Description: From #1 New York Times bestselling author Alan Gratz comes a gripping, timely, 96-page bonus story about one girl's treacherous immigration journey that can be read alongside the novel Two Degrees, or on its own.
Daniela López is on a life-or-death journey.
Forced to flee their beloved home in Honduras, Dani and her family were headed north in search of safety--until a treacherous mistake ripped Dani's parents away. Now, Dani and her younger brother Carlos are on their own, and they have no choice but to keep going, in the desperate hope of finding their parents at the Mexico-United States border.
But to get there, they will have to ride on top of a roaring freight train known as "The Beast."
Rickety and deadly, The Beast makes hairpin turns at terrifying speeds and shoots through dark tunnels. And there is the constant danger of being caught by gangs and kidnappers along the way.
Surrounded by hundreds of fellow refugees, Daniela will have to figure out who she can and cannot trust--and fast. Otherwise, she and Carlos might not stand a chance of surviving...
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Alan Gratz (Refugee; Two Degrees) this timely original story, sensitively told, gives today's readers an accessible and gripping look at the immigrant experience and the courage it takes to start over.
Review Quotes:
Praise for War Games:
* "[A] smartly plotted page-turner... Well-researched historical facts add tooth to this cinematic novel's shocking twists and turns... [a] riveting adventure." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Gratz goes big on the Mission Impossible-style heist... A lengthy and detailed author's note provides valuable historical context... Fast-paced and plot-driven." -- Kirkus Reviews
Praise for Resist: A Story of D-Day:
"Gratz makes the danger of being a civilian caught between occupiers and invaders on that fateful night (or any other time) breathlessly palpable... Tense, nonstop adventure in a historic setting." -- Kirkus Reviews
Praise for Heroes: A Novel of Pearl Harbor:
A New York Times Bestseller
* "Gratz does his usual splendid job of creating the visceral drama of battle alongside fully realized characters. He handles the theme of heroism well, while not straying into the didactic, and is especially good at depicting the enduring friendship of the two boys as, together, they experience the day that will live in infamy." -- Booklist, starred review
"Vivid... fast-paced. The humanity of the characters and the on-the-ground perspective evoke sympathy for those who perished in the attack... A propulsive wartime story with an earnest protagonist at its heart." -- Kirkus Reviews
"[A] gripping, well-researched account of courage and friendship... powerful." -- Publishers Weekly
Praise for Two Degrees:
A New York Times Bestseller
An ABA Indie Bestseller
A USA Today Bestseller
A Junior Library Guild selection
A Barnes & Noble Best Book of the Year
"A Hollywood thriller of a book... essential for this moment." -- The New York Times
"Gratz renders pulse-pounding ecological tales and high-stakes calamity with the brisk pacing of a thriller... gripping [and] timely." -- Publishers Weekly
"Gratz plunges his middle schoolers into desperate, life-threatening straits in three wildly dangerous scenarios... delivered with wrenching, dramatic urgency." -- Kirkus Reviews
"A seamless, thrilling adventure... important." -- Booklist
Praise for Ground Zero:
* "The plot starts at a heart-pounding pace and never relents... In a superbly structured plot, the two protagonists experience similar perils, and both respond with determination and hope... A contemporary history lesson with the uplifting message that humanity's survival depends on us working for, not against, one another. A must have." -- School Library Journal, starred review
* "The pace is quick (don't blink or you'll miss something!), its emotions deeply authentic, and the highly visual settings resonate with accuracy. With a moving author's note, pertinent back matter, and a surprise twist which brings the book full circle, Gratz delivers another winning read." -- Booklist, starred review
"Gratz's deeply moving writing paints vivid images of the loss and fear of those who lived through the trauma of 9/11." -- Kirkus Reviews
Praise for Allies:
* "A tour de force of war fiction." -- Booklist, starred review
* "Both an excellent, inclusive narration of important historical events and a fast-paced, entertaining read." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review
* "A tautly paced and multifaceted portrait... This gripping novel offers memorable insights into the contributions and alliances of everyday people." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review
* "A vivid and detailed snapshot of the D-Day invasion from multiple complex and diverse characters... meticulously researched [and] honest." -- School Library Journal, starred review
Praise for Refugee:
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
A Kirkus Best Book of the Year
"Unflinching and sympathetic." -- The New York Times
"Grade A: A stunning, poignant novel." -- Entertainment Weekly
"Harrowing, timely." -- People Magazine
"A gripping, visceral, and hold-your-breath intense story." -- John Green, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Fault in Our Stars
* "Gratz accomplishes a feat that is nothing short of brilliant, offering a skillfully wrought narrative laced with global and intergenerational reverberations that signal hope for the future... Poignant, respectful, and historically accurate while pulsating with emotional turmoil, adventure, and suspense." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review
* "[A] hard-hitting novel... Filled with both tragic loss and ample evidence of resilience, these memorable and tightly plotted stories contextualize and give voice to current refugee crises, underscoring that these journeys are born out of a desperate need for security and safety." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Gratz, who is known for well-written and well-researched historical fiction, doesn't disappoint. His latest is timely and moving... This compelling novel will help young people make sense of today's refugee crisis. Meant to be read, discussed, and shared widely." -- School Library Journal
"Some novels are engaging and some novels are important. Refugee is both." -- #1 New York Times bestselling author Ruta Sepetys
"This heart-stopping novel is not only compelling -- it is necessary." -- Judy Blundell, National Book Award-winning author of What I Saw and How I Lied
"An incredibly important, heartrending, edge-of-the-seat read, bringing light to the plight of immigrants who search for safety and freedom." -- Pam Munoz Ryan, author of the New York Times bestseller and Newbery Honor Book Echo
"With urgent, clear-eyed storytelling, Gratz's Refugee compellingly explores the desperation and strength that unites those struggling for a place to call home." -- Eliot Schrefer, New York Times bestselling author of two-time National Book Award finalist of Rescued and Endangered
"Full of struggle, heroism, and non-stop adventure, Refugee is not only an important book, it's a terrific story." -- Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, author of the New York Times bestseller and Newbery Honor Book The War That Saved My Life