• Age: 10 to 18
• Grade: 5 to 12

Set in both the wilds and slums of Kenya, a powerful story about a brother and sister's brave journey to find a place to call home.
13-year-old Muchoki and his younger sister, Jata, can barely recognize what's become of their lives. Only weeks ago they lived in a bustling Kenyan village, going to school, playing soccer with friends, and helping at their parents' store. But sudden political violence has killed their father and destroyed their home. Now, Muchoki, Jata, and their ailing mother live in a tent in an overcrowded refugee camp. By day, they try to fend off hunger and boredom. By night, their fears about the future are harder to keep at bay. Driven by both hope and desperation, Muchoki and Jata set off on what seems like an impossible journey: to walk hundreds of kilometers to find their last remaining family.

Eric Walters is the author of many acclaimed and bestselling novels for children and young adults. His novels have won numerous awards, including the Silver Birch, Blue Heron, Red Maple, Snow Willow, Ruth Schwartz, and Tiny Torgi, and have received honours from the Canadian Library Association Book Awards and UNESCO's international award for Literature in Service of Tolerance.

Eric lives in Mississauga with his wife, Anita, and three children, Christina, Nicholas, and Julia. When not writing or touring across the country speaking to school groups, Eric spends time playing or watching soccer and basketball, or playing the saxophone.

To find out more about Eric and his novels, or to arrange for him to speak at your school, visit his website at www.ericwalters.net.

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Eric Walters' profile page

“An inspiring story, showing how perseverance, common courtesy and bravery can overcome seemingly insurmountable odds.”
—Winnipeg Free Press

“A solid story of hope prevailing over despair. . . . With its . . . comforting message of the strength of family, this story should resonate.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“While readers will feel confident that the siblings will arrive at their destination, numerous menacing challenges, from lions to starvation, create suspense. Walters . . . captures the hope and need driving Muchoki and Jata through empathic writing and a brisk plot.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Inspired by real people and events, Walters places forgiveness at the center of an adventurous story of survival in the midst of ethnic conflict. . . . Walters brings a wonderful verisimilitude to the story.”
—The New York Times Book Review

Praise for Eric Walters:

• "Eric Walters is a classic storyteller. His award-winning novels are smooth, clean reads that put ordinary kids in extraordinary situations. . . . Highly Recommended." --CM Magazine

• "This is classic Walters: a good yarn, plenty of action, lively dialogue, and quirky details drawn from research." --Quill & Quire

• "Vintage Walters . . . the adventure just doesn't stop." --Canlitforkids.com