Nowhere Boy by Katherine Marsh

 

Nowhere Boy tells the story of two very different boys who find themselves in new and difficult situations. Max is an American boy who finds himself living in Belgium after his family relocates there for his parents' work. Ahmed is a Syrian refugee who makes his way to Belgium after losing his mother and sisters in the Syrian bombings and then his father as they try to cross the Aegean Sea. With seemingly nowhere to go, Ahmed ends up hiding in Max's basement. When Max realizes Ahmed is living in his basement, Max decides to let him stay, as long as he can keep Ahmed's presence a secret from his parents.

After slowly getting to know Ahmed, Max wants to help him. Can he help Ahmed enroll in school? Can Max help Ahmed find a more stable living situation? Can Max convince others, perhaps even his family, that all Muslims aren't terrorists and that some are deserving of some grace and compassion? He believes he can. However, this becomes incredibly complicated when Muslim terrorists attack Paris and the threat of terrorism comes closer to home. Max knows Ahmed is a kind soul, but will others?

There are a lot of thought provoking themes in this book. Kids will enjoy the book for the fast paced story, but it would also work great as a lit circle book because the discussions the book will provoke might be very interesting. I highly recommend this 2021 Rebecca Caudill nominee!

-TK

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