Book Overview

This is a story about a 12-year-old boy called Rayyan. To make sense of what is going on in his life he decides to write his thoughts and feelings on a red notebook that his mother gave him. Rayyan is a student at a school for outstanding children. He is in the seventh grade now and lives with his grandmother and father after his mother passed away. Rayyan's dream is to take part in the annual science competition. It is particularly important to him because the idea of his project occurred to him after his mother’s accident. Rayyan believes strongly that his project will help save lives. Ammar, a school bully, continues to make trouble for Rayyan who wishes he could find a way to get him out of his life. Soon, Rayyan realizes that he has a bigger problem on his hands when he finds out that the competition supervisor is Mr. Saed, an unkind, unhelpful man who does not like Rayyan. When Mr. Sa'ed chooses Ammar as the only participant from the school to take part in the competition Rayyan feels his dream slipping away from him. He is hurt, but soon finds the strength to stand up to Mr. Sa’ed and speak out against the injustice that has happened to him. Rayyan is faced with many problems that could have broken his spirit but he perseveres through them all and is rewarded in the end. This book is a visual treat. It is produced to mimic an actual diary, with handwritten text and doodles that fill the pages and offers the reader a rich visual experience.