{"id":37311,"date":"2020-04-14T18:14:33","date_gmt":"2020-04-14T22:14:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=37311"},"modified":"2020-04-14T18:14:33","modified_gmt":"2020-04-14T22:14:33","slug":"review-of-the-eleventh-trade-by-alyssa-hollingsworth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=37311","title":{"rendered":"Review of The Eleventh Trade, by Alyssa Hollingsworth"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>The Eleventh Trade<\/em><\/p>\n

by Alyssa Hollingsworth<\/p>\n

Roaring Brook Press, 2018. 298 pages.
\nStarred Review
\nReview written November 4, 2018, from a book sent by the publisher
\n2018 Sonderbooks Stand-out<\/a>:
\n#4 Contemporary Children’s Fiction<\/p>\n

Sami has newly arrived in Boston with his Baba from Afghanistan by way of Iran, Turkey, and Greece. His father had been an interpreter for the American army, which made him a target of the Taliban.<\/p>\n

Baba\u2019s rebab, a stringed instrument like a lute, is one of the only things they still have from Afghanistan, and Baba plays it in the subway station. But after Sami\u2019s first day of school, he\u2019s playing the rebab while Baba takes a break \u2013 and a thief snatches it out of his hands and gets away on the subway.<\/p>\n

Well, Sami finds a new friend who looks up the instrument and finds the shop where the thief took it. But the shop wants $700 for it. It\u2019s the start of Ramadan and Sami wants to get it back for Baba to give him at Eid al-Fitr. But Sami has no money.<\/p>\n

Then a bully notices Sami\u2019s Manchester United key chain. He\u2019ll trade an ipod for it. Of course, then it turns out the ipod is broken. However that new friend of Sami\u2019s knows how to figure out how to fix an ipod. <\/p>\n

Thus begins a series of trades. If Sami can trade each thing for something a little better, maybe he can get that rebab back for Baba by the end of Ramadan.<\/p>\n

This is the second book I\u2019ve read recently about \u201celevator trades.\u201d But in the other book, it was more of a scam. This book has heart. Sami doesn\u2019t have to scam anyone \u2013 he finds what people want. And I love the way he builds connections with people as he finds out what they care about and what they want.<\/p>\n

Along the way, we find out about Sami\u2019s story, watch him join a soccer group, and see him learn about the power of friendship as he adjusts to this new place.<\/p>\n

You end this book wishing all good things for Sami and his Baba. You also have a feeling they\u2019ll find them.<\/p>\n

Added later: Looking back at this book a year and a half later, I still have such warm feelings for this book and its characters. Just a wonderful book.<\/p>\n

alyssahollingsworth.com<\/a>
\nmackids.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Buy from Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Find this review on Sonderbooks<\/a> at: www.sonderbooks.com\/Childrens_Fiction\/11th_trade.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but the views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.<\/p>\n

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