Young Adult Literature; Adventure; Fantasy
For most of the book, Tendai is thirteen years old, though at the end he's a whopping fourteen. And readers Tendai's age are definitely the target demographic for this book—he gripes about his parents, he seeks adventure and the ability to make decisions for himself, and he struggles to find his worth in the world. It's classic teen drama, and the language and plot aren't trying to trip readers up at all, either. For these reasons, the book can definitely be found on YA shelves at your local library.
But this isn't just a young adult lit novel. It's also an
adventure, complete with big time risk taking and the near-constant threat of
danger as Tendai leads his siblings around Zimbabwe, escaping kidnappers only
to be taken hostage anew time and time again. This adventure is enhanced by
elements of