Awards
- Winner of In the Margins Book Award (Young Adult) 2014
Overview
The unforgettable story of a child soldier. When fourteen-year-old Jacob is brutally abducted and forced to become a child soldier, he struggles to hold on to his sanity and the will to escape. Daniel Lafrance's striking artwork and the poignant, powerful text capture the very essence of life as a child soldier. Readers will never forget the experiences of this young boy struggling to survive, unsure who to trust, afraid of succumbing to madness, and above all, desperate to get to freedom. In the end, Jacob engineers a daring escape. This graphic novel is based on the acclaimed novel of the same title, winner of a 2009 Arthur Ellis award. The author spent time in Uganda and based this story on real-life accounts of the horrors inflicted on child soldiers and their victims. This is a story of unthinkable violence, but also one of hope, courage, friendship, and family.
Full Product Details
Author: Sharon E. McKay ,
Jennifer A. Bell ,
Daniel LaFrance ,
Jennifer A Bell
Publisher: Annick Press Ltd
Imprint: Annick Press Ltd
Dimensions:
Width: 17.10cm
, Height: 1.00cm
, Length: 24.10cm
Weight: 0.467kg
ISBN: 9781554514885
ISBN 10: 1554514886
Pages: 208
Publication Date: 21 March 2013
Recommended Age: From 15 years
Audience:
Children/juvenile
,
Children / Juvenile
,
Teenage / Young adult
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Temporarily unavailable
The supplier advises that this item is temporarily unavailable. It will be ordered for you and placed on backorder. Once it does come back in stock, we will ship it out to you.
Reviews
This story is based on actual events and is told in graphic novel format presenting a unique view of the situation in Uganda... The depiction of events is tastefully done so that students in younger grades are able to comprehend the severity of the events taking place in Africa. Although students would probably not pick this book up on their own and will need prompting, it is a great resource to have in any library collection.--Cassandra Rondinella VOYA (08/01/2013)
A challenging, uncompromising work... a beautiful treatment of stark ugliness... McKay's exhaustive research and extensive interviews with former child soldiers, and the verisimilitude she brings to her characterization and storytelling render the abstract concept of child soldiers with an all-too-real clarity. Lafrance's art adds another layer, transitioning from crisp naturalism to stylized shadows and colours as panic and violence rise in the characters... This is a powerful, important work of reality-based fiction... Parents [may] wonder whether their children should read it. The answer to this question is not only, Yes, they should, but also, Yes, they must.--Robert J. Wiersema Quill and Quire (02/21/2013)
Author Information
Sharon E. McKay is a bestselling, award-winning author. Her books include ""Enemy Territory"" and ""Thunder Over Kandahar."" She divides her time between Charlottetown, PEI, and Toronto, Ontario. Daniel Lafrance is a storyboard and graphic novel artist and has worked as an artist in the film industry for many years. He lives in Toronto.
