As a young girl, Grace Akallo attended a boarding school in Uganda. She and many of her classmates are abducted by soldiers in the Lord’s Resistance Army, a rebel group led by the fierce leader Joseph Kony. Grace is beaten and forced to serve in Kony’s army. After seven months she escapes through the bush. She returns to school and later works to help other former child soldiers begin the healing process and start a new life. This is the story of a remarkable young woman who becomes an advocate for peace and justice.

Reviews:

Booklist
As a 15-year-old living in Uganda in 1996, Grace Akallo was one of many girls abducted from her Catholic boarding school by a militia that was intent on overthrowing the government. Over the next seven months, she was beaten, sexually abused, given as a wife to an officer, and forced to fight and kill. After a difficult escape, Akallo made her way back home and resumed her education while trying to help other former child soldiers at a rehabilitation center. She attended college and graduate school in the United States, where her foundation now works on behalf of African women and children. Sawyer, who evidently interviewed Akallo as well as researching other sources, tells her story clearly, while broadening the discussion at times to include other child soldiers in a worldwide, historical context. Good color photos illustrate the text. While the subject matter may be troubling to some readers, Sawyer's matter-of-fact approach makes this book a worthwhile addition to the Out in Front series, which began with David Aretha's Malala Yousafzai and the Girls of Pakistan (2014).--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2015

Horn Book Magazine
At fifteen, Grace Akallo was abducted from her Catholic girls' school and spent seven months as a child soldier in a Ugandan militia. Sawyer tells her story of capture, survival, and healing, while a historical overview of child soldiers being used in conflicts helps frame Grace's tale. The clear, structured narrative and moving photographs impel readers' empathy. Websites. Bib., ind. (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc.

School Library Journal
Gr 7 Up-
The gripping narrative alternates with other examples of children in conflict, including boys who lied about their age to enlist in the American Civil War, the coercion of young boys and girls to be executioners by Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge, and Palestinian Hamas who offered children schooling and weapon training. The oversized format resembles a dedicated magazine featuring a gripping story, related asides, and large captioned photos. Grace Akallo brings attention to the plight of children still being enlisted in armed encounters around the world and will appeal to fans of true stories about remarkable young people.-Vicki Reutter
This series takes a look at young women who have undergone unimaginable suffering but who used their experiences to help others. Grace Akallo focuses on a young Ugandan teen who was kidnapped and conscripted into Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army, while Nujood Ali profiles a Yemeni girl whose father married her off to a 30-year-old man and who, at 10, became the youngest person ever to seek a divorce. Though the books center on well-known cases, they use these examples to explore the larger issues of child soldiers and child marriage in more depth. Both volumes feature an eye-catching layout, with many large color photos accompanied by captions that offer interesting tidbits and sidebars that provide information on related topics, such as teen pregnancy in the United States and the terrorist group Boko Haram. Though the text may be sparse, it packs a punch: these authors don't gloss over difficult subjects. VERDICT Solid selections to spark discussion.-Esther Keller