'The ship was a towering fortress looming over the pier. Anton stared enviously at the emigrants lining up in front of the wide gangplank. Heading off on a voyage to a land of peace and plenty. Leaving the land of broken buildings and crushed hopes behind. Looking forward to sunshine and steaks. How he wished that he was one of the lucky ones.' Loosely based on Paul Jennings' journey to Australia as a 'ten pound Pom', the story of Anton, who escapes from an orphanage and successfully stows away on a boat headed for the land of 'sunshine and steaks' has a timeless reality of its own. It is a tale of loss, guilt, mistaken identity and taking risks but also surprisingly heartwarming and heartbreaking. Perfect for reluctant readers in upper primary and lower secondary, it speaks of loss, migration, reslience and courage. Beautifully illustrated by Geoff Kelly.

 

This book was recognised by the Carnegie Award. The CILIP Carnegie Medal is awarded by childrens librarians for an outstanding book written in English for children and young people.

. This book is part of a HiLo reading scheme, combining high interest relative to the required reading skill.

There are 96 pages in this book. This book was published 2018 by Old Barn Books .

Paul Jennings was the first author to sell a million books in Australia. Morris Gleitzman is one of Australia's and now the world's best-known and loved children's authors who tackles tough subjects in a funny and offbeat way. Geoff Kelly is the illustrator of Power + Glory, and the author/illustrator of Stuck With Baby.