Illegal

by Eoin Colfer, Andrew Donkin, Giovanni Rigano (Illustrator)

Overview

A powerfully moving, award-winning graphic novel that explores the current plight of undocumented immigrants from New York Times bestselling author Eoin Colfer and the team behind the Artemis Fowl graphic novels. How can a human being be illegal for simply existing?

Ebo is alone. His brother, Kwame, has disappeared, and Ebo knows it can only be to attempt the hazardous journey to Europe, and a better life—the same journey their sister set out on months ago. But Ebo refuses to be left behind in Ghana. He sets out after Kwame and joins him on the quest to reach Europe. Ebo's epic journey takes him across the Sahara Desert to the dangerous streets of Tripoli, and finally out to the merciless sea. But with every step he holds on to his hope for a new life, and a reunion with his family.

An achingly poignant tale for learning about immigration and current global issues. This book is fiction, but it is based on a very real and terrible journey. There are young people who have lived this, and it is a story those young people want us to know about.

2019 Excellence in Graphic Literature Award Winner

A New York Public Library Best Book of 2018

A Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2018

An Amazon Best Book of 2018

A Kirkus Reviews Best Middle Grade Graphic Novel of 2018

An American Library Association Notable Book for 2019

2019 YALSA Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens

2019 CBC Notable Social Studies Book

A Junior Library Guild Selection

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781492665823
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	08/07/2018
Pages:	144
Product dimensions:	6.60(w) x 10.20(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Eoin Colfer worked as a primary school teacher before becoming a full-time writer. He spent four years between 1992 and 1996 working in Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and Italy. His first book, Benny and Omar, was based on his experiences in Tunisia. In 2001, the first book in the bestselling Artemis Fowl series was published. Over the years, his works have been named a Book Sense Book of the Year nominee, an L.A. Times Book Prize finalist, and a Virginia Readers’ Choice Award nominee. Eoin lives in Ireland with his family. Learn more at eoincolfer.com.

Andrew Donkin is the author of more than sixty books and graphic novels for children and adults. His books have been translated into thirty languages around the world and have sold more than eight million copies in the last decade. He lives in London. Learn more at andrewdonkin.co.uk.

Giovanni Rigano is an Italian artist and illustrator born in Cantù, Italy. He is best known for his role in the creation of the Artemis Fowl graphic novels, the first of which came out in 2007. Giovanni has also created graphic novels for Disney, including The Incredibles and Pirates of the Caribbean. Giovanni currently lives in Como, Italy.

Hometown:

Wexford Town, County Wexford, Republic of Ireland

Date of Birth:

May 14, 1965

Place of Birth:

Waterford City, County Waterford, Republic of Ireland

Education:

Bachelor of Education, 1986; Education Diploma, 1987

Website:

http://www.eoincolfer.com

Editorial Reviews

…the contrast between the warm golds and browns of Africa make a stunning visual pattern as they alternate with the blues, greens, grays and purples of the sea voyage…The visual aspect of Illegal is both manageable and richly complex; there is a gorgeous and glorious level of detail and attention to hue in Rigano's illustrations, which lift a relatively straightforward story to a higher plane. The graphic novel format, and Rigano's inspired illustrations, drive and enhance Colfer and Donkin's written dialogue. The complete package is a highly accessible introduction to the plight of all refugees.

The New York Times Book Review - Elizabeth Wein

"Raw, realistic, and emotional, this graphic novel puts a harrowing spin on immigration and the risks people take to seek opportunities in other countries.... This graphic novel...makes truths about humanity abundantly clear with the frightening situations and tragic outcomes conveyed through the narrative, emotive illustrations, and the true story in the last five pages. Middle and high schools can use this book in curriculum and recommend it to comic enthusiasts." — VOYA Magazine

"The horrors Ebo witnesses, the impossibilities he survives, are haunting testimony to the human spirit. Artemis Fowl series creator Colfer (who taught elementary school in Italy, Saudi Arabia, and Tunisia) leads the team... in transforming staggering statistics (UNHCR’s 2017 data cites 65.6 million have been forcibly displaced) into a resonating story about a single boy and what remains of his family. Italian artist Rigano’s gorgeously saturated panels—rich in details, affecting in its captured expressions, landscapes made spectacular as if a reminder of everyday beauty despite tragedy—proves to be an enhancing visual gift to the already stirring story. A creators’ note and quotes from real refugees close out this illuminating, important volume. " — Booklist, STARRED Review

"Moving and heartbreaking... Ebo’s story is powerful and necessary, and will encourage readers to help refugees in whatever ways they can." — Bookish

"Action-filled and engaging but considerate of both topic and audience, Ebo's story effectively paints a picture of a child refugee's struggle in a world crisscrossed by hostile borders." — Kirkus Reviews

"Moving and informative, Illegal puts an unforgettable human face to the issue of immigration; it is recommended for all readers of middle school level or higher." — ForeWord, STARRED Review

"Achingly poignant graphic novel" — Publishers Weekly, STARRED Review

"A thrilling and moving addition to any collection, and ideal supplemental reading in classes where students are studying immigration." — School Library Journal

"Illegal powerfully visualizes the current struggles being faced by refugees and emigrants...through stunning, intimate visuals" — Entertainment Weekly

"The complete package is a highly accessible introduction to the plight of all refugees... a memorial to the dead and, to the unstoppable living, a call to action." — The New York Times

From the Publisher

05/01/2018
Gr 6–8—Twelve-year-old Ebo's tale doesn't begin on the raft on his way to Europe. It doesn't begin as he works in the streets of Tripoli, Libya, to earn his fare. It doesn't begin with the journey across the Sahara or even in his home of Ghana. It starts when his brother, Kwame, leaves home to find their sister, Sisi, long departed for Europe. Not content with a life of poverty, Ebo, too, takes off, close on his brother's heels. Colfer and Donkin gloss over nothing in their portrayal of undocumented immigration, from illness and violence to poverty and corruption. Throughout the months of hard labor he must endure to pay for a ticket, sleeping outdoors and depending on the kindness of strangers, Ebo remains determined. Rigano's dynamic images keep readers on the edge of their seats, and the portrayal of tenacious Ebo is elegant but unromanticized. In a scene toward the end, in which rescue is uncertain, the authors firmly assert that no human is illegal; Ebo says, "They must help us, we are people." The novel concludes with a starkly illustrated true account of an immigrant who faced trauma in her quest for a better life. VERDICT A thrilling and moving addition to any collection, and ideal supplemental reading in classes where students are studying immigration.—Anna Murphy, Berkeley Carroll School, Brooklyn

School Library Journal

This audiobook is a moving testament to the difficulties faced by African refugees in search of a better life. Ebo follows his brother, who has left their Ghanaian village in hopes of immigrating to Europe. He meets both helpful and brutal people during harrowing months of travel. The story employs multiple devices to mirror its dark atmosphere and the "word bubbles" of its origin as a graphic novel. Instead of color, music and sound effects suggest mood and are often a backdrop for dialogue. Sometimes young Ebo sings. Locational cues are frequent—waves crashing against a leaky boat, cacophonous voices in the city, truck engines failing in the desert, a hungry baby crying. An ensemble cast speaks emotively with authentic accents, making the characters distinguishable and believable. L.T. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

NOVEMBER 2018 - AudioFile

★ 2018-05-14
Ebo is known across his village for his beautiful singing voice, but will his voice keep him safe in his journey to the shores of Europe? Readers follow the flight of Ebo, a Ghanaian refugee child, to Europe to find the siblings who fled before him. Ebo's journey takes him across the scorching heat of the Sahara and through the streets of Tripoli, where he works to raise funds for passage across the Mediterranean. All the while, Ebo and the companions he meets along the way must elude the watchful eyes of the authorities who are constantly on alert for refugees. But after Ebo finally saves enough money and secures a seat on a boat crossing to Greece, he finds himself on the brink of death. Like all the others, it is too crowded; the engine is broken; and the fuel is slowly running out. Authors and illustrator take readers back and forth through time, building suspense as Ebo's story of survival unfolds. The format allows sensitive and difficult topics such as murder, death, and horrific, traumatizing conditions to unfold for children, Ebo's reactions speaking volumes and dramatic perspectives giving a sense of scope. A creators' note provides factual context, and an appendix offers an Eritrean refugee's minimemoir in graphic form.Action-filled and engaging but considerate of both topic and audience, Ebo's story effectively paints a picture of a child refugee's struggle in a world crisscrossed by hostile borders. (Graphic fiction. 10-15)

Kirkus Reviews