Little Soldier

Little Soldier

by Bernard Ashley (Author)

Synopsis

When Kaninda survives a brutal attack on his village in East Africa he joins the rebel army, where he's trained to carry weapons, and use them. But aid workers take him to London, to a new family and a comprehensive school. Clan and tribal conflicts are everywhere, and on the streets it's estate versus estate, urban tribe against urban tribe. All Kaninda wants it to get back to his own war and take revenge on his enemies. But together with Laura Rose, the daughter of his new family, he is drawn into a dangerous local conflict that is spiraling out of control.

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 256
Edition: First Edition
Publisher: Orchard Books
Published: 30 Sep 1999

ISBN 10: 1860398790
ISBN 13: 9781860398797
Children’s book age: 12+ Years
Book Overview: Kaninda is an orphan from the war in East Africa, where he was a boy soldier, but even in a comprehensive school in south London he finds clan and tribal conflicts are very much alive.
Prizes: Shortlisted for Guardian Children's Fiction Prize 2000 and Carnegie Medal 2000.

Media Reviews
This is Ashley at his hard-hitting best * The Daily Telegraph *
A serious and provocative reflection on kids and war, this novel should spark debate * The Daily Telegraph *
[Ashley's] gritty urban realism marks a fresh approach to children's writing * Financial Times *
Another thoughtful and topical tale * Daily Mail *
Compelling and unforgettable * Time Out *
It's wonderful to have another full-length, meaty novel from this gritty writer * The Bookseller *
A considerable achievement * Books For Keeps *
Original and touching * Scotland on Sunday *
Ashley is sympathetic without ever sentimentalising the survival tactics of his little soldier * The Guardian *
Author Bio
Bernard Ashley is one of the top writers for teenagers today. Drawing on his experience as a headteacher in a South London school he writes exciting, hard-hitting stories for the young adult reader plus picture book and younger fiction texts. \n \nBernard's first novel, The Trouble with Donovan Croft won the 'Other Award', an alternative to the Carnegie Award and since then Bernard has written extensively both for television and the children's book market. His adaptation of his own novel Dodgem won the Royal Television Society Award for the Best Children's Entertainment Programme. \n \nBernard has written a number of successful novels for Orchard Books. Tiger Without Teeth was chosen as the Guardian's Children's Book of the Week, Little Soldier about the gang-run estates of inner London was shortlisted for both the Carnegie and Guardian Fiction Award and Revenge House a hard-hitting crime thriller are all typical of Bernard's highly charged, gritty approach. \n \nBernard Ashley lives in South East London only a street or so from where he was born. During his time as a teacher and headteacher he worked in Kent, Hertfordshire, Newham and Greenwich. \n \nVisit Bernard Ashley at: www.bashley.com