From Publishers Weekly
Morton's bristly Scottish brogue emphasizes the fish-out-of-water stature of Colfer's protagonist Benny, an Irish lad who finds himself transplanted, along with his family, to Tunisia. Benny is forced to leave his favorite game of hurling behind, and must struggle with a new school very different from what he knew; he takes solace in meeting Omar, a new friend who helps him adjust to the lay of the land in his new home. Morton reads with a sincerity that helps him serve up Colfer's smooth prose with aplomb. Fans of the author's Artemis Fowl fantasy series will find an entertaining change of pace in this contemporary, more character-driven text, though still plenty of adventure. Ages 10-up.
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From School Library Journal
Gr 5-9-As the hurling champion at Saint Jerome's school, Benny Shaw thinks he has a perfect life-until his parents move the family all the way to North Africa, a lifetime away from Ireland. They've never even heard of hurling in Tunisia. The village school is taught by feel-good hippies and filled with students actually bent on learning. There's no place for a sarcastic, self-centered kid like Benny. Then he meets Omar, a cheerful, scrappy boy surviving on his wits, and the two become fast friends, creating havoc and terrorizing everybody. But when Benny meets Omar's little sister, a drugged resident of the local mental farm, he realizes that his friend's life is more tragic than he had thought and realizes that he must help Omar rescue his sister. Suddenly Benny has to think of someone beside himself, and his ultimate change and personal growth make for a memorable story. At first it's hard to like Benny, even when he's trying to be decent, but Colfer does such a masterful job of mixing humor and tragedy with Benny's smart-alecky remarks that youngsters will like him in spite of themselves. This is a funny, fast-paced read, despite the Irish slang, that provides a wonderful glimpse into some very non-American worlds. -Linda Bindner, formerly at Truman State University, Kirksville, MO
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