The Crossing

Product Information

The author says “I wanted to make sense of what I was seeing, I wanted to do something that would help build empathy and understanding.” She has most emphatically succeeded in this aim. This is such a profound story of hope, grief, and strength - I do recommend it to all. Be aware you will weep, too.

In this story of hope and endurance, we follow a scientist and her team during their search for the elusive 'Giant Arctic Jellyfish'. The best books and audiobooks of 2020 so far". The Guardian. 14 May 2020. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 26 March 2023 . Retrieved 8 June 2023. a b "Sheffield Children's Book Award". Sheffield City Council. Archived from the original on 29 January 2023 . Retrieved 8 June 2023.Shortlisted for the Yoto Carnegie Medal 2022 | Shortlisted for the 2022 CLiPPA (CLPE Children’s Poetry Award) | Winner of the UKLA Book Awards 2023: 11 - 14 The writing style employed here also made it all the more powerful. We have these two kids who couldn’t be from more different walks of life, connected in ways you probably couldn't imagine. I loved the creativity of it being written in verse, it was so beautiful to see the similarities and differences in their journeys and how connected they were despite the distance. This is something I think everybody should read at least once, there’s so much to learn and a myriad of beautiful, strong messages and imagery. Whilst trying to cope with her own emotions about her mum, Natalie becomes more concerned as it appears that Ryan is becoming radicalised by an anti-refugee group. Her developing relationship with Mel starts to show the strain as homelessness looms for Natalie's family. She has an enormous amount of pressure building upon her. Mann later published two children's picture books. The first, Small's Big Dream, illustrated by Amanda Quartey , was published in 2022, and the second, Whirly Twirly Me, also illustrated by Amanda Quartey, is expected to be published in summer 2023. Grief at the loss of a parent, bravery in a harsh world, and ultimately being forced to grow up too early are all expressed with heart and vivid clarity, connecting the teenagers who share common human experiences despite their wildly different circumstances. And in this, despite not saying it out loud, Mann, reminds us that "We're all built from the same dust".

Author Anna Kemp introduces The Hollow Hills, the sequel to her dark magical tale, Into Goblyn Wood. Bestselling author Alexandra Christo, author of TikTok sensation To Kill a Kingdom, introduces her new book, The Night Hunt (Hot Key Books), a dark... Knight, Lucy (16 March 2022). "Carnegie medal shortlist spotlights real-life stories of friendship in challenging times". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 29 March 2023 . Retrieved 6 June 2023. It’s such an honour to be shortlisted for the YA Book Prize. I’ve followed this prize from the beginning and I can’t quite believe The Crossing has made the shortlist, I’m so grateful to the judges and hope this platform gets The Crossing out to many more readers who might otherwise not have found it. What’s the best thing about writing for young adults? Written in verse and from a dual perspective, the lives of Sammy and Nat seamlessly intertwine. The author cleverly toggles the points of view between the two characters within each chapter by using the same words at the end and the start of their perspectives. My daughter and I loved the use of this writing technique.Waterstones Children's Book Prize shortlists announced". Books+Publishing. 11 February 2022. Archived from the original on 12 February 2022 . Retrieved 12 February 2022. Awards: Oates Winner; Jhalak Shortlists". Shelf Awareness. 20 April 2022. Archived from the original on 24 June 2022 . Retrieved 8 June 2023. Hope is the strongest element bringing their two lives together and the beautiful motif of the stars is littered throughout both Nat and Sammy’s journeys providing not only a physical form of hope but also a connection between them both. Meanwhile Sammy, whilst hiding from the military in Eritrea, heard his father being shot and witnessed his death; he lives with his mother in fear of being found and conscripted like his sister was. He knows there is no future for him in Eritrea and they scrape together the funds for him to make his way to the UK. He and his friend Tesfay are both excited and scared by the prospect of the lengthy and perilous journey.

YA Book Prize 2022 – Shortlist Announced!". Literacy Hive. 28 June 2022. Archived from the original on 1 April 2023 . Retrieved 8 June 2023. Mann uses the idea of "Stardust" and stars to link Natalie and Sammy, showing how humans are connected and ultimately not so different. There was a mystical sort of connection between the two characters, which is the only place the book lost me. I would have preferred a more anonymous, realistic story between them. When they both dreamed of swimming with each other, for example, it seemed almost paranormal and it took me out of this narrative that is otherwise grounded in reality. Natalie's world is falling apart. She's just lost her mum and her brother marches the streets of Dover full of hate and anger. Swimming is her only refuge. A twist of fate brings them together and gives them both hope. But is hope enough to mend a broken world?

Education

It would be a plot spoiler to tell you which part of The Crossing I liked best. But I can tell you that there is a point in the story where, by magical thinking, Nat and Sammy come together as two desperate teenagers reaching out for help. This moment is beautifully achieved. My thoughts about ‘The Crossing’ Natalie's world has turned upside down. She's lost her mum and her brother is descending further and further into anger and violence with a far-right gang who march the streets of Dover. I am part of a shadowing group for the Carnegie and Greenaway Medal with my daughter and a great bunch of bookish enthusiasts. It is a privilege to chat bookish thoughts with a great group of young people. Out of the 8 shortlisted books for the Carnegie Medal, my daughter and I decided to make, 'The Crossing,' our first read. The cover, the blurb, and the style of narrative caught our attention, and it did not disappoint! Samuel Jabir, a 17 year boy Eritrean boy, looks to stars for hope after his father is killed for being a dissenter. As forced conscription, which already stole his sister Sophia and his high school crush Mariam, threaten to enslave him too, Sammy and his best friend Tesfay decide to make the perilous journey to UK to reunite with a cousin. The boys know they are "walking into death" but "the chance to love is worth dying for".

a b "Outstanding Winners announced for the unique Awards from teachers!". United Kingdom Literacy Association. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023 . Retrieved 8 June 2023.There is Natalie, who lives in the UK and is part of a low-class family. She struggles with housing issues, the loss of her mother and the distance she begins to feel toward her brother, Ryan, who joins far-right marches and is full of hatred for immigrants. Natalie decides to raise money for refugees by swimming the English channel and this purpose gives her (and her dad who trains her) hope for the future. walk down the high street. Nat is window-shopping while thinking about the homeless woman in a shop doorway and how close she is to this fate, while Mel is weighed down with bags full of the latest gear.