Summary Provided by Goodreads:
Khalid, a 15-year-old Muslim boy from Rochdale, is abducted from Pakistan while on holiday with his family. He is taken to Guantanamo Bay and held without charge. An innocent denied his freedom at a time when Western boys are finding theirs, Khalid tries and fails to understand what's happening to him and cannot fail to be a changed young man.My Thoughts:
Khalid is a normal Muslim, English boy who likes to hang out with his friends, annoy his younger siblings and play video games. When vacationing in Pakistan with his family, he is kidnapped and jailed because apparently he is a suspected terrorist. He is tortured, starved and interrogated for two years. Time and again he tells the guards that he is not a terrorist but they do not believe him. While being water boarded, he confesses to what they believe about him, just to make the torture stop.
Guantanamo Boy is a gripping read. Taken away from his family for no reason other then he is Muslim makes this story a powerful read. What Khalid went through is a true story for many boys and something that I had no idea even occurred. Hundreds of young boys, some as young as twelve, were suspected of being terrorists and tortured for information. This story really makes you think about what is right and what is wrong regarding prisoners.
As a social studies teacher, this is an excellent book to have in my classroom and I think it would be very interesting and informational to create a project based on it. The students would be around the same age as Khalid so they would really be able to understand and identify with the emotions that Khalid went through.
Overall, Guantanamo Boy is a story that needs to be told and it is definitely a story that needs to be read. Even with the horrible subject matter of the novel, it will leave you with feelings of hope and forgiveness!
Sounds like a very interesting (and sad) book :(
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