Boy 87 by Ele Fountain

Recommended by Fraser Prince (@Prince15F)

Form and genre: Prose

Length: 224 pages

Summary: Shif, a teenage boy from Ethiopia, is the narrative voice that takes the reader with him on his challenging migrant journey to Europe.

Age recommendation and challenging content: There is death, hinted at rather than described in gory detail but murder of a teenager all the same. Some Ethiopian language around food and clothing can be a stumbling block but can generally be inferred or researched. Finished studying with a year 8 group but could work for year 9 too.

Notable reasons for recommending this book: The migrant experience is rarely explored and this one, despite the fictional nature, is eye opening. For a group of middle class students that may not know what life could be like elsewhere. I recommend it.

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