What's the Name of That Book??? discussion
This topic is about
The Runaway Summer
SOLVED: Children's/YA
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SOLVED. YA fiction: Mary and Simon hide a Pakistani boy in an abandoned house in London. [s]
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Has to be The Runaway Summer by Nina Bawden, though you've slightly misremembered the plot.Mary's been dumped on her aunt in a seaside town while her parents divorce, and makes friends with Simon there. The boy they find and hide is Krishna, an illegal immigrant (he's an Indian from Kenya who should have British citizenship, but missed the deadline for entry due to plane problems).
Yes, you are correct. My memory of the book is really sketchy, although it did stay with me over the years. Thanks so much.
The plot, as I recall, is a difficult girl named Mary goes to live with her aunt and uncle in London. She somehow finds that a Pakistani boy is living in a nearby abandoned house and she begins sneaking food to him. I think she makes friends with another boy named Simon, or else the Pakistani boy is called Simon.
The one scene I remember is a dinner at Mary's home where she doesn't want the pork and vegetables being served for dinner. Her aunt makes a comment about how there are starving children all over the world who would love that dinner. Mary thinks this is funny, considering that she is sneaking food to the boy and laughs, spitting out pork all over the polished dinner table.
If anyone could help identify this book, I'd appreciate it. Thanks much.