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Red midnight

Ben Mikaelsen

2002212 pagesabout 3–5 hours
2002
first published
  • 2002HarperCollins Publishers · 212 pages · ENGISBN 9780380977451
  • 2003HarperTrophy · 212 pages · ENGISBN 9780380805617
  • 2010HarperCollins · ENGISBN 9780062009654

When guerrilla soldiers strike Santiago's village, they destroy everything in their path — including his home and family. Santiago and his four-year-old sister escape, running for their lives. But the only way they can be truly safe is to leave Guatemala behind forever. So Santiago and Angelina set sail in a sea kayak their Uncle Ramos built while dreaming of his own escape. Sailing through narrow channels guarded by soldiers, shark-infested waters, and days of painful heat and raging storms, Santiago and Angelina face an almost impossible voyage hundreds of miles across the open ocean, heading for the hope of a new life in the United States.

How it feels

AtmosphereStormy

Worth knowing

Written forMiddle grade

When and where

ThemesSurvival
How do you feel?