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10

Sima is an Afghan girl living in a detention centre. Dan is a 'parkie kid' living at the local caravan park. Both are seeking freedom beyond their wire fences.

Sima’s dad told her to run.

Dan finds her hiding in the school toilet block.

What should Dan do? Help her? Dob her in? She’s breaking the law, but is it right to lock kids up?

And if he helps, should Sima trust him? Or run?

This moment, these decisions, will change their lives.

Twelve-year-old Sima is an Afghan Hazara refugee whose family has been locked up in a detention centre for two years. They are in fear of being sent back to Afghanistan where their lives will be in great danger. Along with fifty others, Sima and her family make a daring attempt to escape at 5.28 am one morning. A guard raises the alarm and in the chaos, Sima finds herself alone and running for her life. She hides in the toilet block at the local high school, but the escape has triggered a school lockdown and Border Force officers are checking every room. Then Dan finds her…

Dan lives on the wrong side of town in an old, battered blue-and-white Jayco caravan at Midgenba Pines caravan park. His mum is often absent and he does his best to look after himself and go to school. Sadly, most people expect 'parkie kids' to break the law and end up in jail. That's not what Dan plans for his life. However, this is exactly what might happen if he decides to help Sima...

"But how can he raise the alarm, knowing what she said will happen to her and her little sister? A baby. How can that be the right thing to do? How can what's legal and what's right be two different things?"

Detention is a gripping and fast-paced story about trust, courage, freedom, hope and doing what you think is right. You will be on an emotional roller coaster with Sima and Dan, thinking about what you would do in the same situation as you quickly turn pages, hold your breath and hope Sima makes it to Leeton.

Tristan Bancks has written a book that both makes your heart race and fills it with compassion. 

What would you risk to save a life?

Free-Photos / Pixabay

You can read the first three chapters of Detention HERE. Tristan would love to hear what YOU thought about his book!

Happy reading!

Teacher Notes

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