AK
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- $10.99
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
A former child soldier tries to learn the ways of peace in an African nation in this "rip-roaring adventure story" by a Carnegie Medal winner (Publishers Weekly).
Paul remembers nothing from before the conflict. Twelve years old, he is no longer a child. He is a warrior—one of a handful of elite commandos who live only to fight the corrupt government of Nagala. He has no family but the boys who fight beside him, and he owns nothing but his AK-47 rifle. This is the only life he has ever known, and it is one he understands—right until the day the standoff ends and his life changes forever.
Paul buries his AK and heads north to attend school and attempt to live life as just another child. But at night, the battlefield consumes his dreams. When a rogue faction stages a coup in the capital and Paul's adoptive father is put in prison, the boy turns into a warrior once more. It is too late for him to have a childhood, but Paul will do whatever it takes to guarantee himself a future.
From the author Philip Pullman called "one of the real masters of children's literature," this is an extraordinary novel for readers of all ages, a winner of the prestigious Whitbread Award in which "Dickinson deals intelligently with vital issues, devises potent symbols with his usual skill, and offers much to discuss in a vivid and compelling setting" (Kirkus Reviews).
This ebook features an illustrated personal history of Peter Dickinson including rare images from the author's collection.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Paul, 12, remembers no other life than his nomadic existence as a Warrior--a junior member of a guerilla band fighting a civil war against the corrupt government of Nagala, a fictional African nation. When peace is declared, Paul's mentor, Michael, assumes an important role in the newly formed coalition government, rebuilding the country he loves. Paul--now Michael's adopted son--is sent to school in the north of the country. When the elected government is overthrown in a coup, Michael is put in prison and Paul, his life in danger, flees from the north. Accompanied by two other children, he journeys to the nation's capitol, determined to free his adoptive father. This exceedingly ambitious novel succeeds at everything it attempts: on the same high level as Lloyd Alexander's Westmark trilogy, it is a thorough examination of the nature of both democracy and war; it explores the legacy of imperialism; and it provides the reader with an exceptionally vivid picture of an African country and a handful of memorable citizens. Like all nations, Nagala is possessed of a complicated and specific political history; Dickinson manages to set forth its intricacies without becoming pedantic or talking down to his audience. The narrative has the rare sort of assurance that allows a varied array of vibrant characters to be created with a minimum of fuss. But best of all, AK is a simply rip-roaring adventure story. The exhilarating combination of spine-tingling storytelling and complicated ideas is an uncommon treat for sophisticated readers. Ages 12-up.
