For the past two years, fifteen-year-old Amadou and his little brother Seydou have been held as debt slaves on an Ivory Coast cacao plantation. Amadou protects Seydou as best he can by keeping him from dangerous tasks and taking his beatings when he doesnt make quota. But when a feisty girl prisoner, Khadija, arrives, she takes advantage of Seydous naivet to try to escape, and their captors retribution falls on Amadou. Beaten and confined to camp, Amadou isnt there to protect Seydou from a life-threatening injury, and in his distress Khadijas advice hits even closer to home: If you really wanted to do whats best for him, youd get him out of here. By focusing on Amadous complex feelings of anger and pity toward Khadija (after her second escape attempt, her jailers use rape as a way to break her), Sullivan builds a believable and empathetic narrative that will resonate with readers. As the plot deepens, details about Khadijas life fill in background on the economic conditions that give rise to cacao debt slavery, and the brothers find a way to tell their story to a wider audience. This affecting, sometimes harsh tale demonstrates Sullivans (Golden Boy, rev. 9/13) continuing commitment as a voice for human rights in Africa. anita l. burkam(c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

*Starred Review* Sullivan follows up the acclaimed Golden Boy (2013) with a sophomore effort that promises to be equally eye-opening for American readers. Fifteen-year-old Amadou and his younger brother, Seydou, have been away from Mali, their home, for two years, as they work at an Ivory Coast cacao plantation. Each day is an exhaustive effort as Amadou watches out for Seydou, the youngest worker there, and struggles to meet the day's quota for the both of them. Just after a new worker arrives a teenage girl, Khadija, who is bent on fleeing the worst thing happens: Seydou loses his arm in a work accident. Suddenly Amadou thinks Khadija is onto something. But could they really escape? In crisp, accessible prose, Sullivan draws readers into a most compelling story of survival under unspeakable hardship, bravery, and teamwork. Amadou's boundless love for his brother and his capacity for kinship with Khadija, whom he later discovers to be the kidnapped daughter of a journalist, is inspiring. There are so few stories for teenagers that provide a glimpse into the complex global systems, such as cocoa production, that they unwittingly participate in every day and likely take for granted. An author's note, glossary, and source material provide further context to engage readers and teachers. Absorbing and important.--Barnes, Jennifer Copyright 2015 Booklist

Forced to labor on an Ivory Coast cacao plantation, Amadou risks everything for freedom. Fifteen-year-old Amadou left his family farm with his little brother, Seydou, searching for a season of work to help their family survive during a drought. Two long years later, the boys are still at the cacao camp where they have been taken and made to work "all day, week after week, season after season, never getting paid." Amadou, Seydou, and the other boys at the camp must harvest a high quota of cacao pods each day or face severe beatings. When a girlthe camp's firstarrives, her "wildcat" spirit stirs in Amadou a renewed sense of urgency to escape. The girl, Khadija, also causes trouble for Amadou and Seydou with the camp bosses, setting off a chain of horrific, life-changing events that start the children on an uncertain journey toward home. Following Golden Boy (2013), this is Sullivan's second novel about real-life atrocities affecting children in Africa. With it, she delivers an unforgettable story of courage and compassion while illuminating the terrible truth about how the chocolate we consume is made. At the same time, Sullivan allows Amadou, Khadija, and Seydou to be the resilient heroes of their own story, just as their real-life counterparts around the world fight against the odds for change in their communities. A tender, harrowing story of family, friendship, and the pursuit of freedom. (Fiction. 12 up) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Sullivan (Golden Boy) shines a harsh light on the horrors of modern-day slavery through 15-year old Amadou's struggles to care for his eight-year old brother, Seydou, while farmers force them to harvest cacao on an Ivory Coast plantation. Amadou's understated narration accentuates his desperation: "I don't count how many times I've been hit for being under quota. I don't count how many days it's been since I've given up hope of going home." Tricked two years earlier into believing they had been offered seasonal work, the boys are locked in a shed at night, beaten for the smallest infraction, and punished with food deprivation. Escape attempts by a newly arrived 13-year-old girl, Khadija, inadvertently lead to Seydou suffering grievous injury. Terrified, but recognizing that Seydou will die if they remain enslaved, Amadou and Khadija make one more attempt at freedom. In a poignant scene later on, Amadou drinks hot chocolate, but gags when he realizes its source. His plea to Khadija's journalist mother to write their story, or "we won't have anyone to speak for us," underscores the disturbing realities underlying this heart-wrenching survival tale. Ages 12-up. Agent: Caryn Wiseman, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Gr 7 Up-Escape for 15-year-old Amadou and his eight-year-old brother, Seydou, doesn't seem likely. The boys were hoping to pay off the family's debt but instead were tricked into picking cacao daily. They are forced to meet unreasonable quotas or be beaten or left with no supper. The boys see little hope for freedom until Khadija shows up. She is the first girl to enter the camp, and she is a fighter. The three band together to escape. The trio are appalled to learn that the cacao pods that they were forced to harvest are used to create candy that is enjoyed by rich children. This story is not only intense but also educational, as listeners might think twice about the chocolate that they purchase, where it comes from, and what sacrifices were made to obtain it. J.D. Jackson's narration relays the intensity of each day faced by the children. VERDICT Readers of Copper Sun by Sharon Draper will especially enjoy this title, as it sheds light on a true problem on the Ivory Coast. ["An engaging story that will engender empathy in readers": SLJ 1/16 starred review of the Putnam book.]-Karen Alexander, Lake Fenton High School; Linden, MI © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.