781910646649 |
| Released NZ |
6 Jan 2021 |
| Publisher |
Old Barn Books |
| Format |
Paperback |
| Alternate Format(s) |
View All (1 other possible title(s) available)
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| Availability |
Internationally sourced (OOS locally); ships 6-14 working days
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Full details for this title
| Interest Age |
13+ years |
| Reading Age |
13+ years |
| Library of Congress |
Refugees - Fiction - Syria, Refugees - Fiction - Great Britain |
| NBS Text |
Young Adult Fiction |
| ONIX Text |
Young adult |
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Awards, Reviews & Star Ratings
| Awards |
Short-listed for Redbridge Children's Book Award - teen category 2020
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| NZ Review |
Sami's story is gripping, heart-breaking and realistic, told with devastating clarity and compassion. This perspective is urgently needed, showing the richness of the lives left behind in Syria as the war forces a terrible journey to safety. -- Liz Flanagan I was hooked on Sami's story and my heart was in my throat from the very beginning of the book. A.M. Dassu's writing is gripping and emotive and she manages a perfect balance of tragedy, adversity and hope. -- Swapna Haddow Sami is such a relatable character, the voice is so perfect, and seeing their journey from his perspective really brings to life anything a child reading might have heard about refugees. I had my heart in my throat for so much of the story, but I also smiled. A brilliantly crafted debut. -- Caroline Fielding Sami's story is heartbreaking and will open people's eyes and hearts to the plight of refugees everywhere. In a world of 'othering' this book does the opposite - it shows clearly that 'they' are also 'us'. -- Catherine Emmett Good books leave you a little bit changed. 'Boy, Everywhere' made me want to change the world. Everyone should read this book. -- Kathryn Evans An adventure for our times. Full of heart, and with an understanding of the humanity of all people, and the complexity of the decision to leave one's beloved home to start all over again somewhere strange and difficult. Funny, moving, exciting, enraging by turns, I read most of it through my fingers as the plot twisted and turned to its uplifting but realistic conclusion. A must-read for everybody. -- Joanna de Guia Such a realistic story. Sami could be my son, daughter or any of their friends. -- Mayida Yord I feel like if I was reading some of my friends' stories, I didn't think it would be so accurate. I really loved it and was so pleased with the end. I was happy to have the opportunity to go on Sami's journey, the author did a great job describing the situation. -- Mohammad Yord Surprised by the number of realistic details this book has, I was full with emotions reading it. It marks the truth of our sad reality here in Syria, and most importantly shows the message we always wanted to blurt out but couldn't, we aren't happy we came to your land, we were forced to... I really like this book, with all its heartwarming, dramatically realistic events that would definitely move something in you. I hope it gets the attention it deserves, we need it. -- Layla Jazairy Thank you for writing this... 'Boy, Everywhere' challenges stereotypes and shows the reality of Syrians before the war. I loved the characters, they were very realistic and so convincing, the friendships so real. Such a good story - a brilliant novel. -- Nadine Kaadan |
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Author's Bio
A.M. Dassu is the Deputy Editor of SCBWI-BI's Words and Pictures magazine and a Director of Inclusive Minds. In 2017 she won the international We Need Diverse Books YA mentorship award. Her work has been published by The Huffington Post, TES, SCOOP, Lee & Low and DK Books. 'Boy, Everywhere' is her debut novel and she has used her publishing advances to assist Syrian refugees in her city and set up a grant to support an unpublished refugee or immigrant writer.
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