Boy Overboard

Anyone who’s read Morris Gleitzman’s books knows that he can make you laugh, cry and think about stuff in the same book.

The story starts in Afghanistan, Jamal and his sister, Bibi, live with their mum and dad,
Jamal is crazy about soccer, and dreams of playing for Manchester United, and his sister is good at it, too, but being a girl in Afghanistan, she isn’t allowed to play.
They play on dry ground full of landmines and rusting tanks.
READ:p.14 Jamal’s ball has just got stuck under the wheel of a tank.

When officials find out that Jamal’s mother is running a school (it’s illegal), the family has to flee their home and go to Australia. They are smuggled onto a cramped boat full of desperate people with little water or food. show more The family is separated. Read it to find out what happens.

This is not a ‘miserable’ book, it’s a book with great characters, and lots of adventure and action.

Things to think about:

Refugees, How we feel about them, how we feel about people who are different to us, who come to our country to escape terrible situations.

Survival: p. 131 Read : ‘A whiff of vomit…’

The role of women and girls: there are lots of injustices and dangers faced by female characters.

Human rights

Questions to ask about the writing:

How does Gleitzman make use of comedy in a situation that is so serious and awful? show less

This is a great book in which the characters develop significantly. A young Afghani child and his sister have dreams to move to Australia to pursue a life of football. They accomplish their dream but with great difficulty.

Jamal and his sister Bibi love playing soccer. But there is a little problem - women aren't allowed to play soccer in Afghanistan. When they are forced to leave their country by the Taliban, they make their way to Australia. However, the journey isn't all smooth.

Jamal and his little sister Bibi live with their Mum and Dad in Afghanistan, where Jamal's Dad drives a taxi and his Mum runs an illegal school. Both children love playing soccer, but they live in a country where girls are forbidden to play soccer and the place where they play has many landmines nearby.
They dream of living in a place where the government allows them to play soccer and have a soccer team. Problems arise when officials discover that Jamal's mother is running a school and the family makes preparations to flee their home and country, and make their way to Australia.
They manage to find enough money to pay smugglers to bring them to Australia where they hope to begin a new, and freer life.
The events which happen in the show more book are based on the Tampa issue, telling the story from a refugees point of view. show less

This book is all right. This is a good intoduction to the world-wide issue of people smuggling for kids. A great book

Read for Year 7 English. Great entertaining book for year 7's. My class really enjoyed it. Looks into the life of refugees and the struggle of a family trying to leave their country to come to Australia.

Jamal, his younger sister Bibi, and his parents have to flee Afghanistan when their small home based school for boys and girls is discovered. Their home is blown up and all they have left is what they can carry and money made from selling their taxi. This is what they use to buy a way out of the country to a refugee camp in Australia. Available on tape