Child I

Child I

Steve Tasane,

Child I

Faber, 2018

ISBN 9780571337835

11-14 Shortlist 2019

 

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out of 5
 

 

 

Who Wrote It?

Steve Tasane was born in Leeds and grew up in Northallerton with his Mum, three brothers, a dog called Koko and a cat called Jasper.

As an adult, Steve moved to London and became a political activist, taking jobs that allowed him the time to organise protest marches – he worked as a petrol pump attendant, a cycle courier, a cleaner in a sweet factory and a carer, before he found a job organising poetry shows. From there, Steve began to organise poetry workshops in schools, and eventually found himself writing more and more for kids in schools. He now writes for young adults.

What's It About?

A group of undocumented children with letters for name are stuck living in a refugee camp, with stories to tell but no papers to prove them. As they try to forge a new family amongst themselves, they also long to keep memories of their old identities alive.

Will they be heard and believed? And what will happen to them if they aren't?

Fact File

Child I is Steve’s third book for young adults.

Steve was a busker in London’s Leicester Square.

He is a performance poet and has performed at Glastonbury.

Steve has been writer-in-residence for both the V&A Museum of Childhood and Battersea Dogs’ Home.

Child I was published by Faber & Faber on 3rd May 2018.

To find out more about Steve, check out his website https://stevetasane.wordpress.com/ or follow him on Twitter @SteveTasane

Your Reviews

Alex from King James's School, Knaresborough:

5 words to describe this book are: emotional, shocking, dramatic, slow-paced and sweet.

The book is about a camp that keeps people without a passport, or how they call them, a life book, from running away from a war. All the children have a letter instead of a name. The main character is Child I. he meets some friends through the story and tries to make them as happy as possible.

At first I wasn’t sure I would like the book but found that despite my first impressions it was amazing. It was so emotional and heart-warming. I would definitely recommend this book.

Alex gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Book Case: An Emily Lime Mystery by Dave Shelton.

Lily from PHGS:

I really enjoyed this book although I would love to find out what happens when they are looking for O.

I also thought the ending was rushed but overall it was one of my favourite books.

Lily gave Child I 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Below Zero by Dan Smith.

SAFFY from JOHN SMEATON ACADEMY :

I didn't like this book that much. In this book there is a boy called child I. He lives in a refugee camp with his new friends child L, child E (her brother),child V and child O. One day he and his friends go with child C - who lived in the city with his mum but they come and stay at the camp and provide the women and children a place to stay. His real name is Seymore. -go to play in a field together when they hear gun shots. I thought the author dragged the story out and it finished just as it started to get good. If you like books about children trying to survive together after loosing their families then this book is for you.

SAFFY gave Child I 2 out of 5 and now plans to read The Extinction Trials by S M Wilson.

Miss Burns from Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School:

I really enjoyed this fascinating insight into life in a refugee camp - I think it is a really important experience for all children to read about. I would have liked to see some more insight into the experiences of some of the other children in the camp, but I thought that the relationships between the children were portrayed beautifully and the sense of community among them really shone through.

Miss Burns gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Below Zero by Dan Smith.

Lily-Rose from Allerton Grange School:

This book was gritty and down-to-earth. At first, I thought it was a bit too bleak, but as you got used to it, it really made me realise how lucky we are not to live in a place like the camp. At the end, I really wanted to find out what happened to O. This only took me 2 days to read, it was so good.

Lily-Rose gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Extinction Trials by S M Wilson.

rebecca from royds:

the story line at first was a tiny bit confusing, but as i read on, the story line made a lot more sense to me. My overall opinion of the book is that its an amazing idea and i would definitely read something by this author again.

rebecca gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Below Zero by Dan Smith.

thomas from john smeaton accadomy:

i really enjoyed child i as it had an interesting premiss but it was sad to learn how the storie was not fiction but real

thomas gave Child I 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Book Case: An Emily Lime Mystery by Dave Shelton.

Isma from Roundhay High School:

This book was really intriguing - at the end I really wanted to find out about Child I's identity.

Isma gave Child I 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Book Case: An Emily Lime Mystery by Dave Shelton.

Liabah from Allerton Grange School:

I really like this book because it shows life for kids in the war so that I know how much people suffer during wars, everyday.

Liabah gave Child I 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Extinction Trials by S M Wilson.

Natalie from Phgs :

I think it was a great book because it shows you what other people in refugee camps are going through and how lucky we are. However I think it was a bit rushed at the end and could have been longer. I really enjoyed reading it and would recommend it to people looking for a good book.

Natalie gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Book Case: An Emily Lime Mystery by Dave Shelton.

Miles from Royds:

I actually liked this book a lot more than I expected to considering most people in my class said that they didn't really enjoy this book that much. Child I was a very well written book from the perspective of someone going through a hard time during being moved to a camp after their village being constantly raided and bombed. The ending gave me a different view to how badly it would've been for children compared to adults in that time so I'm glad I read it.

Miles gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Extinction Trials by S M Wilson.

Aminah from Allerton Grange School:

I didn't finish the book as i found it very boring as the language used was very basic. Also i think this book should be recommended for year 4/5 students.

Aminah gave Child I 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Below Zero by Dan Smith.

Shannon from Corpus Christi Catholic College:

This book let you experience what a refuge child feels in the camps, and it tells you what happens to most of them.

The characters had a lot of different personality and the book can help you get an understanding of refuge camps.

It was a good book, and I could read it again

Shannon gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Below Zero by Dan Smith.

Emily from Prince Henry’s grammar school:

I love the book so much and really made me think about other people’s situation and how lucky I am. I really like how I was still smart despite not really having a proper education. I think that people should definitely read this book my only complaint is that it wasn’t longer.

Emily gave Child I 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Bone Talk by Candy Gourlay.

Charlie from Allerton High:

Child I for me was quite a good book though it didn't really suit the genre of book that I like to read. I like more adventure books and for me Child I was quite soft and not much action.

Charlie gave Child I 3 out of 5 and now plans to read The Book Case: An Emily Lime Mystery by Dave Shelton.

Millie from Roundhay Secondary School :

I like how the characters remained anonymous. I thought the idea of not having a front page very original and interesting. I liked how it was quite a minimalist book in design so the whole focus was on the story. I did think though that the book was incredibly short but it was filled with such an interesting story.

Millie gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Mud by Emily Thomas.

Isabelle from Prince Henry’s grammar school:

This is a book I wouldn’t normally read because I typically read a book about mystery or fantasy but I feel like it wasn’t the story I thought it would be.All I would say is the ending is quite rushed and I think you should make a sequel!

Isabelle gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Bone Talk by Candy Gourlay.

Amirah from Allerton High:

This book was VERY intriguing! I read it in one day as it was very short but was very informing and gripping. It makes it seem mysterious by using letters for names.It is very emotional and gave you a true and great insight as to how badly they were treated. I recommend it for anyone really!!!

Amirah gave Child I 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Mud by Emily Thomas.

Anna from corpus christi catholic college:

I believe that this book is filled with an array of emotions and feelings on many different levels. Steve Tasane attempts to convey a sad, deep message about refugee camps but doesn't fully succeed. I believe that there could of been a bit more adventure rather than the emotions that is my only issue. I enjoyed the fact that reading all these books has opened my mind to see all the different religions and cultures that people in there daily lives do not understand sometimes and showing the horrific reality of refugee camps

Anna gave Child I 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Mud by Emily Thomas.

Millie from Prince Henrys Grammar School:

This book is very interesting and isn’t something I’d normally read, but I ended up really liking it. The fact that it is written about a camp with children just like my friends and I is riveting. The only thing I dislike about Child I is that I felt the ending was rushed, and wasn’t properly finished.

Millie gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Mud by Emily Thomas.

Hamza from Southfield Grange Trust:

Child I is about a boy named I who lives in a refugee camp without his mum and dad. He has only has two friends.

I think this book is very emotional and sad.

Hamza gave Child I 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Mud by Emily Thomas.

sofia from royds:

One of the best books i have read , although short an amazing read . Definitely recommend it.

sofia gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Book Case: An Emily Lime Mystery by Dave Shelton.

Sarah from Lawnswood School:

I think it the character has an interesting past and the story is filled with heart, surprises sadness and fun. It really makes you feel all sorts of emotions for the main character. I love it.

Sarah gave Child I 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Mud by Emily Thomas.

Caitlin from Abbey grange academy:

It gave you a good insight to what children in these camps would have felt and been put through. It opens your eyes to what these people went through and shows you how fortunate you are and how many people suffered unfairly.

Caitlin gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Mud by Emily Thomas.

LM from Mannor CE Academy :

I would rate child I 3 star because I thought that the characters in the book were great and their personalities came through perfectly with V being my favourite. However, it could have had a little more adventure and maybe a better climax. The setting and characters could have more adventure and more memories.

The idea of the dolls was great too and I liked how much child I loved the others enough to do extra work and paint them in their favourite colours. It was a very cute book and it made me feel lots of empathy for the young children in these situations. A sequel to this book would be great too!

LM gave Child I 3 out of 5 and now plans to read The Extinction Trials by S M Wilson.

Jacob from corpus christi catholic college, Leeds:

decent book - not that easy to get into

Jacob gave Child I 2 out of 5 and now plans to read Mud by Emily Thomas.

ben from John Smeaton academy:

an amazing novel telling a terrible yet brilliant representation of life in the refugee camps i couldn't put it down my words do not do it justice, I simply can't recommend it enough.

ben gave Child I 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Extinction Trials by S M Wilson.

Ethan from Corpus Christi:

I think this book was great because it was very interesting and unlike any book I have ever read before. It is about a boy called child i who lives in a refugee camp with his friends called child l, o, v and e. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.

Ethan gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Book Case: An Emily Lime Mystery by Dave Shelton.

Kate from John Smeaton academy:

Child I is a book about a young boy who lives in a refugee camp because his family has been bombed. His friends are l o v and e and together the try and survive with no food and no homes.

All of the children in the book are called ‘child’ and then a letter for example child a or child I. This is because they have no “life book” so cannot prove their identities.

I found this book really good because it was based on true event that actually happen in our world . It made me feel sad because the children in the book have really hard lives and people are actually suffering in camps like the one in child I .

This book also was good because it showed good friendship between the characters. The author was very original by putting the first page of the book on the front cover and I thought it was very clever.

My favourite character was child v because she was funny and had a good personality.

I would recommend this book to lots of people because it had a bit of everything and even though it is not the kind of book I would normally read, it was really great and I enjoyed reading it.

Kate gave Child I 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Below Zero by Dan Smith.

Anisa from Southfield Grange Trust:

I really like Child I because it is very calm and has a very legible story. I like how everybody has letters for names instead of actual names and that in each chapter everyone’s name spells out a word. To my mind it is a very good book and I really enjoyed reading it.

I think that the author was being really smart by making the main characters’ name I and writing it in the first person.

It is a very good story and I love how the book starts on the cover which is something I’ve never seen before and I think it is cool.

Anisa gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Below Zero by Dan Smith.

Mrs Ogden from Silcoates School:

I think this is a book that all children should read as it reminds you how lucky you are. It is an emotional story about a group of children living in a refugee camp who form a close bond. You are given little background information about the children or where they are staying but I feel that this is perhaps to emphasise that they feel as though they don't belong. The ending feels a little abrupt and a little sad but also looks positively to the future.

Mrs Ogden gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Book Case: An Emily Lime Mystery by Dave Shelton.

Mrs from Silcoates School:

I think this is a book that all children should read as it reminds you how lucky you are. It is an emotional story about a group of children living in a refugee camp who form a close bond. You are given little background information about the children or where they are staying but I feel that this is perhaps to emphasise that they feel as though they don't belong. The ending feels a little abrupt and a little sad but also looks positively to the future.

Mrs gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Book Case: An Emily Lime Mystery by Dave Shelton.

Rakia from Southfield Grange Trust:

Child I is about a refugee who doesn’t have a passport and so he doesn’t have a name. He is named after a letter, the book talks about I and his friends and their life in the refugee camp. It talks of their lives before the camp and their adventures and aspirations and what they want their lives to be like instead of living in a camp.

This book opens your eyes to the lives of children who, to us don’t exist or have names. I re4ally liked this book as people are more aware of what it is like to be a refugee and the reality of it all.

Rakia gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Bone Talk by Candy Gourlay.

Ellie from Prince Henry's Grammar School:

I think this book was very powerful and the story is very engrosing. I think that the subject is something that most people know nothing about and I think the topic should be more well known as it is a bigart of todays soceity. Although the story is amazing I think that the end is a bit rushed and Is feelings could be explained more during the end. Overall I love it and would reccomend it to young people like myself.

Ellie gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Mud by Emily Thomas.

Reuben from King James's School, Knaresborough:

This book is set in a refugee camp following a group of children who have only letters for names for example L O V E I.

This book has a very good concept in the fact that the people are named after letters but having these names makes it hard to follow.

It has a very tedious plot as the most exciting thing in the camp is the fact that the guards have stolen somebody's shoes and a games room was destroyed.

To improve this book, I would add more action like the people rebelling against the guards with a huge battle for freedom.

Reuben gave Child I 2 out of 5 and now plans to read The Extinction Trials by S M Wilson.

Abi from Kin:

Child I is a book written by Steve Tasane which tells the story of a group of children in a refugee camp. This is not the kind of book I enjoy reading. There was almost no action within this book and when there was it didn’t seem worth it after reading a lot of pages of them doing nothing. I found the layout of the book very confusing, especially since the first page of the book starts on the front cover. It was written in the 1st person but at the start it was confusing since his name was I, then it became obvious it was in the 1st person. The main character was only ten years old and had stopped going to school. However, he still managed to know long and complicated words like, corroborated, which even I didn’t know the meaning of. I didn't like the end and I didn't feel it was worth reading a whole book for this disappointing conclusion. It finished on a type of cliff hanger but there didn't seem to me to be a need for a sequel.

Abi gave Child I 1 out of 5 and now plans to read Mud by Emily Thomas.

Natalya from Prince Henry’s Grammar School:

It is a very deep book.I know it is sad but this really made me understand how it is for people coming over in a camp trapped from a life outside the camp,which they really want.It is good that it is written from a children’s point of view the only thing was that it was a little rushed at the end ,I would of liked to see them find o!

Natalya gave Child I 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Mud by Emily Thomas.

Poppy from St Marys Menston School:

This book makes you want to read more, with very interesting stories about refuge camps. With some sad stories, but some happy and exiting stories. Also with a very creative start as the cover is in fact the front page.

Poppy gave Child I 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Book Case: An Emily Lime Mystery by Dave Shelton.

Jemima from Abbey Grange Academy:

I quite like this book because it didn’t give a specific time period. At first, I thought that it was a displaced persons camp from WW2, but then later thought it was a refugee camp now.

Jemima gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Mud by Emily Thomas.

Kira from Royds School:

I liked the book. It was very interesting and fun to read. It was a bit confusing at the start as i didn't know where they were, but in the end it was clear. It was a really fun read, and it's easy to dive into. Overall, this is a brilliant book and i would recommend this to anyone.

Kira gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Book Case: An Emily Lime Mystery by Dave Shelton.

Leena from Royds :

I enjoyed the theme of the book.I also enjoyed that it is based off of real life events. it was a bit confusing that the story started on the outside of the book but once I had worked that I was immediately drawn into the story.

Leena gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Extinction Trials by S M Wilson.

Luisa from Cardinal Heenan catholic high school:

The book was good and I enjoyed it however I did find the plot a bit confusing at times. Although I do think it is a good way to tell the story of the refugees.

Luisa gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Bone Talk by Candy Gourlay.

Mrs from Lawnswood School:

An intriguing read that allows readers to see the perspectives of young people. I found some of the dialogue a little bit frustrating at times and some of the characters underdeveloped. However, I really enjoyed the context and the insights into life in a refugee camp.

Mrs gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Mud by Emily Thomas.

Hamza from Southfield Grange Trust:

Child I is about a little boy named I who is refugee and is living in a camp. He has no mum dad or siblings as they have died in war. So I lives with V and L and they support each other throughout the process.

The story was written in first person and this was good because it gave the persons emotions.

I personally think that this book is inspirational and it shows the readers how people come through hard times to have fun. Also it shows money doesn’t always bring happiness.

The story was perfect for my age because it didn’t have any graphic or bad bits in the book.

Hamza gave Child I 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Below Zero by Dan Smith.

Shelly from Allerton high school:

This is an amazing book but kind of sad. My favourite character is v because she is very brave. I would rate it 4 :5.

Shelly gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Below Zero by Dan Smith.

Skye from John Smeaton Academy:

I really liked this book especially how the story began on the front cover because then in shops people can not judge this book by what images are on the front cover.Another reason I liked this book is because their names were anonymous until the near end.

This book is about a boy who lives in a refugee camp and cant not remember much from his past since he has been in the camp so long. This story is based on child I as you read by the title however it mentions other children for instance child A and child B and other children down to z. They are called child I and child B because they have nothing that can prove their identity.

I like how it brings back moments from the past and things that happen now because it really makes you feel bad for the kids and adults that are stuck in these types of camps.This happens to a lot of children even now and it really thinks how lucky we are now especially how at the beginning of the book some of the children were eating crumbs out of the mud.

You should read this as it is heart-warming.

Skye gave Child I 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Mud by Emily Thomas.

Emily from Abbey Grange C of E Academy:

This is really good and it’s actually a current issue in our society.

Emily gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Book Case: An Emily Lime Mystery by Dave Shelton.

Lauren from Roundhay School:

Child I was very good. I like how the true identities of the characters were kept anonymous and thought that the way the character's names spelt words was clever. It was a very eye-opening book. The writing style was childish, which fit the book, but isn't really what I like. I like how the story began on the front cover, it gave the impression that the narrator had little paper.

Lauren gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Mud by Emily Thomas.

Sana from Southfield Grange Trust:

This book is about a boy who lives in a refugee camp and on his birthday he can’t remember anything from the past because he spent so much of his time at the refugee camp.

I enjoyed this book because it is a real life story and it is still happening today.

Sana gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Below Zero by Dan Smith.

Areeba from Southfield Grange Trust:

Child I is a book about kids and adults who have different backgrounds some who have no family some who have 1 family member. These kids whose passport OR ‘LIFEBOOK’ has been stolen and can’t prove their identity, their names, or their birthdays so are given letters instead of names.

I really loved this book it was one of the best books I have ever read I finished this book in a period of 2 days I could not put it down whenever I found a chance I would just keep reading it.

I love the way the front cover is a type of blurb I thought it was very unique this book really touches you it makes you think this is really happening to children out there the end of the book was great. So far from the LBA books I have read 2 books and this is definitely my favourite

Areeba gave Child I 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Mud by Emily Thomas.

Simra from Southfield Grange Trust:

Child I is a book which is about a boy who is a refugee. he does not have a passport so he therefore does not have a real name.

I liked this book because it gave the reader the life perspective of a child refugee.

Simra gave Child I 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Mud by Emily Thomas.

Mahum from Allerton high school:

This book is a fantastic war fiction.It was very heartwarming and relates to real life events.It is a good book to read and I recommend it to anyone who likes a good book which they can get stuck in.

Mahum gave Child I 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Book Case: An Emily Lime Mystery by Dave Shelton.

Jessica from Allerton High School :

I really enjoy reading this book. It has a very exciting plot and it is very intriguing. This book is about children who are homeless and getting together which makes a wonderful friendship group and it will warm your heart when you imagine them being together. The main characters are child L,O,V,E,I,O and E. My favourite part of the book is when they never give up on finding child O. It was a very upsetting scene. The setting is in a camp where the children doesn’t have any any food to eat and abandoned by their relatives and parents. I would recommend it to anyone who absolutely loves adventurous stories.

Jessica gave Child I 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Book Case: An Emily Lime Mystery by Dave Shelton.

lily from john smeaton acadamy:

Child I is intriguing book. It is mysterious how you don't find out the children's names until near the end of the book. Instead they are referred to as letters such as l and e. I don't want to reveal much of the plot for people who are looking to read this but it is very good and i do recommend it.

lily gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Below Zero by Dan Smith.

Violet from Benton Park:

This book is brilliant! It is set out a little bit like a play but is a simple 1/2 day read. If you're looking for a short but real life book then you've found one right here.

This book is about a young boy who has lost his family and is living in a camp. He doesn't even have a proper name so he is called Child I. His friends( Child E,L,V,O and C) which are always by his side.

This story will warm your heart as they all go on an epic adventure.

Violet gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Book Case: An Emily Lime Mystery by Dave Shelton.

Annabel from Roundhay High:

I love how the book starts on the front cover and it tell you where they truly are it also ends on a cliff hanger.

Annabel gave Child I 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Mud by Emily Thomas.

Kyra from John Smeaton Academy:

Child I is a look into the horrifying lifestyle of children in a camp. It talks about these poor children pretty much having to fight for food to keep themselves alive. I really like how it is set in the mind-set of a child from the camp and that we get to know his thoughts. Child I is a ten year old boy who has a group of friends: L,E,V,O so the all have to work together in this camp just to keep themselves alive. What I liked about the book was it was very descriptive of the camp and their surroundings. What would have been better though is if the author had described how they had to come to the camp and what sort of camp it was. This is the main reason I gave it a four. Altogether, this is a great read and defiantly would read it again. The description was so amazing. Really made me feel like I was there!

Kyra gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Book Case: An Emily Lime Mystery by Dave Shelton.

Jake from Corpus Christi Catholic College:

Child I is a book that attempts to convey a sad message about refugee camps but doesn't do an amazing job at doing so. I think the main reason for this is because of how the book is structured. Having a book from a child's perspective could have been good however the protagonist is meant to be 10 but the language used and the sentence structure is more akin to a 6 year old. Most sentences are only a handful of words long leading to a boring story. The lack of exposition also ruins the book as we know nothing about this world so we don't know how bad the camp is compared to the rest of the world. The characters all blend together and feel the same, the camp is meant to seem drab and sad but the perspective of the characters fails to show this.

Jake gave Child I 2 out of 5 and now plans to read Mud by Emily Thomas.

Amirah from Allerton Grange :

A sad story with a true meaning. A family of friends stick together no matter what. Overall, a brilliant novel.

Amirah gave Child I 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Below Zero by Dan Smith.

Ella from John Smeaton Academy:

Child I is a touching and interesting novel that is a must read for not only teens but adults as well. This book gives you a glimpse of the lives of the unfortunate children who are forced to live in a refugee camp with no identity and really makes you think about people who are less fortunate than you.

Ella gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Extinction Trials by S M Wilson.

Amelie from Roundhay high school:

Child I was very beautiful and emotional. I love it so much and the fact that they had no names just letters.If I got the chance I would definitely read it again.Hope it gets on top 3

Amelie gave Child I 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Below Zero by Dan Smith.

james from crawshaw :

its was a good book, I liked the that it did not specify the country and the race

james gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Below Zero by Dan Smith.

Mrs from Crawshaw Academy:

I really enjoyed this book. It is quite an easy read and the fact that it isn't set in a particular country allows the reader to look at the plight of refugees without any preconceptions. I like the idea of the story beginning on the front cover, it was a quirky idea.

Mrs gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Below Zero by Dan Smith.

Malachy from St.Mary:

A very emotional book that pulls every heart string in your body. it is very relative to today's world and reminds us how lucky we are to have a school, education, family and freedom. Every day brings more hardships but these outstandingly optimistic children keep going. that is what this book is about keeping going when its hard and so should we

Malachy gave Child I 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Below Zero by Dan Smith.

Ryan from John Smeaton Academy:

Child I is a book full of adventure and curiosity. Child I has no life book, none of them do. Does that mean they have no life? They can't prove who they are or who they were. Does that mean this camp is the last place for them? As you read on, more and more is found, more corruption, more unfairness and more friendship. However, the first couple of chapters can be fairly boring as nothing happens. In my opinion, it does gain the attention of the reader as you try and find the lives of O, I, L, V, E, C and Charity. You crave to know if they'll make it out. If they'll find home. If they'll get their life back. Also, the plot behind the book shows the reality in such an interesting way. Never have I found a book that made such a modern issue, so interesting.

Ryan gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Below Zero by Dan Smith.

Alfie from Corpus Christi:

I think Child I takes an interesting view on modern day issues. The characters are, despite there lack of backstory, compelling. I think the lack of backstory helped that as it adds an interesting take on lots of books that are about this sort of thing but are almost completely about the past of the characters while this book favours the present and out rightly states that in the beginning of the book. I felt like the beginning of the book was a bit hard to follow but as I read more, more made sense.

Alfie gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Book Case: An Emily Lime Mystery by Dave Shelton.

Edith from Cardinal Heenan Catholic High school:

It was really good and I liked the plot and I thought the message of the book was delivered very clearly. I found the book very moving and I found it an enjoyable read. The reason that I only rated it a four, however, was due to the fact that I did not find it as clear as where the characters actually are and were the book is actually set.

Edith gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Below Zero by Dan Smith.

Aya from Southfield Grange Trust:

This book is about a boy who lives in a Refugee camp and on his birthday he can’t remember anything from the past because he spent such a long time in the refugee camp.

I did enjoy the story because it is a real life story and its still happing today.

Aya gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Extinction Trials by S M Wilson.

Rain from Southfield Grange Trust:

This story is about a young refugee living in a refugee camp guarded by guards. The refugee boy is called ‘I’. Everyone in the camp has a letter instead of a name. I and his friends have hard times in the camp.

In my opinion I don’t really like the book because it didn’t explain I’s background before the story started. Another reason why I didn’t like the book is because I’m not really into these kind of books about refugees and camps.

Rain gave Child I 1 out of 5 and now plans to read Bone Talk by Candy Gourlay.

Mrs Blashill from Southfield Grange Trust:

Child I is the story of a group of refugee children in a camp and takes place over a few days, it is very intense and crams a lot of details into the tale. The children have all lost their papers and without identification they cannot transit from the camp to the outside world.

The important message I took from this book is that Child I doesn’t ever loose his childhood amongst this terrible background.

The layout of the book is quite gimmicky, the story starts on the front cover, is this to show that everything is in short supply so every piece of paper must be used? Some of the chapters use the initials of the group of children to spell different words, which I really liked.

It is worth visiting Steve’s website, especially to listen to his poem about public libraries.

Mrs Blashill gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Bone Talk by Candy Gourlay.

Samantha from Southfield Grange Campus:

This story is set in a refugee camp. The main characters are E, l and V. It is I’s birthday and he is turning 10. His real name is Tasane. He lives with 3 brothers and his mother.

This story was written in third person. I enjoyed the story because it was set in a refugee camp and it shows, no matter where you’re living you can still enjoy life. Unfortunately I didn’t have a favourite character as I liked them all.

I would say this book was OK for my age group.

Samantha gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Below Zero by Dan Smith.

Jack from Corpus Christi Catholic College:

I liked this book as it is based on real life experiences. I also like how the first page was on the front of the book. I also liked how each child had a letter instead of a name. Overall i thought it was a good book.

Jack gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Extinction Trials by S M Wilson.

Miss Busby from Corpus Christi Catholic College:

The unusual cover of the book grabbed my attention as soon as I received the shortlist for the Leeds Book Awards.

This book gives a real insight into the life of children living in a refugee camp.

All of the children living in the camp are known only by a letter.

The main character, Child I, is a typical ten-year-old boy who has no parents and has no documents to show his real name or date of birth.

The book is moving and though-provoking.

It's quite a short book and I read it in one sitting.

Miss Busby gave Child I 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Below Zero by Dan Smith.