In the Sea there are Crocodiles | TheBookSeekers

In the Sea there are Crocodiles


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No. of pages 224

Published: 2015

Great for age 12-18 years

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One night before putting him to bed, Enaiatollah's mother tells him three things: don't use drugs or weapons, don't cheat, don't steal. The next day he wakes up to find she isn't there. Ten-year-old Enaiatollah is left alone at the border of Pakistan to fend for himself. In a book that takes a true story and shapes it into a beautiful piece of fiction, Italian novelist Fabio Geda describes Enaiatollah's remarkable five-year journey from Afghanistan to Italy where he finally managed to claim political asylum aged fifteen. His ordeal took him through Iran, Turkey and Greece, working on building sites in order to pay people-traffickers, and enduring the physical misery of dangerous border crossings squeezed into the false bottoms of lorries or trekking across inhospitable mountains. A series of almost implausible strokes of fortune enabled him to get to Turin, find help from an Italian family and meet Fabio Geda, with whom he became friends.The result of their friendship is this unique book in which Enaiatollah's engaging, moving voice is brilliantly captured by Geda's subtly simple storytelling. In Geda's hands, Enaiatollah's journey becomes a universal story of stoicism in the face of fear, and the search for a place where life is liveable.

 

 

This book is the winner of numerous awards

This book has been graded for interest at 12-17 years.

There are 224 pages in this book.

It is aimed at Young Adult readers. The term Young Adult (YA) is used for books which have the following characteristics: (1) aimed at ages 12-18 years, US grades 7-12, UK school years 8-15, (2) around 50-75k words long, (3) main character is aged 12-18 years, (4) topics include self-reflection, internal conflict vs external, analyzing life and its meaning, (5) point of view is often in the first person, and (6) swearing, violence, romance and sexuality are allowed.

This book was published in 2015 by Penguin Random House Children's UK .

Born in Turin in 1972, Fabio Geda is an Italian novelist who works with children in difficulties. He writes for several Italian magazines and newspapers, and teaches creative writing in the most famous Italian school of storytelling (Scuola Holden, in Turin). This is his first book to be translated into English.

 

This book has been nominated for the following awards:

Coventry Inspiration Book Award
The Coventry Inspiration Book Award is an annual literary award that celebrates exceptional childrens and young adult literature. Launched in 2015, the award aims to inspire a love of reading among young people in Coventry, England, and to recognize the contributions of authors whose works resonate with young readers. The award is divided into several categories based on the age of the readers: Key Stage 2: For books suitable for children in primary school (ages 7-11), Key Stage 3: For books aimed at younger teenagers (ages 11-14), Key Stage 4: For books targeted at older teenagers (ages 14-16). A panel of judges reviews submissions to create a shortlist of nominees. After the shortlist is announced, children and young adults from participating schools and libraries are invited to read the nominated books and cast their votes for their favourites.

Coventry Inspiration Book Award - What's the Story
This book was recognised in the What's the Story category by the Coventry Inspiration Book Award.

Marsh Award for Children's Literature in Translation
This book was recognised by the Marsh Award for Children's Literature in Translation.

This book features the following character:

Enaiatollah Akbari
This book features Enaiatollah Akbari.

"A true story woven into a wonderful piece of fiction . . . This is a story of perseverance and endurance made all the more moving as it is based on truth" * The Bookseller *

 

"Fabio has a poetic turn of phrase, but lets events speak for themselves. The result is a moving and eye-opening chronicle of hardships no child should have to endure, mitigated by intermittent kindness" * The Sunday Times *

 

"Geda's voice combines the plucky survivor's determination of his charge with moments of pathos-soaked poignancy and others of joyful laughter . . . This little gem, beautifully and unobtrusively translated, will raise tears of sorrow and of joy" * Independent *

 

"Based on a true story, this extraordinary tale of a young boy's search for a home will be published simultaneously in adult and YA editions" * The Bookseller *

 

"This powerful true-life tale ... is sure to appeal to fans of historical fiction." * Carousel 'Pick of the Year' *