Femi is in trouble. He's gotten involved with a gang of older boys and is telling so many lies to his family, he can hardly keep his head straight. His sister, Sade, knows something is going on, but she doesn't want to worry their father while he's waiting to hear if the family will be granted asylum in Britain. But with Femi growing more and more involved with the criminal gang, how long will any of them be safe? In this sequel to Carnegie Medal winner "The Other Side of Truth," acclaimed author Beverley Naidoo once again tells the story of Nigerian refugees Femi and Sade. With unflinching realism, she presents the dangers the siblings face -- not in Africa this time, but in a school very much like one of our own. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Gr 6-9 This sequel to The Other Side of Truth (HarperCollins, 2001) continues the story of Sade and Femi, now back with their father, as they struggle to fit in at their London school. Femi faces pressure to join a gang, and as he becomes increasingly enmeshed in its activities, his lies to his family become more serious. Eventually he is arrested when a gang member is stabbed and he is caught running away from the scene. This is a gritty and credible story of how a young teen can be unintentionally pulled into a gang, as well as a cautionary tale with a touch of didacticism, African-style. However, it is also a heart-warming story of a family struggling through difficult circumstances, including grief over their mother murder, economic difficulties, and the culture shock of being refugees in a foreign country. This novel is about the power of telling the truth and the poison of lying. As the three family members slowly learn to confide in one another, their relationships are healed, even if their circumstances are not resolved. While Femi is at the center of this story, Sade feelings are revealed through her journal. Naidoo integrates Nigerian culture seamlessly into the British context, revealing the complex social world inhabited by immigrants. Readers will look forward to the next installment in the Solajas story. Sue Giffard, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, New York City Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr. 6-10. In The Other Side of Truth (2001), Naidoo brings politics close through the eyes of Sade, who, following the assassination of her mother in Nigeria, flees to London with her brother, Femi. Now, two years later, the children have been reunited with their father, as the refugee family waits for asylum. The focus this time is on Femi, 12, who succumbs to pressure to join a violent gang. After he is caught delivering drugs and confesses to the police, the gang tries to murder his family, and the trouble threatens the family's slim chance of asylum. Some political parallels seem added on, including the story of boys forced to become soldiers in Sudan, but the depiction of racism, gangs, and savage bullying in the city jungle is tense and dramatic. Readers will want to talk about the issues Naidoo raises here, as well as some of those she spoke about in her January 2002 Booklist Interview: Politics is our lives . . and school bullying is the same kind of power dynamics on a different scale. HazelRochman. From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.