Mead (Adem's Cross; Girl of Kosovo) again places young protagonists at the center of a harrowing international crisis, in this instance focusing on boys forced to flee their homes in southern Sudan. Initial scenes effectively sketch the politics, hierarchy and economic parameters of village life as 11-year-old Stephen jokes and worries about the marriage choices of his 16-year-old sister and frets over the possible machinations of a relatively prosperous neighbor. But when a humanitarian food drop attracts hostile soldiers, Stephen and his friends must hide to avoid forced conscription. Hardships sharply escalate, but although the developments are plausible, their rendering often seems flat. As the boys set off on a perilous quest, encountering other refugees and a kindly aid worker, the plot and circumstances take precedence over the characterizations. Accordingly, readers may not fully identify with the boys' suffering. While this novel sheds light on the calamitous conditions in the Sudan, it makes more of an intellectual impact than an emotional one. Ages 8-12. (May)
