What is a coming-of-age story? Is this memoir an example of one? We as readers see Ishmael forced to grow up very quickly by taking care of himself and his friends before being enlisted as a child soldier and experiencing violence that many in the United States have not. What does his story about transformation and rehabilitation tell us about innocence and the ability to maintain one’s youthfulness?

Teaching Suggestion: Encourage students to think critically about how Beah has had to live with the consequences of his actions, especially emotionally, in the years since he fled Sierra Leone. If the discussion is productive, use it as a way to get students to think about their privilege in coming to school without fear of becoming child soldiers.