Synopses & Reviews
It isnand#8217;t that Abby Carson canand#8217;t do her schoolwork. She just doesnand#8217;t andlt;Iandgt;likeandlt;/Iandgt; doing it. And consequently, Abby will have to repeat sixth gradeand#8212;unless she meets some specific conditions, including taking on an extra credit project: find a pen pal in a distant country. But when Abbyand#8217;s first letter arrives at a small school in Afghanistan, complications arise. The elders agree that any letters going back to America must be written well, but the only qualified English-speaking student is a boy. And in this village, itand#8217;s not proper for a boy to correspond with a girl. So, Sadeedand#8217;s sister will dictate and sign the letters for him. But what about the villagers who believe that girls should not be anywhere near a school? And what about those who believe that any contact with Americans is...unhealthy?andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;As letters flow back and forthand#8212;between the prairies of Illinois and the mountains of central Asia, across cultural and religious divides, through the minefields of different lifestyles and traditionsand#8212;a small group of children begin to speak and listen to each other. And in just a few short weeks, they make important discoveries about their communities, about their world, and most of all, about themselves.
Synopsis
From the master of the school story...a little Extra Credit
Synopsis
It isn't that Abby Carson can't do her schoolwork. She just doesn't like doing it. And consequently, Abby will have to repeat sixth grade--unless she meets some specific conditions, including taking on an extra credit project: find a pen pal in a distant country. But when Abby's first letter arrives at a small school in Afghanistan, complications arise. The elders agree that any letters going back to America must be written well, but the only qualified English-speaking student is a boy. And in this village, it's not proper for a boy to correspond with a girl. So, Sadeed's sister will dictate and sign the letters for him. But what about the villagers who believe that girls should not be anywhere near a school? And what about those who believe that any contact with Americans is...unhealthy?
As letters flow back and forth--between the prairies of Illinois and the mountains of central Asia, across cultural and religious divides, through the minefields of different lifestyles and traditions--a small group of children begin to speak and listen to each other. And in just a few short weeks, they make important discoveries about their communities, about their world, and most of all, about themselves.
About the Author
Andrew Clements is the author of the enormously popular andlt;iandgt;Frindleandlt;/iandgt;. More than 10 million copies of his books have been sold, and he has been nominated for a multitude of state awards,andnbsp;including two Christopher Awards and an Edgar Award. His popular works include andlt;iandgt;About Averageandlt;/iandgt;, andlt;iandgt;Troublemakerandlt;/iandgt;, andlt;iandgt;Extra Credit, Lost and Found, No Talking, Room One, Lunch Moneyandlt;/iandgt;, and more. He is also the author of the Benjamin Pratt andamp; the Keepers of the School series. He lives with his wife in Maine and has four grown children. Visit him at AndrewClements.com.Mark Elliott has a BFA in illustration from the School of Visual Arts. He has illustrated a number of book covers, and his work has been exhibited at the Society of Illustrators and the Art Directors Guild. Mark lives on a sheep farm in the Hudson Valley region of New York.