Noughts and Crosses
Author Malorie Blackman
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Story
Teenagers Callum and Sephy want to be together. But Callum is a nought, a second-class citizen in a world run by Crosses, and Sephy is a Cross whose father is a dangerous and powerful man.
Noughts & Crosses is the first in a ground-breaking series of young adult novels that imagine an alternate history, in which Africa colonised Europe, and 21st Century Britain is dominated by Crosses.
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Why we chose it
This is a powerful and moving love story that reverses black and white to help young readers see racism and injustice from a different point of view. Told alternately from Callum and Sephy’s perspectives, it brilliantly reveals the power of stories to explore social issues and promote empathy.
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First published
2001, Random House, UK
Explore Further
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Story Heroes: Malorie Blackman
The Story Museum presents Story Heroes, a series of short, informal interviews with leading children’s authors, suitable for age 7+.
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Noughts, Crosses and New Voices Podcast
In this podcast a group of young people explore the Noughts and Crosses immersive story space in the museum, and meet authors Patience Agbabi and Catherine Johnson.
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Noughts, Crosses and New Voices Image Gallery
Young people aged 11-17 and artists from the Black Excellence Project and Kuumba Nia Arts explore Black British storytelling past, present, and future.