Escape Under the Forever Sky

I thought I had reviewed this book, and it is oh whoops because after I read the book I gave it to my 4 teenage grandchildren to read. There are lessons to be learned from reading this book. Lucy wouldn't have gotten herself into such a dangerous situation if she had obeyed the rules her Mother had in place. When Lucy was kidnapped by her friends chauffer and held for ransom she was sorry for disobeying her Mother. She was held in a caged pen and could hear her captors talking from a distance away and had to figure out how she was going to escape from them. She was cold, scared and wishing she could go home. She had no idea where she was nor how to get out. She was so afraid she was going to be killed once the ransom was paid. The book has a few twists and turns in it and keeps you on your toes to see if Lucy is going to be killed or if she can really escape. This is a great book for all teens to read and I will repeat myself once again. Lessons to learn from reading this book! I know how the book ends but I don't want to ruin it for everyone else reading it. Parents if you have teenagers then you might consider having them read it and then pass it along to their friends to read.

Escape Under the Forever Sky is an excellent choice for middle grade readers -- fourth and fifth grade. It is not particularly long, and the narrative is well-paced and easily accessible for average readers in this age group. The heroine Lucy is adventurous and knowledgable, yet just as frightened by her experience as one would expect. Readers will learn quite a bit about Ethiopia, while not feeling as though they are reading a textbook. This is a delicate balance for an author who wants to entertain and teach at the same time -- Eve Yohalem does an excellent job. I could see this book not only as an independent read, but also as a worthy piece of literature for classroom instruction. In fact, I am going to add it to my list of potential read-alouds for the upcoming school year.

Lucy Hoffman is the 13-year old daughter of the US Ambassador to Ethiopia. By all appearances she lives a charmed life in the middle of one of the poorest countries in Africa. A driver escorts her from the gated compound to private school. She rides in motorcades to official dinners where she dines with various world leaders. Servants attend to all her needs. She wants for nothing - except her freedom. After six months, all Lucy knows of the culture and geography she has learned from reading books and talking to her driver, Iskinder. Like the wild animals she visits on her trips to the National Park with Ranger Dahnie, she yearns to explore rural Africa. She eventually gets her wish but not at all the way she imagined. Lucy and her mother, the Ambassador, are embroiled in a serious disagreement over the touchy subject of her freedom. She has been grounded for going to the outdoor market in Addis Ababa with her school friends. She is furious at her mother. When she's finally allowed to go to her friend, Tana's house for a short visit, they sneak off to hear a local band at a restaurant. There she is kidnapped and the real story begins. Lucy is held in a small hut in the country. Her kidnappers, a British woman and 2 African men, are so disorganized and one of the men is so violent she is certain they will kill her. Even though she is keenly aware that certain death might also await her in the dangerous wilderness, she believes her only option is to escape. What follows is the most challenging adventure of a lifetime. "Escape Under the Forever Sky" is a suspenseful and spell-binding tale of Lucy's bravery and resourcefulness as she draws on everything she has learned about this mysterious land to guide her incredible journey. Yohalem's abundant research shines through with vivid details. From the colorful, bustling marketplace in Addis Ababa to the hidden dangers and natural beauty of the Ethiopian wilderness, young readers will feel like they are right there with Lucy through all her exploits. This is an intriguing summer safari for all ages.

Plucky, likeable, 13 year old Lucy lives with her mother, the Ambassador of Ethiopia. One of the few privileges Lucy has is going on day trips into the African bush with her mentor, Dahnie, who teaches Lucy about the wild animals and the African wilderness. As far As far Lucy is concerned, her mother is extremely over protective of her. So, she takes risks that she shouldn't like sneaking out for an afternoon adventure with one of her only friends, Tana. Unfortunately, someone she trusts takes advantage of her adventurous spirit and kidnaps Lucy. What happens next is a riveting story of how a young girl uses her wits, common sense and everything Dahnie taught her to get herself out of a dangerous situation and back to safety. While the book was engrossing, I couldn't help but feel that Lucy was very immature before she was kidnapped, but then suddenly started acting like someone many years older then herself once she finds herself in a dangerous situation. In fact, it had me checking back to the beginning of the book to see if I had misread her age. I would have liked to see some of the same common sense in Lucy before the kidnapping in order to tie the personality of the character to how she eventually saved herself from her kidnappers. The author, Eve Yohalem, did an excellent job of researching the politics of Ethiopia, the wild animals and the geography of the African bush. Overall, she successfully manages to take a true incident and spin a fictional tale of what could happen if a resourceful young girl finds herself in a life-threatening situation. Both young boys and girls should enjoy reading this novel. It will hold your interest from the very first page until the end. Plan on reading it straight through.

Escape under the Forever Sky is about an ambassadors daughter in Ethiopia who is kidnapped and must find her way home through the jungle using her knowledge of wildlife and nature and wits. The story is engaging and also inspires the reader to research the animals and plants and the country of Ethiopia that Lucy encounters. This book has no objectionable content and is only mildly scary and will be enjoyed by any child that is able to handle the vocabulary (and those whose parents read it to them). I would suggest it for the 9-14 range.