The Crossing

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Mann started her career as an actress performing in many theatre productions, radio plays as well as minor roles on screen before turning her hand to writing. At times the issue of her father’s violent, drunken behaviour towards his wife and daughters overshadows the more significant matter of his refusal to let them live in a more western way. He is a frightened man, living in a country whose language he does not speak and whose ways he does not understand. In one beautiful scene we are allowed to see another side of him, gentle, loving, where he and Amber dance together. a b "Outstanding Winners announced for the unique Awards from teachers!". United Kingdom Literacy Association. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023 . Retrieved 8 June 2023.

The audience consisted very largely of secondary school children, probably between 12–16. Two significant moments in that performance at Derby Theatre stood out for me, largely because of the young audience’s gasps of disbelief. Amber dares to confront her father, and Amber’s first kiss. The reaction from the audience at both these moments show that the novel, and its dramatisation, are spot-on for the target audience.Believe in your voice. Don’t try and write like someone else. Don’t write what you think you "should" be writing. Write the stories YOU want to tell, in your own unique voice. I say this because recently I tied myself in knots thinking I had to change my style and write something more "commercial". I convinced myself the stories I wanted to tell were not good enough and my style wasn’t ‘clever’ enough. I didn’t write a word for six months. So, to the writers out there…don’t concern yourself with what anyone else is doing, or their success. Just do you. It’s good enough. YOU are good enough. What songs would be on a playlist for your book? Sammy has fled his home and family in Eritrea for the chance of a new life in Europe. Every step he takes is a step into the unknown - into a strange country and a hidden future.

The author says “I wanted to make sense of what I was seeing, I wanted to do something that would help build empathy and understanding.” She has most emphatically succeeded in this aim. This is such a profound story of hope, grief, and strength - I do recommend it to all. Be aware you will weep, too. Natalie Lennon, a talented 16 year old swimmer from Dover find herself facing homelessness when her family begins to unravels after her mother passes away with cancer. Her father, who is struggling with grief, can't keep them afloat and her newly adult brother Ryan is being seduced far right groups. The Crossing is heart-wrenching tale of friendship and strength even in the most adverse situations. Sammy has fled his homeland of Eritrea with his best friend, looking for a chance of a new and better life in England. They reason that it is their only option as Eritrea becomes less and less free. The two boys travel across Africa, in appalling conditions, seeing awful things in an attempt to make their way to the promised land of England. As well as individual focus on characters, the novel is expansive, capturing the essence of being a teenager, evoking a world in crisis, and helping to open up the conversation of what is important to young people in this world. In telling such a story in such a creative way, Mann highlights the importance of every story to be told, for every voice to be heard, in a way that truly brings poetry to life for children.As the plot carries you along you also want to know more about the plight of refugees and the horrific characters that exploit them in many many ways. Natalie’s decision to swim the channel to raise funds for the refugee charities creates a counterpoint in the narrative. The detail of her struggles and training plan seem an unlikely text for poetry - but it works!

Natalie's world is in tatters after the death of her mother. Her father can't afford to keep up with rent on the flat and her brother seems to be being lured by a far right, anti-immigration group in their home town of Dover (a town on the south coast of England and right on the front line for incoming refugees.) He only way of managing her stress is swimming - something she and her mother shared a love of.I am part of a shadowing group for the Carnegie and Greenaway Medal with my daughter and a great bunch of bookish enthusiasts. It is a privilege to chat bookish thoughts with a great group of young people. Out of the 8 shortlisted books for the Carnegie Medal, my daughter and I decided to make, 'The Crossing,' our first read. The cover, the blurb, and the style of narrative caught our attention, and it did not disappoint!