{"product_id":"bitter-side-of-sweet-hardcover","title":"Bitter Side of Sweet - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eTara Sullivan\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor fans of Linda Sue Park and \"A Long Way Gone,\" two young boys must escape a life of slavery in modern-day Ivory Coast \u003cbr\u003eFifteen-year-old Amadou counts the things that matter. For two years what has mattered are the number of cacao pods he and his younger brother, Seydou, can chop down in a day. The higher the number the safer they are. The higher the number the closer they are to paying off their debt and returning home. Maybe. The problem is Amadou doesn t know how much he and Seydou owe, and the bosses won t tell him. The boys only wanted to make money to help their impoverished family, instead they were tricked into forced labor on a plantation in the Ivory Coast. With no hope of escape, all they can do is try their best to stay alive until Khadija comes into their lives. \u003cbr\u003eShe s the first girl who s ever come to camp, and she s a wild thing. She fights bravely every day, attempting escape again and again, reminding Amadou what it means to be free. But finally, the bosses break her, and what happens next to the brother he has always tried to protect almost breaks Amadou. The three band together as family and try just once more to escape. \u003cbr\u003eInspired by true-to-life events happening right now, \"The Bitter Side of Sweet\" is an exquisitely written tour de force not to be missed. \u003cbr\u003e A gripping and painful portrait of modern-day child slavery in the cacao plantations of the Ivory Coast. \"The Wall Street Journal\" \u003cbr\u003e A tender, harrowing story of family, friendship, and the pursuit of freedom. \"Kirkus Reviews,\" starred review \u003cbr\u003e\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTara Sullivan is the author of the award-winning and critically acclaimed \"Golden Boy.\" She\" \"was born in India and spent her childhood living in Bangladesh, Ecuador, Bolivia, and the Dominican Republic with her parents, who were international aid workers. She received a BA in Spanish literature and cognitive science from the University of Virginia, and an MA in Latin American Studies and an MPA in nonprofit management from Indiana University. She currently lives with her family in Massachusetts.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 336\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.1 x 8 x 5.3 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e June 06, 2017\u003c\/div\u003e\n                \u003cdiv\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAccelerated Reader:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n                \n                \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eQuiz Name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Bitter Side of Sweet\u003c\/div\u003e\n                \n                \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eInterest Level:\u003c\/strong\u003e Upper Grades, 9-12\u003c\/div\u003e\n                \n                \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReading Level:\u003c\/strong\u003e 5.1\u003c\/div\u003e\n                \n                \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePoint Value:\u003c\/strong\u003e 12\u003c\/div\u003e\n                ","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51756762366240,"sku":"9780606397957","price":26.46,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/451d78b2340bf1f02f6df9595d95a683.webp?v=1780086089","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/bitter-side-of-sweet-hardcover","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}