Looking for X [Paperback]

Deborah Ellis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 5, 2006

Khyber's life is falling apart. Her mum is talking about sending her twin brothers to a Special School far away. The cool girls in class are picking on her more and more, and her teachers think she's a loser and troublemaker. The only thing that's working out is her friendship with X, a bag lady she meets in the park. But X is scared. She won't tell Khyber her name, saying that the Secret Police are out to get her. When someone smashes all of the school windows one night, everyone's convinced it was Khyber, even her mum - a betrayal that appalls Khyber. Only X can prove that Khyber wasn't anywhere near the school at the time, but X has disappeared. If Khyber is going to find her, she'll have to search Toronto's most dangerous streets at night ...

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-8-Eleven-year-old Khyber lives with her mother and autistic twin brothers in a low-income area in Toronto. In addition to her problems at school (she skipped two grades and doesn't fit in), she deals with her mother's decision to send her brothers to a group home, some menacing skinheads, a false accusation of vandalism that gets her expelled, and a search for her homeless friend, "X." Khyber loves her family and gladly goes beyond what one would expect of a child in order to help her mother and "X." Her friends are an odd assortment of characters, all adults. There are just too many quirks and issues to make this book believable. Some aspects of the plot are far-fetched and everything falls into place just a little too neatly at the end. On the other hand, all of the characters seem real and natural. Khyber is a likable protagonist and readers will appreciate how she copes with her issues. If they can accept some of the improbable circumstances, they will enjoy the story.
Leslie Ann Lacika, Dingman-Delaware Middle School, Dingman's Ferry, PA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

"I call myself Khyber after the Khyber Pass in Afghanistan," says the feisty 11-year-old protagonist of Ellis' fine first novel. Khyber fantasizes about visiting the Pass and other exotic places to escape the harsh realities of her life, including her odd-girl-out status at school. Living on public assistance with her single mom and five-year-old autistic twin brothers, Khyber retreats emotionally from others, trusting only a few adults, including a mysterious, homeless woman whom Khyber names X. Later, skinheads rough up Khyber and X, and at the same time, some school windows are broken. When Khyber is blamed for the vandalism, she must find X to corroborate the attack and provide an alibi. It would be easy for the book to drown in bleakness, but Khyber's strong spirit and believable personality will draw readers in and make them wonder about the characters' future adventures. Anne O'Malley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Oxford Childrens (January 5, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0192754173
• ISBN-13: 978-0192754172
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,866,928 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Good, But Sad, March 14, 2001

By 

laura01 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Looking for X (Hardcover)

Khyber is living in poverty in a poor part of Toronto with her family. Her father abandoned them when Khyber's two autistic brothers were born. I can tell you, having an autistic child is not easy. Autistic children cannot look at you in the eye or even talk. Plus, it costs money for treatment. And you can imagine, with the shortage of money that Khyber's mother has, it would be hard to pay for treatments for two autistic children. But Khyber loves her brothers dearly and would never let anything bad happen to them. But one thing Khyber looks forward to in life is her friend X, who lives in the park. X is a very mysterious old lady who is intensely afraid of the secret police and will not tell Khyber her real name. When X suddenly dissapears, Khyber is devastated. She just had to find X. Her journey would probably be one of the scariest things that would ever happen to her. read on...

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Looking for X ( un- edited and rough), November 1, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Looking for X (Paperback)

this book is really great. It connects with the side of kids which lots face but many will never know. Kyber's family is not very privelliged and to make matters even more challenging, her two young twin brothers are autistic and frequently need money for treatment. THis bbok proves how, as tough as a situation might be it still means to hang in there, suck it up and keep trying.

skye, 13

2.0 out of 5 stars Look For Other Novels About Autism, April 19, 2005

By 

BeatleBangs1964 (United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Looking for X (Paperback)

Khyber, 11 chose her name because in her words the one she was given at birth was "unmentionable." At no time do readers ever learn what name she had that she abhorred. She even renames her impoverished neighborhood in Canada "Pauper's Park" which would have been a more apt description of the place.

Her penchant for renaming others is extended to a homeless woman in a neighborhood park whom she calls X. She brings her food and chats her up when she is babysitting her younger brothers.

Her twin brothers, David and Daniel, 5 have infantile or Kanner's Autism. Both boys wear diapers and are nonverbal. David was named after former Monkee Davey Jones because their single mother is an avid Monkees' fan. I thought that was adorable and funny.

Khyber is not without challenges. She and her single mother learn to dodge social workers and other professionals who insist the boys need more care; she is the brunt of school bullies who torment her for being the youngest in her grade and worst of all, taunt David and Daniel. That is the one line Khyber won't allow anyone to cross. She defends her brothers like a tigress, attacking anyone who dares criticize them. The one funny part in this book was when David ran up to Khyber when she was in a school play. When her nemesis makes cruel comments about him, Khyber delivers her line with a swear thrown in for good measure prior to stomping off stage. I thought that was funny.

Things take a down turn when their mother decides to enroll the boys in a residential program. Khyber is accused of vandalism. She runs away and a group of female Elvis Impersonators come through so she doesn't serve time in Jailhouse Rock. She learns the lesson of "don't be cruel" and it is a return to Heartbreak Hotel with a rather bizarre ending.

I thought this book was just mediocre. If I could have rated it 2.5 stars, I would have.