“Nowhere Boy” is a beautiful story of friendship and hope that touched my heart.

Firstly, I loved how the author tackled the story of the Syrian refugees and how they have suffered for a middle-grade audience. I think it’s essential to have books out there to educate younger readers on how people from some countries are suffering and how we can be empathetic and helpful towards them at an early age.

My heart went out to Ahmed from the first page, and I was rooting for him to find his father. The author writes him in such a beautiful, vulnerable way that, just like Max, you want to help him. I thought the author wrote him perfectly, from his love of gardening and orchids to how he communicates with Max. Similarly, Max is adorable, and I loved his sense of adventure and how he supports Ahmed no matter what. While the two don’t have much in common or speak the same language, I loved how the author formed their friendship and created a strong bone between them. Also, even the supporting cast like Claire and Oscar add nicely to the mix.

The story will make you laugh, cry, and even tense you at certain moments. I was glued in the second half as Max and Ahmed go on their adventure. Moreover, I wondered what would happen to them, particularly when Inspector Fontaine has his eyes on them. On a side note, I also liked how the author captured the beauty of Brussels in the book.

Overall, I adored “Nowhere Boy” and thought it was an excellent middle-grade novel that I encourage everyone to select and read.

Although I did not love this book--I'll get to that in a minute--I will buy it for my classroom library as I believe it is a book that my students will enjoy. Its plot and message are lovely. This is a classic case of "It's not you, it's me." My one issue with this book is that I am reading more #ownvoices books and when one compares this book to, say, Escape from Aleppo, this book inevitably falls short.

This is a wonderful book that covers both the viewpoints of a boy who is a refugee from Syria and a boy who is just not fitting in. When Max find Ahmed living in his basement in Brussels, he makes the tough choice to help Ahmed it instead of turning him in to the authorities. This act of kindness builds their friendship and the friendship and compassion of others. Everyone should read this book to see an example of a selfless, caring act.

Timely book. One that should be read by all ages. I think it would a good read for a social studies class, as well. So heartbreaking. I have family in Europe who are experiencing firsthand the refugees into their countries. It's a difficult situation. One we the US really don't encounter face to face in everyday life. Good story.

This story is told from two points of view-Max, an American boy unwillingly living in Brussels with his family and dealing with some culture shock, and Ahmed, a Syrian boy who fled Syria with his dad after a series of horrific events and has ended up without anyone to help him, living secretly in Max's basement. The two boys meet and become friends and Max tries to help Ahmed get to safety. It's a riveting story and middle grade students will love the interaction between the two characters as well as immediacy of the story line. I can't wait to put this one in my library.

Nowhere Boy by Katherine Marsh is a terrific, topical story is about Max who has recently moved to Brussels from the US and Ahmed, who is fleeing Syria. Max is unhappy about many things, including the fact that they are in Brussels, his French language school, and the kids in his class who are mean to him. Ahmed is fleeing war torn Syria and has lost his entire family, all his money, and his identity papers. He ends up in Max's basement, sick, alone, and terrified. It's a powerful story with big themes of friendship, bravery, immigration, dealing with war and actual events in history.

Each chapter alternate point of view, a style which works well for this format. When the boys meet and become friends, under the cover of secrecy, both slowly open up and begin to trust. A kindred friendship develops, and it is through Ahmed that Max begins to feel at home, connect with others, and have a cause that he feels strongly about.

The terror events that happened in Paris and Brussels are also set against the backdrop of this book, and it's a powerful, timely piece on what the experience of a refugee is like.

Parts of the story are inspired by Albert Jonnart, a lawyer whose family harbored a Jewish boy during WWII. They were turned in by neighbors and Albert went to prison for hiding the boy.

Katherine Marsh was able to write a well-done, and relevant book. Brussels offered a front-row seat to the refugee crisis and Marsh found herself reflecting on the story of Jonnart as well as how it could be recreated under a modern lens.

I highly recommend this book for upper elementary students and anyone interested in history. 

I received an e-arc from NetGalley via Roaring Brook Press in exchange for an honest review.

I had the opportunity to read a NetGalley digital ARC of this middle grade novel in exchange for a review. I have to say that I was just blown away by how awesome this book was. I was attracted to it because of the subject matter – the refugee crisis in Europe. I think there needs to be more books that deal with this subject in an engaging way.
I was sucked into the drama and tension of this book right away. The novel tells the story of two boys that are roughly the same age. Ahmed is a Syrian refugee who, because of a tragedy during the journey to Europe, is also an unaccompanied minor. Thirteen-year-old Max has just moved to Brussels, Belgium with his family because his parents work for government organizations. An unscrupulous refugee smuggler tries to take advantage of Ahmed, and he is forced to run for his life through the streets of the city until he finds his way through an unlocked door into the basement of Max’s house.
Ahmed secretly lives in the cellar of the home for weeks until Max discovers him. The two forge a strong friendship that compels Max to keep Ahmed’s presence a secret from his family. Along the way, the pair enlist the help of some of Max’s schoolmates to help Ahmed along.
This well-researched book incorporates a lot of details about how immigrants are processed in Belgium and Europe. It also has actual terror incidents in Paris and Brussels as a backdrop for the circumstances facing Ahmed. There is suspenseful drama as the reader wonders if Ahmed will be caught, if he’ll ever find a way to fit into the community around him, and if Max will be able to turn to his family for help.
I think this book is a great mirror/windows book for middle grade readers. It’s a window into the world of undocumented immigrants and the fear and pain faced by refugees. And Max is a good mirror for adolescent readers who might wonder what they would do in a similar circumstance and if they would have the courage that he does to stand by his friend. I think that this book deals with an important issue for our times in a way that will make it a very popular book.

This new middle grade novel depicts a young Syrian refugee (Ahmed) who is stranded in Brussels and is befriended by an American boy (Max). Ahmed loses his father on the crossing, is betrayed by a smuggler and escapes into the Brussels residential area. He hides in the wine cellar of the house where Max and family have come to live during their year in Belgium. The house is located on a street named after Albert Jonnert, a Belgian boy who helped a Jewish boy avoid capture during WW II.

The juxtaposition of the WW II story with the modern refugee crisis was interesting and makes the reader see the plight of the current refugees and there are some similarities to the treatment Jews received due to the Nazi policies.

Unfortunately Max decides to operate on his own without even giving his parents a chance to help. He breaks so many rules and causes so much worry for his family in the midst of a terrorist crisis in Brussels. Would not recommend for students younger than fifth or sixth grade.

I received a digital ARC of this book from MacMillan and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ahmed is alone in Brussels after his father died when they were fleeing Syria. With no where else to go, he hides out in the basement of a house where Max, the boy living there, discovers him. Max is taking a huge risk, but he keeps Ahmed's hide out a secret and, with the help of a few friends, finds a way for him to attend his school. Ahmed's story of survival is relevant and offers insight into the struggles that refugees face. It also addresses issues related to terrorism and Islamophobia. The friendship that the two boys form is beautiful. This is an engaging and timely read.

An adventure story set against the backdrop of the refugee crisis, Nowhere Boy puts an intimate face on a global issue and makes it relatable for middle school readers. The author carefully blends in historic references and events, as well as the daily hurdles the main characters have to overcome, to present a believeable and touching friendship between Max and Ahmed. This story strongly illustrates everyone's need for a safe home, and a community where one can thrive and be accepted.

So thankful for this advanced copy through Netgalley. The writing in this book is just.. perfect. I enjoyed this as much as any children's book I have read in the past few years. DiCamillo brilliantly weaves through sadness, humor, quirkiness, and humanity. I so appreciate the effort she must have taken to craft this novel so that it was just right. I highlighted many, many phrases that were either sharply humorous or meaningful-or both.

E ARC from Netgalley.com



Ahmed and Max's lives are very different in 2015. Ahmed and his father have escaped from Aleppo, Syria only to be parted when the father drowns off the coast of Greece. Ahmed, who is 14, gets some assistance from an Iraqi refugee family, but when they all end up in Belgium, it is evident that they will be split up and Ahmed will go into care. He doesn't want this, so he runs away. He manages to find an open door in a neighborhood and can't believe his luck when he discovers a disused wine cellar and no one notices when he takes up residence. The house is being rented by Max's family while they spend a year in Brussels for the father's work. Max is not happy to have left home and to be enrolled in a French speaking school where the students are not always nice to him, so when he finds Ahmed in the house, he is sympathetic to his plight. He brings him some food and clothing, and with the help of Farah and Oscar at his school, forge documents and get Ahmed enrolled in Max's school, since that the thing he misses most, aside from his family. Things go well for a while, despite the meddling of a very concerned local policeman, Fontaine, whose family used to own the house where Max is living. However, when racial tensions run high after several terrorist attacks in the country, Ahmed wants to find the Iraqi family he befriended. When even that seems to dangerous, he wants to leave Belgium, and Max helps him. The two have quite an adventure, which has a rather surprising ending.

Strengths: I enjoyed the note from the author about why she wrote this; her family spent some time in Belgium, and the details show this. There are several books about children escaping from Syria, but not many books that follow what happens to them in such great detail. Max's willingness to help Ahmed and to stand up to adults who spout racist rhetoric is heart warming. There is something appealing to middle grade readers about helping another child hide out, which adds another level of interest to this story. More of my students need to understand that school is a huge privilege!
Weaknesses: Max is rather bratty at the beginning, although the contrast between his complaints and Ahmed's is very effective. It also seemed a bit unusual that Max would have brought so many books from the US with him, but at least he likes to read!
What I really think: I wish this were a bit shorter and less complicated, but I will definitely purchase this for my stronger readers, since the topic is a timely and important one.

With an advanced reader in my 7-year-old, I'm always looking for exceptional chapter books. Enter Nowhere Boy by Katherine Marsh. The cover alone is engaging and colorful. When I learned it involved an American boy and a Syrian boy crossing paths in Brussels, I began immediately.

Thirteen-year-old Max and his family are from the United States but have relocated to Belgium for a year. He's less than enthused about attending a school in French and isn't afraid to let his parents know his opinion. Ahmed is a 14-year-old Syrian refugee, fleeing the violence in Aleppo while grieving the loss of family members. Both boys are lost and struggling, just trying to survive their circumstances.

Each chapter alternate point of view, a style which works well for this format. When the boys meet and become friends, under the cover of secrecy, both slowly open up and begin to trust. A kindred friendship develops, and it is through Ahmed that Max begins to feel at home, connect with others, and have a cause that he feels strongly about.

The terror events that happened in Paris and Brussels are also set against the backdrop of this book, and it's a powerful, timely piece on what the experience of a refugee is like.

This is a little out of my daughter's league for subject matter (it would be more appropriate for upper elementary or middle school students), but I already know a couple families who would love this book. It's relevant and as I read it, I kept reflecting on how powerful this story is -- it is polished and researched and feels so real. Themes of justice and morality are addressed (particularly the tension of what we are called to do because it is right even if the laws don't condone it). There's suspense and action in the book that it's easy to stay engaged; I could envision a classroom doing a interdisciplinary unit on it.

Parts of the story are inspired by Albert Jonnart, a lawyer whose family harbored a Jewish boy during WWII (Max lives on Jonnart Street). They were turned in by neighbors and Albert went to prison for hiding the boy.

At the close of the book, there's a short Q&A with the author, which revealed how Katherine Marsh was able to write such a well-done, relevant book. We learn her family moved to Brussels for her husband's job as a journalist, and they rented a home on Jonnart Street. Brussels offered a front-row seat to the refugee crisis and Marsh found herself reflecting on the story of Jonnart as well as how it could be recreated under a modern lens.

This is a special book, no question.