| Refugees -- Juvenile fiction. |
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Available:
Library | Shelf Number | Shelf Location | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
Searching... Fairhaven-Millicent | JFIC FRAILLON | CHILDREN FICTION | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Mansfield Public Library | Y FIC FRAILLION | YOUTH-FICTION | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... New Bedford Free Public Library | J FIC FRAILLION | CHILDREN FICTION | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
"Indispensable."- Booklist (starred review) CARNEGIE MEDAL 2017 FINALIST
Subhi is a refugee. He was born in an Australian permanent detention center after his mother and sister fled the violence of a distant homeland, and the center is the only world he knows. But every night, the faraway whales sing to him, the birds tell him their stories, and the magical Night Sea from his mother's stories brings him gifts. As Subhi grows, his imagination threatens to burst beyond the limits of the fences that contain him. Until one night, it seems to do just that.
Subhi sees a scruffy girl on the other side of the wire mesh, a girl named Jimmie, who appears with a notebook written by the mother she lost. Unable to read it herself, Jimmie asks Subhi to unravel her family's love songs and tragedies that are penned there.
Subhi and Jimmie might both find comfort-and maybe even freedom-as their tales unfold. But not until each has been braver than ever before and made choices that could change everything.
Reviews (7)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Subhi hangs on his mother's stories of her life in Burma as a Rohingya, a persecuted ethnic Muslim minority. Subhi's Maá (mother) and his older sister were among the Rohingya exiled from their homeland and relegated to a detention center in Australia, where he was born. The 10-year-old's imagination helps him survive in a refugee camp ruled by abusive guards as he watches Maá sink into catatonia and waits in vain for the arrival of his father, an outspoken poet. Australian author Fraillon crafts a harrowing vision of life in the detention center (shoes are rarities, rats and mold are rampant, children race lice for fun), yet Subhi finds solace in sensitively portrayed friendships with a rebellious older boy, a compassionate guard, and an intrepid girl named Jimmie who sneaks into the camp to hear Subhi read stories her late mother recorded in a notebook; though most of the story is told from Subhi's first-person perspective, several third-person chapters focus on Jimmie's life outside the camp. While addressing themes of loss, desperation, and injustice in an all-too-relevant setting, Fraillon's resonant novel underscores the healing power of story. Ages 9-12. Agent: Claire Wilson, Rogers, Coleridge & White. (Nov.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Nine-year-old Subhi has lived his entire life at the Australian refugee camp where his mother, Maa, and older sister, Queeny, have been detained since fleeing Burma. Conditions are awful: expired food, and not enough of it; rationed water; tightly packed living spaces; cruel guards, called "Jackets," who patrol the area. One night, an Australian girl named Jimmie, lonely and curious, sneaks through the barbed-wire fence surrounding the camp and comes face to face with Subhi. They strike up a friendship--she brings Subhi hot chocolate and food; he reads to Jimmie from her dead mother's storybook. It's a measure of comfort, especially as Subhi's situation deteriorates further. His mother no longer leaves her bed. His best friend, Eli, is forced to move from Family Compound to Alpha, a place for rough, older men. Queeny puts herself in terrible danger by documenting conditions in the camp. Then a hunger strike brings things to a climax--people have sewn their mouths closed in protest--and a fire leads to widespread catastrophe. Fraillon's story is stark and urgent; her afterword tells more about the "all-too-true reality" that inspired the book. Occasional glimmers of hope shine through in Subhi's lyrical narration ("I put the shell to my ear and listenSomeday, it whispers. And the sound of the whisper is as brilliant as a thousand stars being born"). At the end, Fraillon leaves readers with the sense that the tragedies suffered by Subhi and his family will no longer go unnoticed. elissa gershowitz (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Unlike his maá and sister Queeny, Rohingya refugees forced to flee their native Myanmar by boat, Subhi was born in an Australian detention center. The crowded quarters, rationed portions, and exacting employees (the Jackets) are all the 10-year-old has ever known. Jimmie, on the other hand, was born on the outside and lives just blocks from Subhi's center. Once filled with books and gardens, her world was ruptured by the recent death of her mother. While Subhi's stories, dreams, and drawings help him endure the center's countless hardships as he awaits the arrival of his faraway father, Jimmie copes by sifting through memories. One remnant, an unread notebook of her mother's, has her hunting for answers and finding them in, of all places, Subhi. As their stories gracefully interlock, the center seethes with unprecedented tension. The pivoting story line, with chapters alternating among Subhi, Jimmie, and sparkling slivers of family lore, allows Fraillon to explore the many faces of otherness, bravery, and solidarity. But Subhi's narrative, whether he's squabbling with a rubber duck or searching the stars, remains the standout of the three: wide-eyed, heartfelt, and infectiously imaginative. Appended with a glimpse at the all-too-true reality of refugee maltreatment, this tale is breathtaking and indispensable. As Subhi might say, there is a fierce inside of it.--Shemroske, Briana Copyright 2016 Booklist
Bookseller Publisher Review
In a story that is in some ways reminiscent of John Boyne's The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, author Zana Fraillon asks readers to imagine a 'Someday' better than today. It is a story that weaves together the similarities between Jimmie, a young girl living just outside the fence of a permanent detention centre in Australian, and Subhi, a Rohingya refugee born on the inside. Jimmie grieves for her deceased mother and feels cut off from her family, who are struggling to make ends meet, while Subhi dreams of meeting his Ba and imagines a sea that sweeps up to the sides of his tent each night. In the morning he finds treasures on the ground that he is sure have been left by the Night Sea and his father. When Jimmie and Subhi meet they become symbolic to each other of hope and change. Many of the elements in The Bone Sparrow act as a fairytale, which gives readers permission to imagine themselves into its reality. In the current political climate, where the voices of refugees are silenced by power and indifference, books like this one are both necessary and problematic. They deal with themes that are extremely confronting and they highlight the fact that these stories are not being told by the people who are living them. From her introduction and acknowledgement, Fraillon appears acutely aware of this, and The Bone Sparrow is clearly written with great care. Her work seems to come from a deep need to act and to use her position as a writer to confront injustice rather than turn away from it. The Bone Sparrow isn't without fault. Without the benefit of lived experience, neither author nor reader are truly able to know its authenticity. At times it seems the onus of hope is placed more heavily on Subhi, and that Jimmie's circumstances don't give her enough knowledge or power to enact change. Despite this, The Bone Sparrow is a powerful story for readers of middle-grade and YA fiction, and one that implores them to recognise the injustice in their own world in the hope that 'Someday' they will live in one that is better. Bec Kavanagh is a Melbourne-based writer and reviewer. She is the Schools Coordinator for the Stella Prize, and chair of LoveOzYA
School Library Journal Review
Gr 5 Up-Subhi knows only life in the Australian refugee detention center where he was born, and lately, things are getting worse. His mother is increasingly lethargic, older sister Queeny is bossy and angry, and his best friend Eli has been transferred to the single men's compound. The Jackets (guards) are unfriendly, except for Harvey, who occasionally brings presents and diversions. It's at this low point that Subhi meets Jimmie, a local child who finds her way into the camp. Jimmie's mother has died, and between her father's grief and his erratic work schedule, she is alone for long periods. Jimmie can't read, so she asks Subhi to read aloud her mother's notebooks, which contain stories from her mother's past. The unrelenting conditions of the camp result in a tragic situation that impacts both children. Fraillon creates a complex narrative, weaving tales from Subhi, Jimmie, and the notebooks. The characters and situations are portrayed realistically-once Eli has gone, Subhi cannot withstand the bullying of some of the older boys and is pressured into an act of animal cruelty. Kind guard Harvey is also shown to be unable to deal with peer pressure. While the book is fictional, the author based it on research and reports of life in Australian detention centers, where conditions are grim. Readers will come away with a raised awareness of life in such centers, but why these facilities exist is not discussed. Students may be inspired to do their own research on organizations working to better the lives of refugees. VERDICT A thought-provoking and affecting selection that highlights a current situation in many countries. Hand to readers who appreciated Linda Sue Park's A Long Walk to Water.-Michelle Anderson, Tauranga City Libraries, New Zealand © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Guardian Review
Can a dog save the day? Can a cat teach a bird to fly? Plus a book-munching monster and a race across the hills -- new picture books and novels There's a books-within-books theme to the picture books this month, kicking off with The Detective Dog (Macmillan) by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Sara Ogilvie. This is a glorious collaboration by a master of the art and a rising star. Detective Dog Nell has a keen sense of smell and a passion for books picked up from listening to children read in a school one day a week. But when she turns up to find the children distraught because the books are gone, can she save the day and track down the thief? Donaldson sets out the rhyming story with characteristic panache, perfectly complemented by Ogilvie's bright and busy artwork -- the spread celebrating the wonder of the public library ("You can join if you want to -- there isn't a fee / And then you can take lots of books out for free") is a particular joy. Ed Vere's ever-delightful Max the kitten returns for another adventure in Max and Bird (Puffin). Following his previous attempts to find a mouse (to chase) and the moon (to say good night to), Max is now on a mission to learn to fly. Or, rather, to teach his new friend Bird to fly, because wily Bird has agreed that Max can chase and eat him if he succeeds. Of course, they head straight for the library -- because "libraries know everything" -- where there are shelves of flying books. Bird eventually manages to fly, but has Max learned about friendship as well? It's a story shot through with Vere's trademark irreverent wit, which will keep adult readers amused through multiple readings. This Is Not a Bedtime Story (Penguin) is a deliciously subversive tale by Will Mabbitt and Fred Blunt. Unable to face another anodyne story from her Pink Kitten book, Sophie adapts one to make it more to her liking -- a thriller involving lightsabers, rocket launchers and robot dinosaurs. Parents may empathise with the final page, featuring the dazed and exhausted father slumped in an armchair and nursing a glass of wine. Continuing the theme of stories within stories is Nibbles: The Book Monster by Emma Yarlett (Little Tiger), about a monster who loves to munch books and chomps his way furiously into other people's stories, represented as actual mini books within the book. It works on several levels: chubby toddler fingers will love to explore the chunky cutaways, where Nibbles has chewed; older readers will enjoy the fun of Nibbles making a guest appearance in fairytales from "Little Red Riding Hood" to "Goldilocks and the Three Bears". There are no libraries or books in King Flashypants and the Evil Emperor, written and drawn by Bunny Suicides author Andy Riley (Hachette), but this funny story does feature many other things that will appeal, especially to early and reluctant readers -- not least an evil emperor with the silliest laugh and wacky illustrations. One for fans of Horrid Henry and Tom Gates. Sweet Pizza by GR Gemin (Nosy Crow) is a charming story that tackles big issues -- immigration, heritage and history -- with a light touch. Joe lives in south Wales and is desperate to save his family's cafe, set up before the second world war by his Italian great-great-grandfather. He comes up with an audacious plan but also has to cope with his beloved Nonno being taken to hospital with a stroke -- oh, and first love, too. Woven through is the history of the sinking of the SS Arandora Star, with 486 interned Italians aboard, told through the tapes Nonno records for Joe while in hospital. Heartwarming. For teens, Orangeboy by Patrice Lawrence (Hodder) is a gripping debut about gang culture and the consequences of making bad decisions. The opening pages propel the reader into the worst day of Marlon's life -- when a first date ends in drug-related tragedy -- and the start of a dangerous path for this likable narrator, involving gangland revenge and family loyalties. Just as gripping is Eden Summer by Liz Flanagan (David Fickling), a thriller deeply embedded in the west Yorkshire landscape. Gothy Jess and beautiful Eden are best friends who have been through some tough times -- then Eden goes missing. Told over the course of a day, with flashbacks to the last year, it's a breathless read as Jess races across Yorkshire hills to try to discover Eden, and the truth, before it's too late. Back to stories-in-stories, The Bone Sparrow is an outstanding novel from Australian author Zana Fraillon (Orion). Subhi is a 10-year-old boy who has spent his life in unspeakable conditions in an Australian refugee detention centre with his traumatised mother and stroppy older sister. With its tents that sleep 50, bad food and guards of varying dispositions, it's the only world he knows, apart from the stories he hears in the camp, and through Jimmie, a girl from "Outside" who sneaks under the fence to meet him. She has her own problems, including a notebook she can't read, written by her late mother; Subhi is able to decode it for her. Their friendship is increasingly important as further tragedy unravels at the camp. This is an important, heartbreaking book, with frequent, unexpected humour, that everyone, whether teenager or adult, should read. - Michelle Pauli.
Kirkus Review
In the Australian detention camp where he was born and still lives, Subhi, 10, a Rohingya boy, shares a crowded tent with his mother, older sister, and other refugees and dreams of an unbounded world and the Night Sea. Stories feed Subhis vivid imagination, especially the ones his mother tells of life back in Burma, but Ma rarely speaks now. Camp living conditions are dire: borderline inedible food, appalling sanitation, and the Jackets inhumane treatment, which ranges from indifferent to cruel (kindly guard Harvey is the exception). Subhi helps his friend Eli trade valuable items among detainees until Eli is sent to live with the adult single men; then his companionship is limited to the Shakespeare duck, a rubber duck he keeps in his pocket to talk toand who talks back in his portion of the narration. Near the camp, another child, Jimmie, also 10, lives with her father and brother. Jimmie treasures but cant yet read her deceased mothers notebook of stories. Following a (false) rumor that detained kids have bikes, Jimmie sneaks into the camp unnoticed. After meeting Subhi, whos happy to read the stories to her, she visits frequently, bringing hot chocolate and snacks. These easily accomplished visits dont square with the established gulaglike conditions and contradict the brutal realities already conveyed. Suspenseful but less-consequential, this weaker subplot dilutes the starker, more powerful tragedy and, like Jimmies character, is less fleshed out. Readers will trip over the plots loose ends. If the strong lyrical voice cant quite compensate for the plots awkward execution, it points to a reservoir of underutilized talent in an author worth watching. (afterword) (Fiction. 9-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.