Author: Alan Gratz
Publisher & Date: Scholastic Press, 25 Jul 2017
Page Count: 352 pages
ISBN: 978-0545880831
Age/Reading Level: 9-18/Grades 4-12
Representation:
Other Information: Although the Lexile and ATOS scores for the book place it as appropriate for younger grade school students (ages 9-12), most teachers and parents agree that the subject matter is more appropriate for older grade school students (ages 12-18).
Book Information
JOSEF is a Jewish boy living in 1930s Nazi Germany. With the threat of concentration camps looming, he and his family board a ship bound for the other side of the world…
ISABEL is a Cuban girl in 1994. With riots and unrest plaguing her country, she and her family set out on a raft, hoping to find safety in America…
MAHMOUD is a Syrian boy in 2015. With his homeland torn apart by violence and destruction, he and his family begin a long trek toward Europe…
All three kids go on harrowing journeys in search of refuge. All will face unimaginable dangers — from drownings to bombings to betrayals. But there is always the hope of tomorrow. And although Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud are separated by continents and decades, shocking connections will tie their stories together in the end.
As powerful and poignant as it is action-packed and page-turning, this highly acclaimed novel was on the New York Times bestseller list for more than four years and continues to change readers’ lives with its meaningful takes on survival, courage, and the quest for home.
Challenges & Bans
This book has been challenged for depicting the harsh realities of war and displacement. Florida banned the book on claims that it was “liberal Marxist propaganda”.
Specific Challenges*:
Awards & Accolades
New York Times #1 Best Seller, Sydney Taylor Book Award (2018 Winner for Older Readers), National Jewish Book Award (Young Adult Literature Winner), Cybil’s Middle Grade Fiction Award (2017 Winner), YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults (2018 Winner), Judy Lopez Memorial Award (2018 Winner), Charlotte Huck Award Honor (2018), Malka Penn Award for Human Rights Honor, Global Read Aloud (2018), New York Times Notable Middle Grade Children’s Book (2017), Parent’s Choice Award (Gold Award), Vermont Golden Dome Book Award (2019), Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award (2019), Buxtehude Bull Award (2020)
