Flying Through Water - by Mamle Wolo

About the Book

"Sena thinks he is helping his poverty-stricken family when a man calling himself Jack of Diamonds promises him a job and a better life, but he ends up in the clutches of human traffickers and must use all his resolve to escape and survive"--

Book Synopsis

An NPR Best Book of the Year

"A must-read!"--Alan Gratz, New York Times bestselling author of Refugee

For fans of A Long Walk to Water and Hatchet, this boy's gripping journey from poverty to empowerment transports readers to modern-day Ghana, into the throes of an extraordinary survival story.

Sena treasures his life in rural Ghana--playing soccer, working the family farm, striving to do his best at school--but he is increasingly aware of his family's precarious security in the face of poverty. When an alluring gentleman comes to town to befriend local teenagers, offering promises of a better future, it only takes one more unsettling turn of events to send Sena into the clutches of human traffickers. Sena's ordeal, escape, and remarkable survival makes for a page-turning adventure of self-discovery and empowerment.

★ "A powerful look at...the will to survive."―Kirkus, starred review
★ "Readers will devour Sena's story."--School Library Journal, starred review

Review Quotes

Praise for Flying Through Water:
An NPR Best Book of the Year​
A Children's Africana Book Awards Honor Book

"By the time the story becomes a survival tale worthy of Gary Paulsen's Hatchet, you'll never be able to forget the book's writing or the environmental message at its heart."--NPR

"Intertwining the historical tradition of West African storytelling with the very present issues of environmental injustice and child trafficking, Wolo brings a vivid and intense narrative to life."--Horn Book

* "Readers will devour Sena's story."
--School Library Journal, starred review

"Engaging."--Booklist

* "A powerful look at human suffering and the will to survive."
--Kirkus, starred review

Praise for The Kaya Girl:

A 2022 Kirkus Best Children's Book
2023 Children's Africana Book Award
2023 Bank Street College Best Books

"Readers...will also recognize that moving beyond bias can be an act of individual courage and choice."

--The Bulletin

* "A heartwarming and inspiring tale of a friendship that surpasses class differences and social stigma."--Kirkus, starred review

* "Employing realistic dialogue and lush descriptions of the sights, smells, and tastes of Ghana, this smart exploration of friendship's lasting power centers two teens expanding and exploring their worlds."--Publishers Weekly, starred review

* "Middle graders will enjoy being transported to the sights, sounds, smells, and flavors of the Makola Market in Accra, Ghana, which set the stage for Adena's summer."--School Library Journal, starred review

"...will transport readers to Ghana." --Booklist

About the Author

MAMLE WOLO is the award-winning author of The Kaya Girl. She studied at the University of Cambridge and the University of Lancaster in the United Kingdom and is an Honorary Fellow in Writing of the University of Iowa. She writes fiction, poetry, and screenplays and lives with her family in Accra, Ghana.