Synopses & Reviews
On the White Ravens' Outstanding New International Books for Children and Young Adults list, 2008
ForeWord Magazineas Book of the Year Awards Bronze Medal Winner (YA Fiction category), 2007
Snow Willow Award nominee, 2008
CCBC's Best Books for Kids & Teens, 2008
Two bestselling authors join forces to write a powerful novel about racism.
A student arrested on suspicions of terrorism. A high school torn apart by racism. Two boys from two different sets of circumstances forced to choose sides.
These are the issues at the heart of Bifocal, a groundbreaking new novel for young-adults.
The story is told from two different points of view. Haroon is a serious student devoted to his family. His grandparents emigrated from Afghanistan. Jay is a football star devoted to his team. He is white.
One day their high school is put on lockdown, and the police arrest a Muslim student on suspicion of terrorist affiliations. He might be guilty. Or is he singled out because of his race?
The entire student body fragments along racial lines and both Haroon and Jay find that their differences initially put them at odds. The Muslim students become targets and a smoke-bomb is set off near their lockers while Jay and his teammates believe they've been set-up to look like racists.
Bifocal is, by no stretch, an easy book. Award-winning authors Deborah Ellis and Eric Walters deliver a serious, hard-hitting book about racism that does not talk down to young people.
Synopsis
Two bestselling authors join forces to write a powerful novel about racism. Haroon is a serious student devoted to his family; Jay is a rising football star devoted to his team. The boys barely know each other. They may go to the same high school and walk the same hallways, but they are worlds apart.
One day the high school is put on lockdown and the police arrest a Muslim student on suspicion of terrorist affiliations. Is the boy really guilty, or has he been singled out because of his race? Along with the rest of the school, Haroon and Jay take sides. When a newspaper article quotes some Muslim teens, who claim they are regularly subjected to prejudice at school, Jay and the football squad are indignant. A smoke bomb is set off near the Muslim kids' lockers, and the jocks are convinced that they have been set up to look like racists.
As the atmosphere of racial tension grows, both Haroon and Jay must set out on a painful journey of self-discovery, where they will ultimately question their loyalties and the beliefs they have always taken for granted.
Synopsis
< br=""> < i=""> < b=""> < font="" color="#002090" size="2"> Two bestselling authors join forces to write a powerful novel about racism.<> <> < ont=""> < p=""> Haroon is a serious student devoted to his family; Jay is a rising football star devoted to his team. The boys barely know each other. They may go to the same high school and walk the same hallways, but they are worlds apart. < p=""> One day the high school is put on lockdown and the police arrest a Muslim student on suspicion of terrorist affiliations. Is the boy really guilty, or has he been singled out because of his race? Along with the rest of the school, Haroon and Jay take sides. When a newspaper article quotes some Muslim teens, who claim they are regularly subjected to prejudice at school, Jay and the football squad are indignant. A smoke bomb is set off near the Muslim kids' lockers, and the jocks are convinced that they have been set up to look like racists. < p=""> As the atmosphere of racial tension grows, both Haroon and Jay must set out on a painful journey of self-discovery, where they will ultimately question their loyalties and the beliefs they have always taken for granted.
About the Author
DEBORAH ELLIS is an anti-war and women's rights activist who works as a mental health counselor at Margaret Frazer House in Toronto. She has published a novel for children, Looking For X.Eric Walters is one of Canadaas most successful writers and prolific writers for teenagers. His novel Shattered recently won the 2007 National Chapter of Canada IODE Violet Downey Award and the 2007 White Pine Award. A former teacher, Eric visits classrooms across the country and he has already spoken to more than 750,000 students.