Description
Life's not easy for Sami Sabiri, a funny, gutsy fifteen-year-old stuck at a private school where he's the only Muslim kid. But things are about to get a lot worse.
When Sami catches his father in a lie, he gets suspicious . . . and he's not the only one. In a flash, the FBI descends on his home and Sami's family becomes the center of an international terrorist investigation. Now, as his world unravels, Sami must find a way to save his father, his family, and his life.
Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
- Age:
- 13 to 18
- Grade:
- 8 to 12
Editorial Review
“The story reaches a fist-clenching pinnacle before a conclusion that should defy readers’ expectations. It’s a powerful story and excellent resource for teaching tolerance, with a message that extends well beyond the timely subject matter.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“A tautly paced thriller. This is a great read. Once it finds its way into the hands of teens, word of mouth will ensure that it circulates.” — School Library Journal (starred review)
“Tense and compelling. A fast, exciting read with weighty underpinnings.” — Booklist
“Stratton explodes with political relevance. [A] vitally education page-turner.” — Kirkus Reviews
“The book is fast-paced suspense. A timely addition to YA lit about Muslim Americans, this will find an audience among those hungry for insight or commiseration.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“A compelling coming–of–age novel about acceptance and fear, wrapped in a fascinating adventure/thriller/mystery. All these elements are shaken mightily in Allan Stratton’s latest—as we are.” — Gary D. Schmidt, New York Times bestselling and Printz and Newbery Honor author
“Allan Stratton spins these otherwise ordinary lives on a dime and a secret. Borderline is as astonishing as it is all quite possible.” — Rita Williams–Garcia, Newbery Honor author and National Book Award finalist
“Smart, meticulously plotted, and thrilling. The scariest thing about Borderline is how utterly believable it is.” — Tim Wynne-Jones, author of the Uninvited
“A thrilling suspense story. Sami’s quest to clear his father’s name will carry readers along for an exciting ride.” — BookPage
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Annotations
Librarian review
Borderline
Ever since his father stuck him in a fancy private school, life has gotten worse for Sami Sabiri. As the only Muslim at a primarily white school, he’s subjected to constant bullying by the other students. Things go from bad to worse when his father is arrested, and his family is accused of being at the centre of an international terrorist plot to poison the water supply. Now everything he’s ever known is called into question, and Sami must fight to keep his world from falling apart.
With his latest book for young adults, internationally acclaimed author Allan Stratton has created an edge-of-your-seat thriller that explores issues of racial stereotyping and prejudice and plays on our fears of terrorism.
The hook of the novel is the state of uncertainty that Stratton keeps his readers in until the end. Immediately before his father’s arrest, Sami catches him in a lie, creating doubt of his innocence. Sami’s father might be innocent. You hope he’s innocent. You can even believe that he’s probably innocent, falsely accused because of his race. But, and there is a big but here, there seems to also be a lot of evidence pointing to his guilt, and there is no obvious answer.
Borderline is also a perfect novel for a unit on Social Justice. There can be no true justice for Sami or his family, and this is a transforming lesson. There are several references to how hard his parents work to prove they belong in their middle-class white neighbourhood and, with the exception of a Jewish history teacher, the school turns a blind eye to Sami’s suffering. When his father is accused of terrorism, a climate of fear becomes an excuse for persecution, calling into question who the real terrorists are.
While the subject of this novel may place this better in a high school classroom, sophisticated middle school readers will also find much to discuss and enjoy.
Source: The Canadian Children's Bookcentre. Spring 2010. Vol.33 No.2.
