Martin is a good-looking, self-assured boy who accepts a ride home from a drunken acquaintance and ends up in a horrible accident--badly burned, his face completely disfigured. Life as it was before is over...he loses his girlfriend and his friends, and finds that people are making judgements about him and how he feels without even knowing.
As Martin struggles through the reconstruction of his face, he is also working hard to reconstruct his life. His character, however, remains intact. There are startling truths in this story, written with clarity and insight, which make it utterly believable and impossible to read without heartfelt empathy. Parents, librarians, teachers and mostly children will be absorbed by the story.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Benjamin Zephaniah is a British performance poet of Jamaican descent and travels on literary world tours for the British Council. He is the author of Refugee Boy. He currently lives in England.
Zephaniah (Refugee Boy) paints a sympathetic portrait of Martin Turner, a burn victim, who changes as much on the inside as on the outside after a car accident leaves his face severely disfigured. The author uses bold lines to describe how the once fun-loving wise-cracker confronts the fact that his life can never be the same. Even more disturbing than the stares and cruel taunts, perhaps, are his friends' obvious discomfort and overly solicitous behavior ("He hated being pitied and he hated being given special treatment. He learnt how to look into the eyes of others and measure their sincerity"). Martin also resents those (like the priest at the community center) who refer to him as "disabled"; however, he develops the confidence and poise to correct such misapprehensions. Newfound friends who are able to look beyond his scars encourage him to rise to challenges and develop his talent for dancing and gymnastics. Although the plot is somewhat formulaic and although Zephaniah discusses many of Martin's struggles rather than offering specific examples, Martin himself is believable enough to be appealing. Kids will tune in to this book's clear message about appearances. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Hardcover. Condition: Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Good. Martin is a good-looking, self-assured boy who accepts a ride home from a drunken acquaintance and ends up in a horrible accident--badly burned, his face completely disfigured. Life as it was before is over.he loses his girlfriend and his friends, and finds that people are making judgements about him and how he feels without even knowing. As Martin struggles through the reconstruction of his face, he is also working hard to reconstruct his life. His character, however, remains intact. There are startling truths in this story, written with clarity and insight, which make it utterly believable and impossible to read without heartfelt empathy. Parents, librarians, teachers and mostly children will be absorbed by the story. Due to age and/or environmental conditions, the pages of this book have darkened. Former library book. Mylar protector included. Solid binding. Please note the image in this listing is a stock photo and may not match the covers of the actual item. Ex-Library. Seller Inventory # 123683839
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