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Reading age
10+
Genre
Historical fiction
Publisher
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date
September 27, 2022
A brilliant and moving yet humorous story about a boy who is unbeatable in water.
The Door of No Return is the first book in a trilogy about the journey of an African family.
11-year-old, Kofi Offin lived a good life in his Asanti village in 1870. He has a friend called Ebo, a secret crush on a girl named Ama, and the River Offin. Unfortunately, he has an annoying cousin who wants a race in the river. He should know better never to go to the river at night.
Kwame Alexander wrote the book in poetic free verse, beautifully translated into the story.
The setting in 1870 Ghana was fascinating. I learned a bit of the Twi language they spoke there, and the Adinkra symbols were intriguing. The wildlife and the river sounded fun. I could picture myself swimming with Kofi in the sunset, and it was fun to imagine.
Kofi was a charming boy. His jokes and phrases were hilarious to read throughout the book. Ebo was the most laughable character in the book. His tendency to let things slip was funny to read. Ama sounded terrific, but the cousin was so annoying.
The theme of The Door of No Return is to preserve. I recommend this book to African history buffs, and a hilarious read.
My rating
About the author
“Kwame Alexander is a poet, educator, publisher, and New York Times bestselling author of 35 books, including the Caldecott Medal and Newbery Honor-winning picture book The Undefeated, illustrated by Kadir Nelson, the Newbery Medal-winning novel, The Crossover, Becoming Muhammad Ali, co-authored with James Patterson, Booked, which was longlisted for the National Book Award, Rebound, Solo and Swing. A regular contributor to NPR’s Morning Edition, Kwame is also the recipient of numerous other awards, including the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, the Coretta Scott King Author Honor, three NAACP Image Award Nominations, and the 2017 Inaugural Pat Conroy Legacy Award. In 2018, he founded the publishing imprint Versify. He opened the Barbara E. Alexander Memorial Library and Health Clinic in Ghana as a part of LEAP for Ghana, an international literacy program he co-founded.” – Book Depository.
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