marc 's review for:

The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon

4.0

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Poignant, yet full of sweetness and hope. This is the story of Subhi, a Rohingya boy born in an Australian refugee camp. Subhi maintains hope amid the squalor of the refugee camp, relying on an elder boy, Eli, and his older sister Queeny. His mother is so depressed that she cannot get out of bed, and his father is missing. Despite the lack of food and water, despite the filth and rodents, Subhi reads everything he can get his hands on, becomes a favorite of a generous guard, and has conversations with a rubber duck. Subhi also befriends Jimmie, a lonely, motherless girls on The Outside, who sneaks into the camp after most are asleep for the night.

The book brings to light the difficult issues of ethnic persecution and refugee camps, but on a level that tweens can relate to. It relays an important message about refugees and their treatment in First World countries with likeable young characters that will evoke empathy in our youth. I would recommend this book for grades 4- 6 reading levels.

Thanks to Disney-Hyperion and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.