A Dangerous Crossing

by Jane Mitchell

Ghalib doesn't want to leave his home in Syria. But the city has become too dangerous, and his family has no choice but to flee. Together they make their way through Syria to the Turkish border, where Ghalib gets separated from his family. Stricken with grief and fear, fighting cold, pain and hunger, he manages to make it to a refugee camp in Turkey. Ghalib is safe for now, but life in a refugee camp is wretched and hopeless, and this boy's journey in search of safety is far from over. Based on true accounts and real Syrian children, A Dangerous Crossing is the story of one boy's search for refuge.

Genres: Middle Grade, Young Adult, Fiction, Middle East, Childrens, Politics

Paperback

Published February 23, 2017

About the author

Jane Mitchell was born in England, but she moved to Ireland later on, where she studied in Trinity College, Dublin, and taught elementary school children for a while before working in the community with at-risk teenagers who had dropped out of formal education.

She has also worked with young adults with disabilities.

Reviews

[Kealyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Dangerous Crossing by Jane Mitchell

5/5 stars

A Dangerous Crossing is a book that hit me really hard. And the author notes after the story ended were a punch to the gut and made me tear up.

ADC is the story of Ghalib Shenu and his family. The book starts when he and his cousin Hamza Al-Khateeb are stealing goods from damaged shops in the bombed Freedom Square in Kobani, Syria. The shopkeepers go after anyone who take items from their shops and they need to be very stealthy when they take things. There is also the constant worry of airstrikes. Ghalib decided to take his little brother Aylan with him and the second his mother finds out what he did he's in trouble. He gives her a new pair of shoes but his mother is not impressed. That night Hamza tells him he needs the shoes because he sold them and if he comes up short he'll get in trouble. Hamza forces him to go back back at night and steal a new pair of shoes. But everything implodes when a vicious airstrike hits Freedom Square and both are severely injured.

Ghalib's mother wants to run and find refuge in another country after her son gets hurt. His father is a pharmacist and he doesn't want to leave his patients who rely heavily on him. Everything changes when Ghalib is on the mend and the local fighters want Ghalib and his sister to join their armed forces. You can't say no and that is the exact nudge Ghalib's father needs in order to flee. 

Ghalib, his parents, brother, sister and grandmother pack up their things and plan their escape. And that is exactly what this book is about. It's about a family that needs to travel through a country that is destroyed by bombs everywhere and where you cannot travel safely out in the open.

It's a raw story about hope, perseverance, trust, racism, fear and the will to fight for your lives. It's about honoring each other's wishes and keeping an open heart to strangers.

What I like most about this story is that it is written very poignantly and raw but not cruelly or written for any shock value. It's a book that young kids can read as well to make them realize what it is truly like to live in a country that is unsafe every second of every day. It's a book that can teach how racism against refugees is unfair and that most of them flee in order to keep their loved ones safe. It's a book that makes you face reality and teaches you to show compassion to any one that needs it. But it also shows how vile traffickers are and how they don't care for any of the lives they traffic. It's all about money and about increasing their income instead of helping people to safety.

This book is written so subtly but impactfully. And I think it's a book that middle graders, young adults and adults truly need to read in order to open more of people's eyes. Instead of uniting in hatred towards refugees. There needs to be a balance. And every single life deserves to live in freedom and in a safe place.

When the story ends. It ends one part of the journey. But there is still a long way to go. So if there ever comes a sequel I would read it in a heartbeat.

SPOILER IN THE NEXT PARAGRAPH:
But what hits me most is the author named the characters after refugee children who truly died in this senseless war. Suddenly the names became real people and seeing all those young children needlessly and cruelly die made my heart break into a million little pieces. And one boy.. That boy is named after the young child who washed ashore and who's photo went viral all over the world. I looked it up and just burst into tears. Because that is the reality of war. That is the reality that refugees face and it is just utterly heartbreaking.

This book made me realise that I must truly open up my own heart and do what I can for other people. 

5 well deserved stars for a heartbreaking and important story. 

[A Voracious Reader (a.k.a. Carol) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book source ~ TWR Tour

This book is a well-written, eye-opening, heartbreaking experience that will stick with me for a very long time. I honestly have nothing else to say. Other than those last few pages after the end are a punch to the gut. Wow.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Based on far too many tragic true stories, this novel follows the journey of 13-year-old Ghalib, who flees the war in Syria with his family, enduring danger, hardship and loss. Each character's name is that of an actual Syrian child who has died in the war - a beautiful and heartbreaking tribute. I kind of want to beat everyone who looks down on and rails against refugees over the head with this book.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blurb

Ghalib doesn't want to leave his home in Syria. But the city has become too dangerous, and his family has no choice but to flee. Together they make their way through Syria to the Turkish border, where Ghalib gets separated from his family. Stricken with grief and fear, fighting cold, pain and hunger, he manages to make it to a refugee camp in Turkey. Ghalib is safe for now, but life in a refugee camp is wretched and hopeless, and this boy's journey in search of safety is far from over. Based on true accounts and real Syrian children, A Dangerous Crossing is the story of one boy's search for refuge.


Review

Following 13 year old Ghalib being injured in the bombings in Syria, his Kurdish family decide they have no option but to leave Syria as the city they live in has become too dangerous and his family fear for their lives, and especially the lives of their children, if they stay. The book covers the very real and dangerous journey across Syria, Turkey and beyond. This really is a book that everyone should read to get a real understanding of the refugee crisis, the very real dangers involved, and the reason why so many have to undertake these journeys. It also illustrates how others prey on these refugees for their own profit, and how cheap life has become for so many.

This book really does deliver a powerful punch on more than one occasion, and you can only feel for those involved, the decisions they have to take and the dangers they have to put themselves at the centre of for no fault of their own. This could so easily be every one of us if circumstances were different. I have to say the book was very well written, and the characters very well drawn. You buy into the story from the very get go.

I would strongly recommend this book, which as I say I feel everyone should read. It’s clear a lot of research was carried out before writing the book. I do, however, feel it ended too quickly, and I would have like to have found out what happened next for this family as I really feel this was only the start of the journey for them, they still had a lot to do and many dangers to encounter, not least of all other people’s reactions to them.

This would be an excellent classroom read, and would lead to many moral and ethical discussions, as well as building empathy.


Book Info

Genre: Contemporary, Political
Age Category: Middle Grade
Publisher: Little Island
Number of Pages: 224 Pages
Publication Date: August 27, 2026
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Storygraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/7...
Amazon: https://amzn.eu/d/02ciG489 (UK) https://a.co/d/0fEaVJLq (Canada) https://a.co/d/09o2feci (USA)


About the Author

Jane Mitchell lives in Dublin and works with children with physical disabilities. Her Amnesty International- endorsed novel A Dangerous Crossing (Little Island), about a Syrian family fleeing the war, has sold more than 100,000 copies worldwide. Jane spent time volunteering at the refugee camp in Calais to research the book. Chalkline (Walker), about child soldiers in Kashmir, won the Children's Choice Award at the 2010 CBI Awards.

[karla_bookishlife · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Dangerous Crossing by Jane Mitchell
✨️✨️Book Tour Day ✨️✨️

Publisher: Little Island Books
Target Audience: YA / Children's Fiction (Ages 11+)

A Dangerous Crossing by Jane Mitchell is a powerful and emotivel work of contemporary YA fiction that tackles the Syrian refugee crisis with deep emotional honesty. The novel follows 13-year-old Ghalib Shenu, a Kurdish boy from Kobani, Syria. After a barrel bomb annihilates his home, his family makes the agonizing decision to flee.The narrative tracks their gruelling migration path: dodging sniper fire at the Syrian-Turkish border; enduring exploitation by ruthless human traffickers; surviving the squalor of informal refugee camps, and ultimately risking their lives on a dangerously overcrowded dinghy across the Mediterranean Sea.
The prose used is sparse, direct, and stripped of sentimentality, mirroring the stark reality of Ghalib's situation. The pacing of the story is relentless. Mitchell structures the journey as a series of crises, conveying the relentless state of flight-or-fight refugees endure. While intense and emotionally heavy, it is a vital, and accessible read for young adults. Endorsed by Amnesty International, this fast-paced novel humanises the refugee crisis, moving readers beyond the news statistics to deliver an honest,and deeply moving portrait of family resilience and the high human cost of war. Simply gripping from start to finish. #adangerouscrossing #janemitchell #blogtour ##littleislandbooks #TheWriteReads

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://sarahreads4.wordpress.com/202...

[Bookish Coffee UK · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a beautiful story based on true events. Such life struggles for the simple fight for freedom and to live life. This story really got me thinking to what some have to go through, how easy my childhood / life has been compared to these beautiful souls. And all for some rich to get richer - which is what most wars are about.

[Moira McPartlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This YA novel tells the story of a family fleeing from Syria. Told from the point of view of Ghalib, it shows the reader the many complex reason why people flee their homes and risk their lives to reach freedom. Although written for children I believe everyone should read this to try to understand the plight of refugees. An horrific story beautifully written.

[Kieran Fanning · Rating 4 out of 5]

This well researched, and brilliantly written novel tells the story of Ghalib's journey from Syria in search of a new life. An excellent read that gives you a real taste of what it must be like to be a refugee. Highly recommended for kids of 11+.

[Good Night To Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deeply moving and absorbing story of a refugee family's flight from Syria.

[Esther · Rating 5 out of 5]

To view more reviews, click [HERE!]
This review is cross-posted from the blog. Check out the original tour post over [HERE]
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I finished this book ahead of my reading schedule and spent the latter half sobbing. I don’t have the proper words to explain my feelings. I was a little hesitant in picking this up for the tour because as soon as I read the blurb, I remembered the 2015 news of the capsized boat with Syrian refugees on board, and the photo of little Alan on the beach, but I ended up reading the book anyway and it was horrifying and gutwrenching; a beautifully well-written book.

The story follows 13-year old Ghalib, though it is based off of many true stories of the Syrian refugee crisis. The book begins with Ghalib and his brother and cousin, having narrowly survived a bombing that prompted his parents to attempt to leave Syria for a better life, one without war and bombs as the daily background to their lives. And so, Ghalib, his siblings Bushra and Aylan, and their parents pack what little they can carry to begin this arduous journey in their attempts to leave Syria, heading first for the Turkey border where Ghalib becomes separated from his family and need to move forward on his own.

The writing is simple and done well; it drew me in right away. It’s engaging, easy to process, and I appreciate the smooth descriptions that aided imagery. The book is very well written, and clearly a lot of research went into it. The descriptions were realistic, the emotions were gut-wrenching and I felt all the fears lodge themselves in my throat, all of the moments of relief having me in tears. The dialogue is masterful and fantastic and the characters themselves were unique. Even without names, if given just their dialogue, there’s a chance I could pick out who was who, the personalities distinct in interactions and speech.

There were many harrowing scenes, from how the children scan the skies for strikes and bombs, when the family were being shot at, hardly anyone to trust on the road, the women (Umi, Tata’s, and Bushra’s fears as they travel through a highly Aleppo) hastily covering themselves up in fear of encountering religious police enforcing Sharia law, the chaos and confusion of the border and the stampede of the crossing itself. That’s just the first half and the dangers do not just end there. It’s scene after scene! The book was terrifying enough to read fictional characters live through. Imagine all of the true stories this book was based off of.

Though this was a middle grade book, this was written for anyone to pick up. It tells the stories of not just Syrian refugees, but something that is still happening to refugees around the world. The ending discusses the children who have died as a direct result of the Syrian war, every name in this book is the name of an actual child. The “epilogue” also describes that this is just the beginning. From there, families like Ghalib’s must continue their attempt at building a new life, while the future remains uncertain and full of new challenges and dangers. The book and the journey was fraught with dangers, but there was a goal in mind, Europe. What comes after varies for so many families and it’s not always a happy ending. A Dangerous Crossing showcased the journey many refugees had to take, but ends with a reminder that for many, safety is not guaranteed even at the finish line and that an uncertain future remains for a very long time after.

A very good book that I highly recommend.

[Claire Hennessy · Rating 3 out of 5]

(from the Irish Times, 15 Feb 2o17)
"A long-standing and award-winning member of the Irish children’s book world, Jane Mitchell often writes about the most vulnerable in our society. Her latest novel, A Dangerous Crossing (Little Island, €9.99), is told from the perspective of a Syrian refugee. Thirteen-year-old Ghalib – named, like all the characters, after real Syrian children who’ve died – must flee his increasingly terrifying home country. This journey has been incredibly well researched, and Amnesty International has endorsed the book. As a story, it is sometimes frustrating – travelling with his family, Ghalib makes very few decisions for himself, and his personal conflicts are resolved too quickly– but it certainly succeeds in its goal to inform and induce empathy in its readers."

[martini - shaken, not stirred · Rating 4 out of 5]

word to aylan

[Cristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book with valuable insights into a refugee’s journey. Sometimes I wish politicians would have to read books like these, so they would feel the effect of their policies more strongly. I found myself heartbroken and in constant fear for Ghabil and his family. However I am giving it 3 stars only because of the writing style which I didn’t personally like that much, and also like other readers pointed out the storyline isn’t extremely exciting. Although I would rather read a less exciting storyline that is true to real life than something exciting that doesn’t reflect reality accurately.

[mu o surtadoh · Rating 4 out of 5]

O livro conta a história de Ghalib que tem 13 anos e passa por uma grande aventura para chegar na Europa onde tudo pode dar errado ou dar certo (infelizmente não sabemos se deu tudo certo).
INCRIVEL!
O livro consegue te deixar feliz e triste, com raiva e tranquilo sem muitos problemas e ao mesmo tempo. A autora nos mostrou como a vida de uma família da síria é difícil e como tudo pode dar errado ou certo e com as pessoas não se preocupam com tudo isso, com as pessoas não tem paciência e respeito com essas pessoas que passam por tudo isso. A história vai te mostrar porque você não deve desistir de chegar onde você tiver que estar, mesmo as pessoas te recebendo a pedradas. Vai te mostrar como é importante ficar ao lado de quem ama. Como não é fácil a vida de pessoas que só querem viver bem e confortável com a família.
Mas o livro não é 'tão' perfeito assim teve uma coisa que eu acho que poderia ser diferente, no livro explica que Ghalib não tem a escola completa mas ele usa palavras complicadas. Nesse livro poderia ter usado a mesma forma que em "Flores para Algernon" onde, no inicio, escreveu as palavras erradas. Eu acho que com as palavras erradas não ficariam ruim e até mais fácil de entender a história. Mas de resto eu achei o livro perfeito a história é muito envolvente, não dá vontade de largar o livro por um minuto.

[Gina Rae Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful and thought-provoking story

A Dangerous Crossing is a moving middle grade novel that takes an enormous subject—the refugee crisis—and makes it deeply personal through the experiences of thirteen-year-old Ghalib.

Jane Mitchell's extensive research is evident throughout the story. Ghalib faces circumstances and decisions that would overwhelm most adults, and I repeatedly found myself wondering what I would have done at his age. His perspective allows readers to look beyond headlines and statistics and consider the individual children and families behind them.

The story carries considerable emotional weight without feeling as though the difficult moments are included simply for shock. It's tense, compassionate, and accessible, while still conveying how frightening and uncertain displacement can be.

My only disappointment was the ending, which felt somewhat abrupt after I had become so invested in Ghalib and his family. I was definitely ready for more of their story.

Overall, this is a powerful, thought-provoking read that could open the door to meaningful conversations among older middle grade readers, families, and classrooms.

4.5 stars

Read more of my book reviews at
Gina Rae Mitchell • Championing Indie Authors & Stories Worth Discovering

[Iseult Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is well written, with often poetical language, and a motif of a trio of spoken sentences that flows through the narrative. Ghalib often uses expressions that are probably true to his culture. There are instances of Islamic exclamations that help build the characters, as well as often using the Arabic word for things, which helps build the setting.

The book feels incomplete where it ends. It is a shame it doesn’t follow the family further in their journey.

The hardship for Ghalib and his family is disappointingly toothless. Other books written for middle grade readers tackle similar difficult topics and manage to better walk the fine line between fear, death, and the reality of war while still being age appropriate.

Much has been made of the characters being named after real Syrian children who have died. While at first this seems a heartfelt tribute, reading the fates of the real children at the back of the book shone a new light upon the fictional narrative that has been constructed. Ghalib’s journey appears even more bloodless when compared to reality.

Thank you to The Write Reads and the publisher for a free copy of the book. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Maja · Rating 5 out of 5]

About the book
Ghalib and his cousin are badly injured by a bomb one night while out foraging for a pair of shoes. It is after the horrors of the night that his terrified parents make the decision that leaving the country they love may be the only way to keep their children alive. Packing nothing but bare essentials, the family set off on a perilous journey through ruined cities, refugee camps and across the cold, dark sea.

What is clear from reading this is the authentic voice; the author Jane Mitchell spent time in refugee camps talking to real Syrian families and has used their experiences to create this heartbreaking story: a story that depicts the reality of fleeing war. The story is even more poignant and moving as the characters within it are named after real children who died in the conflict. As Mitchell has written through the voice of a 13-year old boy, there is a real sense of understanding and compassion shown for the plight of the refugees in her storytelling. This is not just another story, it is a tool to educate and start conversations.

A Dangerous Crossing is a must read and deserves a permanent place on the reading shelves of every school library.

[GirlLovesto Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jane Mitchell’s A Dangerous Crossing is a powerful tale of survival and hope against seemingly insurmountable odds. I have to say I am generally not a fan of first person present tense writing (despite it being all the rage these days), but I did think it worked well here to get across the visceral nature of the chaos of wartime Kobani and the family’s perilous flight.

Ghalib is a great character and feels fully alive and real and I love his protectiveness of his disabled younger brother.

Mitchell’s prose is evocative and emotional with powerful descriptions of rubble, airstrikes and fear. Although the book is marketed for children or young adults I think it is actually more of a mature read that will appeal to adult readers. I also want to give a shout out to the level of detail and research which was clearly involved.

Big thank you to the write reads and little island books for this one.

[Trajano Lima · Rating 5 out of 5]

Esse livro deveria ser lido por todos aqueles que acreditam que merecem alguma coisa neste mundo. Enquanto estamos confortáveis em nossas casas, lendo livros e tomando um chá antes do jantar, tem muita gente passando necessidade fora de suas casas, sendo expulsos de seu próprio país, sendo abusados e maltratados por homens inescrupulosos, egoístas e insensatos. Os jovens e crianças são quem mais sofrem nesse ambiente hostil que é a guerra e carregarão pelo resto de suas vidas o peso de uma vida interrompida. Parabéns para Jane Mitchell por ter escrito esse romance baseado na história de milhares de sírios que saem de seu conturbado país em busca de uma vida incerta na Europa. O livro tem uma linguagem simples e foi escrito para jovens leitores. Foi um dos melhores livros que já li este ano.

[Gustavo Freitas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uma Travessia Perigosa é um bom livro por abordar um tema urgente e necessário. Trata-se de uma obra curta, com uma escrita que não é exatamente simples, mas também está longe de ser complicada — é uma prosa correta, funcional, com um ritmo geralmente fluido.
Entre os pontos negativos, sem entrar em spoilers, destaco a construção de alguns personagens secundários, que acabam soando caricatos ou excessivamente vazios, sem uma personalidade bem definida. Entendo que as crianças da narrativa passaram por experiências extremas e traumáticas, mas isso não justifica totalmente algumas falas excessivamente adultizadas, que quebram a verossimilhança em diversos momentos.
A ambientação funciona de maneira irregular: em certos trechos é razoável e até eficiente, mas em outros a autora não consegue sustentar a atmosfera de forma convincente. Além disso, os sentimentos do protagonista muitas vezes parecem repetitivos e genéricos, o que acaba enfraquecendo a imersão e distanciando o leitor da experiência emocional do livro.

[Carla Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muito tocante, porém tão triste saber que todos os personalizados são nomeados em homenagem a crianças sírias que já faleceram, é muito triste pensar que torci tanto pelo Ghalib sendo que o Ghalib da vida real já se foi...

Tendo sido professora de jovens da faixa etária de todos os irmãos da narrativa também é incrível ver como comportamentos comuns de criança ou adolescente possuem consequências terríveis na guerra, eu tinha alunos que eram meio moleques inconsequentes como o Ghalib no início da narrativa e pra eles é apenas uma fase da vida e que pode resultar em uns dias sem videogame, pro Ghalib custou MUITO mais caro. O Aylan tão pitico, tudo assustava ele e o choro dele podia piorar as situações, as crianças não tem autorização de serem crianças.

E novamente é insuportável a tristeza de saber que não importa o final do livro, TODOS os personagens são crianças reais mortas.

[Aline Batista dos S. Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Indicação Semanal = “Uma Travessia Perigosa”
🖋 PUBLICAÇÃO DE = Jane Mitchell
📃 PÁGINAS = 208
Avaliação: 5.0 ⭐

A ficção possui plano de fundo na guerra experienciada pelo povo sírio, cenário de caos que envolve forças dos próprios civis, o governo do país, bem como os grupos específicos que se colocam como oposição ao famigerado EI (...) Com narração em primeira pessoa, essa jornada evidenciada coloca um jovem menino como responsável pela exposição de suas experiências no decurso das conflagrações, sob menção ao caminho que percorreu na companhia dos familiares para fugirem das marcas incuráveis relacionadas ao período.

codinomeviesacademico.blogspot.com/20...

#UmaTravessiaPerigosa #JaneMitchell

[HelensBookShelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book that packs a punch. In a nutshell this is Ghalib’s story. He is a young boy born into an awful situation where he has to steal to survive while dodging airstrikes. It is a story of fear and pain and destruction. I wasn’t in love with some aspects of the writing and I did feel a bit too much like the author was trying to push their political opinions on me, which I don’t find enjoyable to read, but I did connect with the characters and all in all felt it was powerful and poignant, though I feel it cut off a bit abruptly and shied away a little from some things. 4 stars, I would recommend it to a friend and thanks to TWR for my copy.

[Sue Murdoch · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Dangerous Crossing is on the current HBA shortlist 2018. I have read three of the books so far and having finished it yesterday it is the story whose characters have lingered longest in my mind. This year's list is a good one, so my comment carries weight. Jane Mitchell conveys Ghalib's story with a sensitive eye to her readers, but still manages to inform and draw us into Syria's ongoing civil war, wider global involvement and how ordinary people like us find themselves in this horrific and heartbreaking situation. This is a 'must read'.

[Andy Thorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have bought and read this book as it is one of the finalists of the Hampshire Book Awards 2018. It is a strong and very worthy addition to the shortlist. A compelling and heart-breaking story based on the far-too-numerous tragic true stories of Syrian refugees fleeing a conflict not of their making. Widely researched and well-written, I truly hope that it is widely read by children and it allows them to empathise and view refugees with a compassion so sadly lacking in many of the world’s current political leaders and commentators.

[Bookish kingdom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ghalib, a 13-year-old boy, is forced to flee a war torn Syria in this powerful and harrowing tale. One thing which I think was particularly evocative was the author used the names of real Syrian children who were killed in the war in this. It is a powerful read. One star off because I felt a little bit preached at at times and I wasn't sure about the writing style, but all in all I greatly enjoyed it.

[Ellie]

Politely, don’t read this book. With all due respect to the author, the unoriginality of this book makes you long for classics such as Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. I can guarantee The mundane storyline will make you think that you have read the book before as it follows the exact same template of every other war time book in existence. Don’t come at me.

[PagesAndInk · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book, but I found the writing style to be clunky and hard to get into. It was written in first person present, and as is often the case with that style it felt a bit awkward. It is the story of a young boy struggling to escape war and it is pretty powerful in places, especially towards the end. So it is pretty good, but just the writing style felt a bit awkward to me

[Ia Khachirashvili · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has to be one of the most insightful and educational books ever. Despite not having a first hand account of the atrocity ensuing, she still told a great vantage point in the form of the little Syrian boy. Highly recommend it. This can open your mind struggles of the third world.