Benjamin Zephaniah

Advantages: Easy To Understand The Plot, Good Storyline!
Disadvantages: Could Have Been Longer!

...I first heard of this story in an English lesson at school. The teacher read a few chapters of it in lesson and I started to gain interest. I asked her the name of the author and set off to the school library the next day to find it. As soon as I found it I took it out and home to read. *About Benjamin Zephaniah* Benjamin Zephaniah has quite an interesting life and I will briefly explain it now. His full name is Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah, which is Christian, Jewish and Muslim. He was born in the district of Handsworth in Birmingham. (Which is kind of close to me!) He is a poet as well as a storywriter. Many of his poems and stories have a serious message and they cover topics like: racism, animal rights, pollution and equality between boys and girls. For more information about Benjamin Zephaniah and his works please visit his... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: improves reading standards
Disadvantages: none

...... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Moving and sensitively written; a timely response to our very public issues of asylum seekers.
Disadvantages: None.

...Imagine the opening of a book where a family in Ethiopia are ripped from their beds in the night and ordered by armed soldiers to leave the country because the father, an Ethiopian is a "traitor" for marrying a woman from Eritrea, and his son a "mongrel." Imagine the opening of a book where a family in Eritrea are ripped from their beds in the night and ordered by armed soldiers to leave the country because the mother, an Eritrean is a "traitor" for marrying a man from Ethiopia, and her son a "mongrel." I've tried to mirror in a small way, the devastating opening of Benjamin Zephaniah's Refugee Boy. The first two chapters are identical but for the setting and the parent, and without any further explanation of the conflict we immediately understand the plight of 14 year old Alem, the son of this family, who is both Ethiopian... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful