It tells an important story, that is all too real for too many children in this world: that of a young boy in a war-torn country whose family must flee their home in the middle of the night, and in the midst of the violence, our main character must run away on his own.  He makes his way alone to a refugee camp where there are too few resources and where bullies and gangs bring another kind of violence.  His one bit of home he is able to recreate for himself in the camp is a handmade soccer ball fashioned from banana leaves.  When a volunteer soccer coach arrives to organize some sport for the children of the camp, he gets put on the same team as the biggest bully, and being teammates begins to break down barriers between the two boys.  And their friendship continues to grow after the volunteer leaves, as they make more balls and continue to play soccer with the other children in the camp.  The back of the book includes information about various world-wide organizations that help children develop citizenship skills through play.