The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander

The Door of No Return

Kwame Alexander

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers · Paperback · May 7, 2024

From the Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award winning author Kwame Alexander, comes a searing and breathtaking story of a boy, a village, and the epic odyssey of an African family.

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Who it’s for
A boy's close-knit world opens into a harrowing journey.
Genres
Historical Africa, Stories in Verse, Survival Stories
Published
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, May 7, 2024

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About this book

From the Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award winning author Kwame Alexander, comes a searing and breathtaking story of a boy, a village, and the epic odyssey of an African family. In his village in Upper Kwanta, 11-year-old Kofi loves his family, playing oware with his grandfather and swimming in the river Offin. He’s warned though, to never go to the river at night. His brother tells him ”There are things about the water you do not know. “Like what?" Kofi asks.

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“The beasts.” His brother answers. One fateful night, the unthinkable happens and in a flash, Kofi’s world turns upside down. Kofi soon ends up in a fight for his life and what happens next will send him on a harrowing journey across land and sea, and away from everything he loves. This spellbinding novel by the author of The Crossover and Booked will take you on an unforgettable adventure that will open your eyes and break your heart. The Door of No Return is an excellent choice for independent reading, sharing in the classroom, book groups, and homeschooling. An instant #1 New York Times Bestseller!

Close Ties, Wide Journey

A boy's close-knit world opens into a harrowing journey.

Come here for

  • Family bonds, village life, and a river edged with danger
  • A vivid sense of place in Upper Kwanta

Expect

  • A journey across land and sea, away from everything Kofi loves
  • An intimate story that widens into an epic odyssey

Where it sits

Stories in Verse79%
Historical Africa70%
Survival Stories43%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Survival Stories
  • Historical Africa
  • Stories Set in Africa
  • Stories in Verse
Authors
Kwame Alexander
Publisher
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published
May 7, 2024
Format
Paperback
Reading lane
Survival Stories