Benjamin Zephaniah

Acclaimed performance poet and novelist Benjamin Zephaniah''s honest, wry and poignant story of a young refugee left in London is of even more power and pertinence today than when it was first published.Life is not safe for Alem. His father is Ethopian, his mother Eritrean. Their countries are at war, and Alem is welcome in neither place.So Alem is excited to spend a holiday in London with his father until he wakes up to find him gone. What seems like a betrayal is in fact an act of love, but now Alem is alone in a strange country, and he must forge his own path ...

A fairytale of hip hop success teens will enjoy the thrilling music fantasy while many will identify with the smart talented boys who grow up quickly and rescue themselves BooklistAn electrifying novel from hugely popular performance poet and novelist Benjamin Zephaniah exploring the rap music scene inequality and three boys caught up in itJust what do you do with talent from the wrong side of town Benjamin Zephaniah draws on his own experiences with school and the music business to create a novel that speaks with passion and immediacy about the rap scene Ray has trouble at home and he has trouble at school until he s permanently excluded and ends up sleeping on the floor of a record shop What happens to a boy like Ray If he s lucky maybe he gets a chance to shine The story of three boys who aren t easy They don t fit in They seem to attract trouble But they know what they want and they ve got the talent to back it up Brilliantly written and with a real ear for dialogue fans of Angie Thomas and Malorie Blackman will love Benjamin Zephaniah s novels for young adult readers Refugee BoyFaceGangsta RapTeacher s Dead

A timely and uplifting picture book poem about the power of people and the importance of connecting with others By legendary poet and performer Benjamin Zephaniah beautifully illustrated by Nila Aye

A joy to read with small children - IndependentAn uplifting celebration of nature and the wonder of the world around us by legendary poet and performer Benjamin Zephaniah, one of The Times' top 50 British post-war writers.At the bottom of my garden, there's a hedgehog and a frog,And a lot of creepy-crawlies living underneath a log . . .All around us, from parks to gardens and flowerpots to pavements, there's a world of wonder just waiting to be discovered. Why not look a little closer and see what you find?This joyful celebration of nature reminds us all to take a closer look at the world around us, and enjoy the wonder of nature wherever we find it. Packed with animals and minibeasts galore, this imaginative rhyming text is perfect for reading aloud.

Welcome to the wild and wicked words of Benjamin Zephaniah! You'll find loads of the cool people who make up our world in this rapping, happening, hot and hip collection. So come and meet Benjamin's friends and you'll soon make lots of new ones of your own!

In this heart-stopping adventure, Benjamin Zephaniah shows us what it was like to be a child of the Windrush generation.Leonard is shocked when he arrives with his mother in the port of Southampton. His father is a stranger to him, its cold and even the Jamaican food doesnt taste the same as it did back home in Maroon Town. But his parents have brought him here to try to make a better life, so Leonard does his best not to complain, to make new friends, to do well at school even when people hurt him with their words and with their fists.

What is a terrorist A shocking moving and timely novel about the choices that shape us Rico knows trouble He knows the look of it and the sound of it He also knows to stay away from it as best he can Because if there s one thing his Romany background has taught him it s that he will always be a suspect Despite his efforts to stay on the right side of the law Rico is angry and frustrated at the injustices he sees happening at home and around the world He wants to do something but what When he is approached by Speech a mysterious man who shares Rico s hacktivist interests Rico is given the perfect opportunity to speak out After all what harm can a peaceful cyber protest do From the bestselling author of REFUGEE BOY comes a powerful novel about justice trust and idealism gone wrong that will make you look again at your definition of a terrorist

The stunning autobiography of the poet writer lyricist and activist Benjamin Zephaniah

A brilliant first novel GuardianIn the moving and compelling debut novel from Benjamin Zephaniah a young man s life is completely changed when his face is badly scarred in a car accident Martin seems to have it all He s cool funny and he s the undisputed leader of the Gang of Three who roam their East London estate during the holidays looking for fun But one night after the Gang leave a late night rap club Martin accepts a ride from Pete a Raider s Posse gang member Too late he realises that the car is stolen and that the police are after them What happens next will change Martin s life and looks and show him the true meaning of strength courage discrimination and friendship Brilliantly written and with a real ear for dialogue fans of Angie Thomas and Malorie Blackman will love Benjamin Zephaniah s novels for young adult readers Refugee BoyFaceGangsta RapTeacher s Dead

Martin is a good-looking, self-assured boy who accepts a ride home from a drunken acquaintance and ends up in a horrible accident--badly burned, his face completely disfigured. Life as it was before is over...he loses his girlfriend and his friends, and finds that people are making judgements about him and how he feels without even knowing. As Martin struggles through the reconstruction of his face, he is also working hard to reconstruct his life. His character, however, remains intact. There are startling truths in this story, written with clarity and insight, which make it utterly believable and impossible to read without heartfelt empathy. Parents, librarians, teachers and mostly children will be absorbed by the story.