A captivating new novel from Printz Award winner David Almond. Liam and hisfriend Max are playing in their neighborhood when the call of a bird leads themout in... » 

A captivating new novel from Printz Award winner David Almond. Liam and hisfriend Max are playing in their neighborhood when the call of a bird leads themout into a field beyond their town. There they find a baby lying alone atop apile of stoneswith a note pinned to her clothing. Mystified Liam brings thebaby home to his parents. They agree to take her in but police searches turnup no sign of the babys parents. Finally they must surrender the baby to afoster family who name her Allison. Visiting her in Northumberland Liam meetsOliver a foster son from Liberia who claims to be a refugee from the warthere and Crystal a foster daughter. When Liams parents decide to adoptAllison Crystal and Oliver are invited to her christening. There Oliver tellsLiam about how he will be slaughtered if he is sent back to Liberia. The nexttime Liam sees Crystal it is when she and Oliver have run away from theirfoster homes desperate to keep Oliver from being sent back to Liberia. In acave where the two are hiding Liam learns the truth behind Olivers dark pastand is forced to ponder what all children are capable of. «