Abby, 11, is really smart but bored with school. When she finds out that she will have to repeat sixth grade because of her horrible grades, she takes on an extra-credit pen pal project in the hopes of making it into seventh grade. Since she loves to scale the school's climbing wall, she picks mountainous Afghanistan and sends a letter to a one-room school house, requesting a pen pal.
Hoping it will reflect well on the village, the teacher picks Sadeed, the best English language
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student in the school. But since the elders think it is improper for a boy to correspond with a girl, Sadeed must pretend to be his sister Amira.
Both writing with candor, they exchange information about their beliefs, cultures, and traditions. Abby and Sadeed move beyond prejudices and historical hatred. They find so many things they have in common, such as a love of reading.
But will Sadeed ever tell Abby who he really is?
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