Abby doesn’t like homework much. She thinks she’s doing just enough to get by until she gets called into the principal’s office and learns that she has fallen below “get by” and is in danger of having to repeat sixth grade.
It’s February. In order to pass, Abby has to get a B or better on EVERY assignment and test in EVERY subject. For extra credit, she has to write a pen pal in another country, make a bulletin board display of the letters and do an oral report on the experience in front of her class.
Sadeed Bayat works hard at his homework. In fact, he is considered the best student in his class. He is definitely the best English speaker and writer. When a letter from America arrives at his village in Afghanistan, the village elders look to Sadeed to write a letter back. They also look to Sadeed to Represent their village well. But not everyone is happy about the letters. One person in Sadeed’s village sees the American stamps on the letters and is outraged - outraged enough to threaten Sadeed and his family.
This is the story of an unconventional friendship full of surprises for the two letter writers, as well as the adults who put them up to it. A great story of an international friendship that could come straight from today’s headlines. Author: Andrew Clements
- Google Books Extra Credit
- Read Chapter One Extra Credit
- Andrew Clements Official Website
| If you like the idea of kids learning about each other, try Faith, Hope & Ivy June. The two girls both live in Kentucky, but when they trade places, they learn that their lives are a world apart. If you are interested in the Middle East, try Trouble in Timbuktu or The Seven Keys of Balabad. | ||
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