Lost Boys

Gr 8 Up--The year is 1982, and Iran is at war with neighboring Iraq. Twelve-year-old Reza has no desire to fight; he loves music and would rather play the piano and listen to the contraband Western songs supplied by his beloved uncle Habib. But he rethinks his plans when his uncle is killed, his best friend Ebi decides to enlist, and his mother tells him she wants him to fight and honor their family even if he dies. Reza and Ebi join the Iranian army, and then, in a horrific scene, their cohort of child soldiers are sent across a minefield to set off the mines with their expendable small bodies. The rest of the story follows Reza's time in an Iraqi prisoner-of-war camp among the other "lost boys" of the book's title. Reza's adolescent rebellion, passion for music, and loyalty to his friends make him an appealing protagonist, and the constant dangers threatening him create a compelling read. Secondary characters demonstrate the complexity of attitudes and loyalties during the Iran-Iraq conflict: the unseen Iranian army leaders send their own country's children to be mangled, while an Iraqi guard helps Reza escape sure death at the prisoner-of-war camp. Historically accurate violence and occasional swearing and sexual references, all appropriate to the subject of the book, make this selection best suited for older middle school and high school readers. VERDICT A powerful look at a tragic period in history that belongs in most YA collections.--Beth Wright Redford, Richmond Elementary School Library, VT

This hard-hitting first novel opens in Iran in 1982 during the Ayatollah Khomeini's oppressive rule and that nation's war with Iraq. Rosenblatt thrusts her sensitive, music-loving narrator, Reza, into immediate danger as the 12-year-old's widowed mother pushes him to join the fight, viewing it as an honor if he were to die a martyr. When his best friend Ebi enlists, Reza follows, and after slipshod training, the gruesome reality of their role emerges as officers tie dozens of the teenage boys together and send them into a minefield: "We were legs and arms they didn't mind losing. We were here to die." Rosenblatt counterbalances cruelty with strong relationships, especially among the boys in the Iraqi POW camp Reza ends up, as well as with a charismatic teacher and aid worker who nurtures his love of music. The larger political context becomes personal when a devastating public rejection of Reza and his fellow survivors by Iran leaves the boys without a country. Though the conclusion may stretch belief, the resilience of Rosenblatt's protagonist strikes a strong chord. Ages 9-12. Agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary. (Aug.)

"Rosenblatt's debut is fiction, but rooted in fact: the plight of 'lost boy soldiers' was all too real. Thanks to careful research and a well-written narrative, Rosenblatt brings their stories to vivid and memorable life. The lost boys, at least here, are found." —Booklist

"Reza's adolescent rebellion, passion for music, and loyalty to his friends make him an appealing protagonist, and the constant dangers threatening him create a compelling read. Secondary characters demonstrate the complexity of attitudes and loyalties during the Iran-Iraq conflict . . . . A powerful look at a tragic period in history." —School Library Journal

"This hard-hitting first novel opens in Iran in 1982. . . . The resilience of Rosenblatt's protagonist strikes a strong chord." —Publishers Weekly