Dit boek is echt zo mooi. Het is zo goed omschreven, je kruipt helemaal in de huid van de hoofdrolspelers. Daarnaast vind ik het ook een hele mooie weergave, het is makkelijk te lezen en goed te begrijpen hierdoor lees je er zo door heen omdat je wilt weten hoe het verder gaat. Daarnaast is hij ook goed te gebruiken tijdens de lessen. Ik heb dit boek ook ingezet tijdens mijn les vrijheid geef je door. ( )

This book brings tears to my eyes to think that children have suffered so! As I read and listened to the brother and sister who recounted their lives as captured soldiers, I could think and feel what they were telling about this time in their life. I have the book as realistic fiction however their is much true history about Liberia in the book.

Curricular connections: The book has a section in the back with questions that students can respond to.

Tells the tale of two siblings during a tumultuous period with multiple civil wars in Liberia. Told in small blocks of narrative from both Lucky and Nopi's points of view. The siblings have awful experiences both on the run and when they are involved in the civil war. The author has provided a short articles about Liberia at the conclusion of the story, pictures and writings from child soldiers.
At times the details are so sparse and the narrative just provides a sketch, the reader longs for more details although having more information might prove too heartbreaking and too horrible.
The author has used a style that employs the characters speaking directly to the reader. ( )

This is a harsh and violent story about the involvement of children in the civil war in Liberia. Told in alternating accounts, it is the story of Nopi and her little brother Lucky. The two are taken from school by soldiers and forced to join their fight. As the story unfolds ( we “see” everything through the eyes of these two children)and covers the next eight years of their lives. Violence and uncertainty form a major part of their lives but Nopi, who was 10 at the beginning of the story, and Lucky survive their ordeal. The atrocities are handled well for a young audience. They are not overly graphic but enough to explain the horror of the situation. The children are amongst the lucky ones although Nopi has been left deaf due to a beating. They are jubilant at being united with their parents but are they permanently scarred by their experiences? There is no straightforward, happy-ever-after ending.
Although it is a fictional story it is based on factual accounts. The author, Anne De Graaf, bases her narrative on interviews with Liberian children. She provides historical, political, economic, and social information in the back in appendices with photos, maps, facts and figures. It also includes drawings and letters by young survivors of the civil war that give you some hope for the future. ( )

A vividly detailed, grim story about child soldier survivors of the Liberian civil war. Unfortunately titled, but powerful, poignant, and gripping. The author includes excellent back matter for historical context. ( )