Wild Journey

Starlings swoop and swirl their way through the stories of five children living in five different countries, linking their experiences as they experience their own journeys, as exciting and demanding as those of the birds soaring above.

With its beautifully composed, warm orange cover, ‘Wild Journey’ is a book which will tempt readers to pick it up at first glance. A murmuration of starlings encircle five little scenes, each giving a hint as to the content of one of the five stories inside, sure to pique curiosity. More clues are given on the back of the book as well as the names of the five locations and five children the stories are about.

Each child is on their own journey. Jamal is visiting relations in Egypt, Ella is on holiday with her family in Morocco, Aaron is in Spain where his father is working, Isabelle has gone on holiday to her Grand-pere’s house and Yusef has travelled from Syria to find a new home. These physical journeys are linked by the starlings’ migration, showing the wonder, power and resilience of these feathered miracles as they make their dangerous and demanding journey. But each of the children also makes a personal ‘journey’ as they learn more about themselves, their families and the world around them.

Perfect for sharing with a class, each, any or all of the stories would work well for a story time, offering plenty to discuss and reflect upon. Obviously, adults need to be aware of both the content and their audience, responding with sensitivity to any questions or comments. In the first story, for example, Jamal struggles with parting with the wounded starling which he has rescued both due to his loneliness and a desire to make his ill grandfather laugh and be happy, leading his grandfather to tell him, ‘Sometimes you have to let those you love go’.

The final story about Yusef seeking happiness and safely in his new home brings this heart-warming collection to a perfect conclusion. A real joy!

Wild Journey: A Flight of Stories across Deserts and Forests, Cities and Seas

A M Dassu, illustrated by Joe Lillington

Zephyr ISBN: 978-1035911899

Kicked Out

Sequel to the very wonderful, ‘Boy Everywhere’ follows Ali and Sami as they settle into life, playing for the school football team and enjoying the huge pool at Mark’s new house. But when some money goes missing, everything changes when Aadam is accused by Mark’s mum’s boyfriend of the theft. The boys are desperate to prove his innocence and help him fight deportation, but Ali is distracted by the reappearance of his father and his half brother.

I loved ‘Boy Everywhere’, finding it powerful, thought-provoking and moving. In ‘Kicking Out’, A M Dassu offers a follow up which is equally compelling and which does not shy away from racist attitudes and the plight of unaccompanied minors who are seeking asylum. Parts of the story make uncomfortable reading as racism and appalling attitudes are laid bare, but with the dangerous and misleading rhetoric around refugees and asylum seekers, it is a vitally important one.

Family and relationships are also central to the story. Ali’s world is turned upside down by the reappearance of his father- and his half brother. He struggles with feelings of inadequacy and rejection, constantly comparing himself to his ‘new’ brother and doubting himself. Mark is also having family problems- although his mother has new found wealth and security, it is her boyfriend, Callum, a racist bully, who has driven a rift between him (Mark), Ali and Sami, falsely accusing Aadam and refusing to let Mark see his friends. Mark doesn’t want to abandon them, but struggles with the thought that he might upset his mother now that she has at last found some happiness.

Unflinching and honest, ‘Kicked Out’ is an important and thoroughly enjoyable read.

Kicked Out A M Dassu

Old Barn Books ISBN: 978- 1910646892

Published in October