Guantánamo Boy, a novel that pulls no punches in its depiction of the torture, isolation and injustices suffered by prisoners at the notorious camp. The book focuses on Khalid, an ordinary 15-year-old from Rochdale who spends his time playing computer games, hanging out with his mates in the park and wishing he had the guts to tell his Irish classmate Niamh that he fancies her. However, within days of arriving in Karachi on a family visit to relatives, Khalid’s life turns into a Kafkaesque nightmare when he is abducted from his aunt’s house and ends up being held for two years, without charge, in the world’s most notorious prison.I’ve often wondered why children’s books aren’t more political, and whether most parents (or publishers) would find political children’s stories acceptable. She talks about this:”I had no desire whatsoever for children to go out and be angry as a result of the book so I spent a lot of time accenting my message of peace,” explains Perera. “Kids don’t like books with messages – they don’t want to be preached at – but there is an underlying humanity in the book.”Children want the truth to be told but not in a preachy way. When they’re presented with loads of facts they switch off – we all do. It’s only through stories that we understand issues that are sometimes difficult to comprehend. To me, all books are devices that help people understand the world that they live in, appreciate it, and ponder their own existence. What I hope is that teenagers will see the similarities between themselves and issues that are on the news every day.”"