The Deep Blue Between

  • Interest Level: Grade 7 - Grade 12
  • Reading Level: Grade 7

Twin sisters Hassana and Husseina have always shared their lives.

But after a raid on their village in 1892, the twins are torn apart. Taken in different directions, far from their home in rural West Africa, each sister finds freedom and a new start. Hassana settles in in the city of Accra, where she throws herself into working for political and social change. Husseina travels to Salvador, Brazil, where she becomes immersed in faith, worshipping spirits that bridge the motherland and the new world. Separated by an ocean, they forge new families, ward off dangers, and begin to truly know themselves.

As the twins pursue their separate paths, they remain connected through their shared dreams. But will they ever manage to find each other again?

“Uplifting . . . sizzles with sister-love and magic. What an incredible storyteller!”—Yaba Badoe, author of A Jigsaw of Fire and Stars

Format Your Price Add
978-1-7284-4288-4
$14.24
978-1-7284-5102-2
$23.99
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Interest Level Grade 7 - Grade 12
Reading Level Grade 7
Genre Young Adult
Category Diverse Books: Feminism, Diverse Books: Immigration & Refugees, Diverse Books: #OwnVoices, Diverse Books: Race & Ethnicity, Diversity, SEL: B Self-Management, SEL: D Relationship Skills, SEL: E Responsible Decision-Making, Social Emotional Learning
Copyright 2022
Publisher Lerner Publishing Group
Imprint Carolrhoda Lab ®
Language English
Number of Pages 256
Publication Date 2022-03-01
Text Type Fiction—Historical
BISACS YAF018070, YAF024010, YAF022000
Dewey [Fic]
Dimensions 5 x 7.75
Lexile 850
Features Author/Illustrator biography, Awards, Reviewed, Starred Reviews, Teaching Guides, and eSource

Author: Ayesha Harruna Attah

Ayesha Harruna Attah is a Ghanaian-born writer living in Senegal. She was educated at Mount Holyoke College, Columbia University, and New York University. She is the author of three novels for adults, including the widely acclaimed The 100 Wells of Salaga. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, New York Times Magazine, Elle Italia and the 2010 Caine Prize Writers' Anthology.

Lerner eSource™ offers free digital teaching and learning resources, including Common Core State Standards (CCSS) teaching guides. These guides, created by classroom teachers, offer short lessons and writing exercises that give students specific instruction and practice using Common Core skills and strategies. Lerner eSource also provides additional resources including online activities, downloadable/printable graphic organizers, and additional educational materials that would also support Common Core instruction. Download, share, pin, print, and save as many of these free resources as you like!

The Deep Blue Between

Twin sisters Hassana and Husseina have always shared their lives. But after a raid on their village in 1892, the twins are torn apart. Taken in different directions, far from their home in rural West Africa, each sister finds freedom and a new start. Hassana… View available downloads →

Feet on the Ground, Eyes on the Stars

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Launching 2022 into the Stars

By Megan Ciskowski, Associate Publicist The year has started with a smattering of starred titles. Today we share our books that received starred reviews in the first half of 2022! Titles from Lerner Publishing Group Fiction Amazona Grade Level: 9 – 12Age Level: 14 – 18 This singular… View →

Awards

  • Kirkus Best Teen Books of the Year, Winner, 2022

Reviews

The Horn Book Magazine

“[O]ffers a compelling view of West African history as a backdrop for a story of sibling bonding and coming of age. . . . Themes such as enslavement, religion, diversity, feminism, British colonization, and treatment of the mentally ill are candidly addressed and seamlessly woven into the complex, captivating story.”—The Horn Book Magazine

Kirkus Reviews

“This sweeping story is rich in detail, and the settings are vividly evoked. . . . A successful exploration of rich cultural experiences and enduring familial connections.”—starred, Kirkus Reviews