Puffin Classics: the definitive collection of timeless stories, for every child. Not a speck, not a stain on her gray school skirt and blue blouse to show what terrible thing had happened . . . If only by putting on something fresh and new, they could begin the day again. Sade is only twelve when she and her brother Femi flee to Britain from Nigeria. Their father is a political journalist who refuses to stop criticising the military rulers. When their mother is killed, they are sent to London, and their father promises to follow them. Abandoned at Victoria Station by the woman paid to bring them to England posing as her children, Sade and Femi find themselves alone in a new and often hostile environment. A powerful novel which explores what it means to be classified as ‘illegal’ and the difficulties which come with being a refugee. WINNER OF THE CARNEGIE MEDAL ‘A marvellous read … that refuels the desire for justice and freedom’ – Jon Snow ‘Beverley Naidoo breaks the rules, producing books for young people which recognize that they want to know about the real world’ Guardian ‘This novel wholly deserves its classic status . . . still relevant and poignant.’ Booktrust