The Sky at Our Feet

Starred review from January 22, 2018
Hashimi (One Half from the East) addresses the plight of undocumented immigrants while taking readers on a glorious, madcap race through Manhattan. Twelve-year-old Jason Riazi, the novel’s guileless narrator, has just learned that although he is an American citizen, his mother is not, having overstayed her student visa. When he sees her being taken away by two official-looking men, he assumes that she is being sent back to Afghanistan, and he boards a train from New Jersey to Penn Station, hoping to use a partial street address to locate his Auntie Seema. A concussion lands him in the hospital, where he meets the delightfully smart-mouthed Max, a self-proclaimed genius who is hooked up to a slew of wires. Both strangers to New York City, they escape the hospital together and are soon navigating the subways, the annual marathon, and the Central Park Zoo while being pursued by frantic adults. A winsome supporting cast, snappy dialogue, and nonstop adventures just shy of fantastic make this a thought-provoking, heartwarming page-turner. Ages 8–12. Agent: Sarah Heller, Helen Heller Agency.

February 1, 2018

Gr 5-8-Twelve-year-old Jason D. Riazi is on the run from his New Jersey home after his mother, an undocumented Afghani immigrant, is apprehended by police. Hoping to find his Auntie Seema in New York City, he takes the train to Penn Station, but, fainting from hunger on the platform and suffering a concussion, he lands in the hospital where he fakes amnesia to keep his identity secret. Befriended by a young female patient, Max, who claims her superior brain is being studied, the two escape into the city streets only to be caught up in the throng of the New York Marathon. When Max collapses in an epileptic seizure, Jason must continue alone on his quest for safety. The familiar trope of two adolescents escaping from a hospital to pursue an adventure is enhanced by the timely theme of American identity amid the immigrant experience and is nicely textured with details of the New York cityscape. The narrative is peppered with riddles Jason has learned from his mother, and his questioning of his "Americanness" and Max's rebellion against her parents' overprotectiveness will resonate with readers. The story is fast-paced and engaging with sympathetic protagonists who raise thought-provoking contemporary issues. VERDICT An absorbing read and a good choice for discussion.-Marie Orlando, formerly at Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from January 15, 2018
A gripping story about two brave children on the run in the Big Apple.This timely story features two American children: Jason, the son of a single mom from Afghanistan who has overstayed her visa in America, and Max, a white American girl who has epilepsy. Serendipity brings the two children together and leads to an exciting but nerve-wracking adventure around New York City. The heroic protagonists exhibit a good balance between independent problem-solving and making mistakes. In Jason's present-tense narration, Hashimi creatively explores the similarities and differences in the two children's lives: how they grew up, their relationships with their families, the ways they use their wits, and their levels of trust. She also provides a nuanced and accessible perspective on the complex issues of illegal immigration and childhood epilepsy. Jason's sole family member disappears for reasons he could never have contemplated, and Max is a witty, confident girl who longs to be considered just like everyone else. Leveraging her pediatrician expertise but without didacticism, Hashimi also shares what people should do if they see someone having an epileptic attack. An important book with a well-crafted plot that is sure to linger several days after readers finish it. (author's note) (Fiction. 8-12)

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December 1, 2017
Grades 4-7 Jason D. Riazi gets the shock of his life when his mother reveals the story of how she came to America from Afghanistan, and how she once was legal but now is undocumented. Soon after, Jason witnesses what he fears most: men with badges taking his mother away. Not knowing what will happen next, he takes the train to New York City to find his mother's friend, Auntie Seema. Arriving at Penn Station, Jason has an accident that puts him in the hospital, where he makes friends with Max, another patient. Anxious for freedom and adventure, Max encourages Jason to bust out of the hospital with her and find his aunt. Escapades abound due to mistaken locations, evading the police, misunderstandings, and getting lost. Jason's strong narrative voice illustrates the plight of a family torn apart and what it means to be an American child of an undocumented parent. His uncertainty about the future is palpable, and the kids' need to stay under the authorities' radar mirrors the dilemma of thousands of families in our country.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2019
Jason's single mom, an Afghan immigrant, is suddenly arrested for being undocumented. He has U.S. citizenship, but no relatives except for family friend "Auntie" Seema. Jason ventures to New York City with only Seema's partial address to seek help. From winding up in a hospital to escaping with a feisty epilepsy patient, Jason's urban adventures are exciting while occasionally requiring suspension of disbelief.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)