Boy Overboard: Chapter 16 Summary & Analysis

Inspired by his dad’s ancestors, Jamal comes up with a plan to bake bread. He reasons that the smell of bread will attract his dad, and that he can also feed the hungry people with it. He soon realizes how hard the supplies will be to get, however, and he gives up, feeling hopeless. Suddenly, the boy who stole his ball grabs Jamal by the hand and promises to lead him to his family. They negotiate a price for the exchange—a dollar, and then Jamal’s ball—but eventually the boy just helps him anyway.

The boy leads Jamal to two United Nations men giving out tickets out of camp. There is a huge crowd, however, and the men don’t hear Jamal’s pleas for tickets. Eventually, the men get back into their car and drive off. Like everyone else, Jamal calls for them to come back, but they don’t. Jamal decides to show off his ball skills to the United Nations men the next morning. He walks around looking for the boy but can’t find him. Then, Jamal spies his family’s tent, but something is wrong. His mom and Bibi look worried, and he sees his dad surrounded by policemen.