So Much for Democracy
So Much for Democracy is available here.
Twelve-year-old Astrid has come to Ghana with her family in 1979 so that her father can help oversee Ghana’s first democratic election.
Astrid and her brother, Gordo, were told it would be a great family adventure, but they soon find out that everything about Ghana is difficult—the heat, the food, the threat of disease, the soldiers on the roads, the schools. Gordo fits in more easily than Astrid, who is often left to look after her baby sister, Piper, as their mother begins to fall apart under the strain of living in Ghana. When the government is overthrown, Gordo comes down with malaria and a soldier threatens her family, Astrid is surprised to discover how protective she has become of her new home.
"Astrid, her younger brother, and her friend Thema are well-developed young characters… Astrid’s first-person narration is appropriately childlike, and her youthful perspective is a concise, honest glimpse into an event relatively unknown in the U.S."
— Booklist
"Scenes filled with tension, including one in which a soldier takes away their mother’s purse, make the story gripping to middle grade readers. This is a great book for understanding another culture and the struggles of a nation."
— Reading Today Online
“Astrid is a strong and courageous female character who takes on the role of being a responsible and caring older sibling to Gordo and Piper...Jones’ story provides readers with an emotionally captivating look into a family’s anxieties as the unit transitions to life in a new country... [and] richly depicts Astrid’s strength and commitment to her family as they endure stress and battle sickness and fear...”
— CM Magazine
Awards
Junior Library Guild selection | 2014 | Commended
CCBC Best Books | 2014 | Commended
Hackmatack Children's Choice Award nominee | 2015 | Short-listed