The Door of No Return

By Sarah Mussi

Book Overview

A young man reconnects with his African heritage as he fights to recover a treasure lost in the days of the slave trade in this action-packed young adult novel.

Zac Baxter's grandfather has always told him that he's the descendant of African kings, whose treasure was stolen when his ancestors were sold into slavery. Of course, Zac brushes this off as a tall tale--until his grandfather is murdered and their apartment is completely ransacked. Clearly somebody is after something.

Heeding his grandfather's dying words, Zac is off to Ghana to track down his family's history. But what did his grandfather mean when he said that Zac had the map to the treasure? Following every clue he can find, Zac begins to suspect that the treasure is real, and hidden in one of Ghana's old slave forts. Too bad the killers always seem to be one step ahead of him.

With no one he can trust and with everything to lose, Zac races against time as he tries to uncover the truth about the past--and a fortune in gold.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1416968253
• ISBN13: 9781416968252
• Release Date: November 2009
• Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.4" x 8.1"
• Age Range: 13 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 8 to 12

Customer Reviews

A great read for teenagers!

This is a great read, fast paced with lots of action and a sympathetic, slightly goofy hero. What sets it apart from being just another adventure story though,is the brave tackling of the issue of the slave trade from West Africa. The book can be read on several levels, just simply as a rollicking story, or more seriously considering the big issue embedded within it. Its a book for teenage boys who will love the chase scenes and mysterious shadowy would-be-assassins. But it is also a book for class study with teenagers, with lots of teaching potential on a diversity of issues, such as loss of family, race, personal struggle etc as well as the big thorny one of slavery. Teenagers looking for a zippy read or teachers looking for a great book to work with in class, would be well advised to dip into this! The kids at our school really loved it!