Chanda's Wars »

Allan Stratton is the author of the internationally acclaimed Michael L. Printz Honor Book Chanda's Secrets. Its numerous citations include the Children's Africana Book Award, Best Book for Older Readers; ALA Booklist Editors' Choice; New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age; and a unanimous vote to the ALA Best Books for Young Adults list. Allan is also the author of the Junior Library Guild selection Chanda's Wars and the ALA Best Book for Young Adults Leslie's Journal. He lives in Toronto with his partner, two cats, and a pond full of fish.

She promised her mama she'd keep them safe.

It's been six months since Mama died, and Chanda is struggling to raise her little brother and sister. Determined to end a family feud, she takes them to her relatives' remote rural village.

But across the nearby border, a brutal civil war is spreading. Rebels led by the ruthless General Mandiki attack at night, stealing children. All that separates Chanda from the horror is a stretch of rugged bush and a national park alive with predators. Soon, not even that. Before she knows it, Chanda must face the unthinkable, with a troubled young tracker as her unlikely ally.

Chanda's Wars is the unforgettable story of a teenager who risks everything to save her brother and sister. Epic in its sweep, intimate in its humanity, here is a gripping tale of family intrigue, love and courage, forgiveness and hope.

Children's Literature

Chanda has had a hard life. After her mother died from AIDS she was left to take care of her two younger siblings, Iris and Soly. When life becomes very difficult for Chanda, she decides to take a trip to the village where her mother grew up to heal old wounds and get help from her other relatives. Unfortunately both plans backfire, and instead of having a much needed break, Chanda is cast out of the family (because she refuses to marry the boy next door to heal old family wounds), and her younger siblings are kidnapped and forced to join Mandiki's rebel army. Chanda then shows even more courage as she enters the Bush to rescue the children. She makes the best of the impossible situation she is thrown into. This book is a fictional story with a fictional war, but it is based on real life events in various parts of Africa. The atrocities of this child-war are described in this book but are not terribly graphic. However, the content of this book is not appropriate for younger children. The author does an excellent job of describing what happens with only vague details. The book deals with pain, faith, shame, guilt, courage, and hope. Readers will find this powerful book intriguing and moving. Reviewer: Nicole Peterson