Based on the true story of a hijacking, this YA novel describes the reactions of a fifteen year old girl travelling on her own when her flight is boarded by Palestinian guerrillas.
The book is a nice easy read for young adults. In fact, it was a set text for my eldest child at 11, which technically falls into middle grade. I have no hesitation recommending it for children from year 7 upwards. Children will be able to relate to the characters, though at times I wondered if the author put too much of her adult self into the child, an understandable choice when it's autobiographical.
Whilst this book is based on an event from the 70's, terrorism is a current issue for our children today.
Reading about how other children have coped when terror visited their lives provides a safe way for children to work through how they might cope if something difficult happened to them. The drama of the plot, and the constant threat of the plane exploding, keeps the pages turning. I'm also impressed with the marketing savvy of the title though I'm sure that'll go over most kid's heads.
(and okay... I'll admit it, because the book is based on a hijacking that happened back in 1970, it's also a sneaky way to get the kids reading about some world history.)
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