Robert Swindells,
Ruby Tanya.
Doubleday, 2004.
ISBN: 0 385 41043 3

This is an exciting, fast-moving story of topical interest, set in a small village in England where an old airfield and hangars have been converted into an asylum seekers' camp. Asra, from the camp, and Ruby Tanya, the daughter of a local businessman opposed to asylum seekers, become friends. The girls, each with their own distinctive voice, narrate the story alternately, offering the reader two perspectives on a difficult situation. Occasionally, Ruby Tanya's observations seem rather too adult for her years but on the whole the narration is convincing. there is plenty of action, including a bomb explosion at the local school, and Swindells confidently handles the build-up of racial tensions in the community, tempering his story with humour as well.

RA 10+/IL 14
Reviewed by Audrey Baker
Spring 2004