Book Report of Chalkline by Jane Mitchell

Book Report of Chalkline by Jane Mitchell

The book is about Rafiq and his life in a five year period. It story starts with Kashmiri freedom
fighters coming to the school too recruit new soldiers. They lined up the boys and drew a chalkline
on the blackboard. If the boys was taller than the line they got recruited. Rafiq was the youngest and
the first to be requited and this changed his life. The times flies and Rafiq forget his old family more
and more. He is doing missions for the freedom fighters and accept the other soldiers as his new
family, but one evening the military attack the camp were the freedom fighters live. You will also
see the story from Rafiq’s sister, Jameela, perspective. Jameela has never forgotten her brother and
is hopeful she will find him some day.
The main character is Rafiq. Rafiq is strong, smart, tall for his age and kind. In their village only
boys could go to school, so after school Rafiq taught Jameela how to read and write. I think Rafiq is
smart because he did what he was told so he did not receive punishment by the kidnappers. Jameela
has a big role too, she never gave up the hope of meeting her brother again and she took care of the
family together with her mouther.
The story is mostly written in chronological order but some chapters is about same thing but from
two different perspective. For instance the part when the bus drove by the boys. In the beginning
when the boys are lined up you understand Rafiq will be chosen due to, the book’s story builds on
that he is kidnapped. You will also have a clue that Rafiq and Jameela probably will meet in one
way or another in the end because they are in the same area, due to different reasons.
I am not so sure about the different types of genres but I think it is a drama book because many
chapters if not all contains drama. It was also fictional if that is a genres. But at the same time it was
very realistic since child soldiers exists in the real world also the culture in the village with boys and
men going in school and work mean while girls and women take care of the household and cook.
I think the story was good because it was realistic and I just like the type off story, someone got a
huge problem but just deals with it and that will pay off at the end. Although the language was a
little bit hard from time to time but overall I understood it. I did not understand all the details
because some words and sentences was hard to understand, so I got unfocused. My most
memorable part was when boys was digging down mines and the bus drove by. Because that was
the first really time they had a chance to escape. I liked the chapter after that when you could see it
from the bus and Jameela’s perspective. The ending was great but I want to know what happens
next but would be a bit boring to just have the answer. I think Rafiq follows Jameela and their
mother home to the village, however that would not be so smart due to Rafiq would probably end
up in jail. The other alternative is he say he can not go with them or he tell Jameela that he do not
have a family.
We can learn from the story that we should never lose our hope and unexpected things can happen
at anytime. Their culture differ from ours very much. For example here in Sweden everyone is
forced to go in school, there only boys can go to the school. I take food and a place to live in for
granted, there they really needs to seize all the food and recurses they have. Sweden is a neutral
nation so I do not have to be afraid of war compared to the area Rafiq came from. But we also have
similarities for instance I love my siblings as much as Jameela does. I think I would be like Rafiq if
I was captured, follow the orders and do what I get told and make the best out of the s...