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Mikaelsen, Ben
3 Reviews
(4)
4-6
Stealing a car sends disobedient seventh grader Dylan to Papua New Guinea with ex-marine Uncle Todd in search of a downed WWII bomber flown by Dylan's grandfather. Defiant Dylan separates from the search team and finds himself in perilous jungle surroundings where survival requires suspension of his arrogant, impulsive attitude. Despite some predictability, adventure and pathos combine for a satisfying story.
Reviewer: Rita Soltan
(3)
YA
Fifteen-year-old Gabriela survives the massacre of her village and subsequent journey to a Mexican refugee camp during the civil war in Guatemala. Based on a true story, this is a terrifying, sad, but ultimately hopeful novel. Readers who can get past the graphic but appropriate violence will be rewarded with a deeper understanding of the costs of war.
Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth
(3)
4-6
Two Guatemalan siblings, twelve-year-old Santiago and four-year-old Angelina, witness the burning of their village and the murder of their family during a military raid. The children find their uncle's sailing canoe and undertake a treacherous journey to Florida. Mikaelsen is careful not to sensationalize the children's heroics in this harrowing survival story.
Reviewer: Hilary Breed Van Dusen
3 reviews
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