"Fraillon's story is stark and urgent; her afterword tells more about the "all-too-true reality" that inspired the book."—The Horn Book
"Zana Fraillon's powerful and poetic tale of friendship in the face of injustice will fly away with your heart."—Katherine Marsh, Edgar Award-winning author of The Night Tourist
"Outstanding... This is an important, heartbreaking book with frequent, unexpected humor that everyone...should read."—The Guardian
"An author worth watching."—Kirkus Reviews
"Thought-provoking and affecting... Hand to readers who appreciated Linda Sue Park's A Long Walk to Water."—School Library Journal
"A special book."—Morris Gleitzman, author of Once
"The Bone Sparrow is a book you'll feel in your chest long after you finish. It's about stories that ache to be told, and the transformational power of sharing them. Though Subhi's journey is confined by fences, he finds magic and great injustice, tragedy and courage-and ultimately, wings."—Kirsten Hubbard, author of Watch the Sky and Race the Night
* "Fraillon crafts a harrowing vision of life in the detention center, yet Subhi finds solace in sensitively portrayed friendships with a rebellious older boy, a compassionate guard, and an intrepid girl named Jimmie While addressing themes of loss, desperation, and injustice in an all-too-relevant setting, Fraillon's resonant novel underscores the healing power of story."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Accolades
Carnegie Medal 2017 Finalist
Winner of the 2017 Amnesty CILIP Honor
Guardian Children's Fiction Prize 2016 Finalist
A 2017 Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
A 2017 CCBC Choices Selection
Maine Student Book Award 2017 Finalist—
* "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... This tale is breathtaking and indispensable. As Subhi might say, 'there is a fierce' inside of it."—Booklist (starred review)
09/01/2016
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
2016-08-17
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 Subhi’s vivid imagination, especially the ones his mother tells of life back in Burma, but Maá 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 to—and 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 can’t yet read her deceased mother’s notebook of stories. Following a (false) rumor that detained kids have bikes, Jimmie sneaks into the camp unnoticed. After meeting Subhi, who’s happy to read the stories to her, she visits frequently, bringing hot chocolate and snacks. These easily accomplished visits don’t 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 Jimmie’s character, is less fleshed out. Readers will trip over the plot’s loose ends. If the strong lyrical voice can’t quite compensate for the plot’s awkward execution, it points to a reservoir of underutilized talent in an author worth watching. (afterword) (Fiction. 9-12)
