Nowhere Boy

July 1, 2018
Two parallel stories, one of a Syrian boy from Aleppo fleeing war, and another of a white American boy, son of a NATO contractor, dealing with the challenges of growing up, intersect at a house in Brussels.Ahmed lost his father while crossing the Mediterranean. Alone and broke in Europe, he takes things into his own hands to get to safety but ends up having to hide in the basement of a residential house. After months of hiding, he is discovered by Max, a boy of similar age and parallel high integrity and courage, who is experiencing his own set of troubles learning a new language, moving to a new country, and being teased at school. In an unexpected turn of events, the two boys and their new friends Farah, a Muslim Belgian girl, and Oscar, a white Belgian boy, successfully scheme for Ahmed to go to school while he remains in hiding the rest of the time. What is at stake for Ahmed is immense, and so is the risk to everyone involved. Marsh invites art and history to motivate her protagonists, drawing parallels to gentiles who protected Jews fleeing Nazi terror and citing present-day political news. This well-crafted and suspenseful novel touches on the topics of refugees and immigrant integration, terrorism, Islam, Islamophobia, and the Syrian war with sensitivity and grace.A captivating book situated in present-day discourse around the refugee crisis, featuring two boys who stand by their high values in the face of grave risk and succeed in drawing goodwill from others. (Historical fiction. 10-14)

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September 1, 2018

Gr 5-8-Fourteen-year-old Ahmed flees war-torn Syria with his father after a bomb kills the rest of their family. His father jumps from the leaky raft he and other escaping refugees are on to prevent it from sinking in the middle of the Mediterranean. A rogue wave sweeps him away and Ahmed's loss mounts. A fellow refugee takes him in and they eventually join a refugee tent camp in Brussels. But anti-Muslim sentiment is running high in Belgium. When the tent city is shut down, Ahmed, terrified of being returned, runs away and takes shelter in the sub-basement of a home. The home is newly occupied by an American family. Max, the 13-year-old son, is furious with his parents for uprooting him from his friends and forcing him to learn a new language. He becomes intrigued with the history of the house when he learns that a Jewish child was hidden in the basement during World War II. When Max discovers Ahmed and learns his story, the two form a fledgling friendship. Max is not only determined to keep Ahmed hidden, but determined to get him into school. Marsh skillfully weaves the historical parallels with a touching story of friendship. She ratchets up the tension and suspense, until it becomes unbearable; readers will fly through the last hundred pages. VERDICT Thoughtfully touching on immigration, Islamophobia, and terrorism, this novel is a first-purchase. Hands to fans of Alan Gratz's Refugee.-Brenda Kahn, Tenakill Middle School, Closter, NJ

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2018
Grades 5-8 Two boys' lives intertwine in Belgium during the 2016 Paris and Brussels terror attacks. Ahmed, a Syrian refugee who lost his family, finds an unlocked house and hides for a few nights in the wine cellar. Max, an American boy living abroad in Brussels, discovers Ahmed and pledges to keep him safe. But the boys' plans are thrown into chaos when the terror attacks in Paris and Brussels occur, and the police and even Max's family become dangerously suspicious of Muslims and refugees. Marsh paints prejudice and paranoia well and gives credit to young people who work to overcome their biases and listen to others, even when it is difficult. The Belgian, American, and Syrian kids in the story might struggle to communicate with one another because of language barriers, but they nevertheless recognize one another as human beings who deserve not just safety but full, happy lives. A hopeful story about recovery, empathy, and the bravery of young people.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)