The Bone Sparrow

Shortlisted for the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize.

Sometimes, at night, the dirt outside turns into a beautiful ocean. As red as the sun and as deep as the sky.

Yet the ocean is something Subhi has never seen and the sky only as wide as the he can see.

Born in a refugee camp, all Subhi knows of the world is that he's at least 19 fence diamonds high, the nice Jackets never stay long, and at night he dreams that the sea finds its way to his tent, bringing with it unusual treasures.

Then, one day it brings him Jimmie. Carrying a notebook that she's unable to read and wearing a sparrow made out of bone around her neck - both talismans of her family's past and the mother she's lost - Jimmie strikes up an unlikely friendship with Subhi beyond the fence.

As he reads aloud the tale of how Jimmie's family came to be, both children discover the importance of their own stories in writing their futures.

A story recommended by our booksellers who describe it as evocative, moving, heartfelt and reminiscent of the award-winning novel The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, The Bone Sparrow is a beautiful and vivid reminder of innocent suffering, the importance of freedom and the triumph of hope. It is evidence of the power of a story to speak for humanity; it is a story that stands for anyone who's ever struggled to find a safe home.

'...a special book' - Morris Gleitzman, author of the acclaimed Once series

‘This is a tragic, beautifully crafted and wonderful book whose chirpy, stoic hero shames us all. I urge you to read it.’ – The Independent