Boy, Everywhere

The fact that this book is about a boy so like any other across the world is so important for everyone to understand. In many ways this is a heartbreaking read, the contrast between all that he has had to leave behind - the lifestyle, the friends and family, the comfort and fun - and his new reality really hits home. However, it is also incredibly hopeful - acts of kindness that he both gives and receives along the way emphasise this. Sami is a character that we all root for! It is also an important book. It challenges and enlightens our perception of what it means to be an immigrant and the reasons why people are prepared to risk everything to flee their country. It's a wonderful book that has been recommended and used as a Year 7 class read.

A really impactful read. Harrowing in parts, as you might expect from a story drawing on the lived experiences of Syrian refugees making the dangerous journey to Britain. Suitable for KS3 and upwards, or mature KS2 readers.

Realllly Nice I likes it

An incredibly honest account of what life as a refugee child/family is like, when you have to urgently flee your home without any time to say goodbye.

Warning: Covers some very sensitive issues that leave even an adult reader in tears. Please read it before suggesting it to children and think carefully about whether it is appropriate for the children that you teach.

This book is amazing! I couldn't put it down and finished it in 2 nights. I learned alot about refugees and how they come from all walks of life. My favourite character is Sami. He has to endure many challenges to get to the safety of the UK. Well worth a read and I would highly recommend it!

I have read a lot of books based on wars and refugees and this book stood out. Unlike others, I find it is just a normal everyday child with a normal life like anywhere else. When suddenly his whole world turns upside down. It was deeply moving and emotional, and greatly written

It is a very sad story that makes you understand what it’s like

This is my favourite book. There is a boy called Sami. His mum and sister Sara go to the mall. Then a war starts. Sara gets very sick so they have no choice but to move to England.

I absolutely loved this book and would recommend it to anyone - child or adult. I couldn't put it down and read well into the night because I just had to know what happened next. Chapter 12 - I've just read it again - it's like being there, with the family. No newspaper report has ever portrayed what it must be like for these people. A.M. Dassu's research is incredible
This story made me cry but it also made me realise that the power of hope and faith and courage and love can make a difference. These are some of our Christian values in school which goes to show how these virtues can transcend religion.
Who knew you could learn so much from a children's book? You must read it.

A very empathic and emotional read giving the reader a wider view of what happens to sryain refugees but coming from a view point of a yr 8 boy.

A sensitive, authentic and thought-provoking journey taken with the main character Sami and his family as they flee their troubled home in Syria. This is such an important text for children (and adults): the plight of refugees is ever-present in today's world and this book does more than open eyes to the physical and emotional struggles they face - it really makes the reader see them as real people who have had to leave successful careers and homes they have worked hard for. This is something the world forgets when we here the term 'refugee'.

Such an amazing and engaging book that draws you into a very different world but a world that is existing alongside our normal days. You are really taken along every step of the journey and live and breathe the moments and emotions. Building understanding of a young boy who is taken from his 'peaceful' and privileged life in Syria and takes on the life altering journey of leaving the country and trying to find safety in England. It is such a realistic read and definitely an emotional read. If sharing it with young readers always make sure they have someone to share and discuss it with.

Current, relevant story line. Found some of the expanded noun phrases disrupted the writing flow.

Truly a well written book. Tackling issues around racism, the stigma of a refugee it is an excellent book to share, discuss and reflect upon. Very thought provoking and certainly made me challenge some of my own thinking too as it enlightens our understanding of what it means to be an immigrant. My favorite character was Adam who was very brave and resilient and overcome so much.

This is an amazing, thought-provoking book. I enjoyed the character Aadam, as he had been so resilient and brave, without any help. I would definitely recommend this book to anybody who wants to read a book that challenges the fixed,harsh stereotypes inflicted to refugees.

Telling the story of a boy and his family as they are forced to flee their home in Syria, this book explores the feelings, fears and realities of what that journey can mean, how it happens and why so many feel that they have no other choice. Tackling issues around racism, media portrayal of stories as well as loss, hope, fear and frustration, it is an excellent book to share, discuss and reflect upon. Very thought provoking and certainly made me challenge some of my own thinking too.

Thought-provoking, gripping story about Sami who lives a comfortable life in Damascus until everything changes and they have to flee. I really felt like I was walking in his shoes as I read this.

This is a beautiful, moving, eye opening book that tells a really important story. The voices of refugees are so often unheard and this book does such a good job of depicting life in Syria and also the harrowing road to starting a new life in a new country. It challenges stereotypes and reminds you of how important it is to be kind.

'Boy, Everywhere' by is a moving, thought-provoking middle grade read about 13-year-old Sami who has to leave his happy, comfortable life in Damascus when the war in Syria finally reaches the city. His mother and sister were in a shopping mall when a bomb is detonated. Thankfully, they are unharmed, but the sister is deeply traumatised and refuses to speak. Sami's parents determine that it's time to take the family to safety.

So begins a dangerous and upsetting journey from Syria to Turkey, then in boats of migrants to Europe. Concealed in a lorry, they are smuggled across Europe and into England. But as illegal migrants, they find themselves in a detention centre, struggling against a system that grinds slowly, leaving them stuck in a form of limbo until the process is complete. Along the way, they encounter both racism and kindness.

The author has stated that this book was written to challenge the stereotype that migrants were all poor 'parasites' (as one character calls Sami and his family in the story). Sami's parents were a doctor and a teacher and they had a good life which they did not want to leave back in Syria, but were forced to do so. They are inspired by real people the author met during her research.

This is a good book to spark discussion about contemporary events that students may have seen on the news.

Thought provoking and informative. Looking forward to the conversations this will generate with students .

This book was fantastic! Fiction based on the experience of young refugee’s who shared their story! It was an emotional read but inspiring!

This book was well written, full of engaging, totally believable characters, and plot. It highlights the societal ignorance and prejudice and completely challenges and enlightens our understanding of what it means to be an immigrant. Highlighting clearly the reasons why people are prepared to risk their lives and leave everything they know to find a place of safety. Sami's family have a good life, comfortable and wealthy one demonstrating they would not choose to leave were they not in fear for their lives. The life they find in Britain is not a better one, but a safer one. This book should be made available to all pupils as I have no doubt it would be inspiring, and well received and the insight it provides - the discussions it would provoke and life lessons it teaches are invaluable and very relevant!

I highly recommend this book 5/5

This book was fantastic. I think it provided a great opportunity for students and readers to challenge their perception of the ‘otherness’ or refugees and the tendency to believe it happens in worlds completely disparate from their own. I will be recommending this to students who enjoy reading and studying the Bone Sparrow in class.