Common Sense Media Review
By Michael Berry
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Syrian boy flees home, endures as a refugee.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
As Boy, Everywhere opens, 13-year-old Sami is living in comfort in Damascus, Syria. But when a bomb goes off at a local mall, Sami's father, Baba, sells their home and sets off to make a new life in the United Kingdom. Little do they know how excruciating and dangerous the journey will be.
Is It Any Good?
Too many people view refugees as faceless hordes of job stealers, but this compelling novel portrays the many dimensions of migrant issues. In Sami, author A.M. Dassu creates a protagonist who is sensitive, likeable, and humbled by his sudden change of fortune. Readers are likely to be charmed by Sami, and his plight offers the opportunity for a wide-ranging discussion of what it means to be a refugee in this unwelcoming political climate. Boy, Everywhere will appeal to readers who enjoy real-life adventures with a political edge.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Boy, Everywhere depicts the experience of being a refugee. How do you think it would feel to leave your home and move to a place you've never been?
What does losing his family home mean to Sami? Can becoming unhoused happen to anyone? How should cities provide accommodations for the needy?
Why do some people fear migrants? How do governments play upon the fears of its citizens?
Book Details
- Author: A. M. Dassu
- Genre: Coming of Age
- Topics: Activism , Great Boy Role Models , History
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Lee & Low Books
- Publication date: October 22, 2020
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
- Number of pages: 400
- Available on: Paperback, Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: June 8, 2021
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