Flying Through Water

“A searingly honest story of adventure, resilience, and survival. A must-read!”—Alan Gratz, New York Times bestselling author of Refugee

★ “A powerful look at…the will to survive.” ―Kirkus, starred review

For fans of A Long Walk to Water and Hatchet, this boy’s gripping journey from poverty to empowerment transports readers to modern-day Ghana, into the throes of an extraordinary survival story.

Sena treasures his life in rural Ghana—playing soccer, working the family farm, striving to do his best at school—but he is increasingly aware of his family’s precarious security in the face of poverty. When an alluring gentleman comes to town to befriend local teenagers, offering promises of a better future, it only takes one more unsettling turn of events to send Sena into the clutches of human traffickers. Sena’s ordeal, escape, and remarkable survival makes for a page-turning adventure of self-discovery and empowerment.

“Engaging.”―Booklist

• Praise for Flying Through Water:
  A Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award Nominee 

• * “A powerful look at human suffering and the will to survive.”

  Kirkus, starred review

• Praise for The Kaya Girl:A 2022 Kirkus Best Children's Book
  2023 Children's Africana Book Award
  2023 Bank Street College Best Books

• “Engaging.”

  Booklist

• * "A heartwarming and inspiring tale of a friendship that surpasses class differences and social stigma."

  Kirkus, starred review

• * "Middle graders will enjoy being transported to the sights, sounds, smells, and flavors of the Makola Market in Accra, Ghana, which set the stage for Adena’s summer."

  School Library Journal, starred review

• * "Employing realistic dialogue and lush descriptions of the sights, smells, and tastes of Ghana, this smart exploration of friendship’s lasting power centers two teens expanding and exploring their worlds."

  Publishers Weekly, starred review

• "...will transport readers to Ghana."

  Booklist

• "Readers...will also recognize that moving beyond bias can be an act of individual courage and choice."

  The Bulletin