A girl in Illinois and a boy in Afghanistan develop a growing friendship as the result of a pen pal project. But some people in their respective communities are not very happy

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This story of a long distance pen pal friendship that works on many levels. Both Abby and Sadeed are thoughtfully delineated and very likeable. I was quite moved by the way they connected despite their different cultures and personalities This book shows the reader the contrast between two lives growing up in small town Afghanistan and Illinois. Finally, Abby is a great example to the many kids out there who would rather climb a mountain than read a book. ( )

This is a fantastic story of accepting situations and people for what they are and pushing to achieve goals. Abby finds herself about to be held back if she cannot do better in school and ends up needing an extra credit assignment to bring her grades up. Little did she know that she would be making a new friend in another part of the world! Sadeed is a good student in Afghanistan and is not pleased at the thought of having to help his sister write letters back and forth with a girl in America but soon finds himself looking forward to the letters just as much as his sister. ( )

Abby is going to be held back a grade so she gets an extra credit project where she is a pen pal to a kid in Afghanistan. Sadeed was suppose to be her pen pal but has to do it in secret because of his culture. But in the end both of their cultures have problems so they end up having to stop writing however they come out of this experience with more appreciation on life.

Oops I read this in one day and was sad when it ended. I thought I have another couple of chapters but when she said the farms and green fields were beautiful and I turned the page, it was all over. Great book, especially where 2 parts of the world are compared and contrasted.

It isn’t that Abby Carson can’t do her schoolwork. She just doesn’t like doing it. And in February a warning letter arrives at her home. 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. Seems simple enough.

But when Abby's first letter arrives at a small school in Afghanistan, the teacher takes it to the village elders. And everyone agrees that any letters going back to America must be written well in English. And the only qualified student is a boy, Sadeed Bayat. Except in this village, it is not proper for a boy to correspond with a girl. So Sadeed’s younger sister will write the letters. Except she knows hardly any English. So Sadeed must write the letters. 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.

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Might be a good companion to Three Cups of Tea. Another charming school story from the author of Frindle, this one about a pen pal r'ship 'twixt a girl in the US and a boy in a Afghanistan. ( )

I'm huge Andrew Clements fan so it was easy for me to pick this one up when I was looking for more multicultural titles. It's not a traditional multicultural book but it definitely addresses the differences in two cultures and the need for open minded communication and understanding. Much like Frindle, Extra Credit takes a light-hearted approach to a topic that deserves consideration , in this case some of the topics are - can friendships form between two people when there has been so much predjudice between their countries? The idea that girls and boys shouldn't be communicating and girls shouldn't be in school is also addressed. I think it's a great book for kids to read at a time when there is so much conflict between Western culture and the Middle East because it promotes understanding. The ending of course is a little too neatly done for real life but kids like it. I liked it too and it made me feel good about my daughter being in a foreign exchange program.

Curricular connection - I would use this book if I was doing a unit on pen pals or perhaps talking about the conflict with the Middle East. ( )

Love the culture that is in this book, that helps American's realize the ideas and perspectives of those in a different country. I also love how they find a common ground and learn a lot about each other!

#perspective
#culture
#penpals
#extracredit ( )

Narrated by Gabra Zackman. Abby is in danger of having to repeat the 6th grade but an extra-credit project can help her meet the requirements for advancement. Her project is to begin a penpal correspondence with a student in Afghanistan. Sadeed is tapped by his teacher to be that correspondent but village leaders rule that, for propriety's sake, Sadeed's sister Amira must write the letters and Sadeed can help with the English. Still, Abby and Sadeed manage to find a kindred spirit in each other, before the correspondence is abruptly cut short by the village leaders. I liked the idea of young people from very different places finding a common ground, and particularly involving a country so often in the news today. ( )

Andrew Clements just does a good job with telling stories. Another nice, simple story. I am not sure how realistic it all is, but I appreciate him avoiding the happy, everything-works-out-in-the-end ending. And while there was some tension in the ending and a little sadness with some unfulfilled dreams, he does tie the ending up nicely with the main character growing and learning about herself. Another book I would highly recommend. It was also a little less politically correct than Three Cups of Tea. ( )

Andrew Clements just does a good job with telling stories. Another nice, simple story. I am not sure how realistic it all is, but I appreciate him avoiding the happy, everything-works-out-in-the-end ending. And while there was some tension in the ending and a little sadness with some unfulfilled dreams, he does tie the ending up nicely with the main character growing and learning about herself. Another book I would highly recommend. It was also a little less politically correct than Three Cups of Tea. ( )

This story about Abby and Sadid, pen pals who write to each other a few times, then its over. Not bad, but it just ends. A bit too quickly and kinda flat for my taste. ( )

I liked the protaganists, but was disappointed that nothing really seemed to have changed in the end in terms of world views. Maybe that was the point? ( )

Abby Carson is in danger of failing 6th grade and she must do extra credit work if she has any hope in graduating this year to 7th grade with the rest of her friends. One of her assignments is to exchange pen pal letters with a child in Afghanistan. Because of the cultural requirements it is supposed to be another girl. So in theory she is receiving letters from Amira, but in reality it is Sadeed, her older brother who is corresponding with Abby. They quickly develop a friendship through their letters. Some of the villagers find out that this family is corresponding to a girl in America and they stir up some trouble. The book is a bit superficial and stereotypical at times but it is engaging and I think that young readers will find this story an interesting one.

I think this book is a good option to introduce intermediate readers to multiple perspectives and multiculturalism. There are many topics that can be explored from reading this book - such as, cultural and religious differences between the US and Afghanistan and how that influences the relationships between the two countries. It's also a good launching point to discuss peer pressure as well as the wars that have occurred in Afghanistan over many decades. This book would be a good option for independent reading or a book talk presentation to other students in class. ( )

This was a really good and interesting book. The friendship between Abby and Sadeed seems a bit rushed. The ending seemed a bit empty as well. There's no resolution as to who the whiny rat was that couldn't deal with the concept of there being other religions. ( )

The two main characters Abby and Sadeed are both students, but very different Abby lives in America, and Sadeed lives in Afghanistan in a small village. ( )

Pen pals from America and Afganistan. Great as usual. ( )

The book is about a girl named Abby who was assigned to write letters to a pen pal in Afghanistan in order to not fail the 6th grade. Through her correspondence with her pen pal they start to form a strong connection. ( )

In this thrilling book, Abby is in danger of having to repeat sixth grade unless she completes an extra credit project that involves writing to a pen pal in Afghanistan. While the action in the book starts out slowly, it quickly picks up when Abby begins to receive letters from the brother of the girl she thought she had been writing to, saying that he had been writing the letters through his sister since it was against his culture for a boy to write to a girl. Reading this book provides readers with a glimpse into the relationship between the U.S. and Afghanistan and how intolerance exists in both of these countries. It also teaches readers that there is more to life in Afghanistan than bombing, shooting, and fighting and gives them a glimpse into Afghan culture. The book reads like an exchange between Abby and the brother/sister pair in Afghanistan, since their letters and actions are profiled in different chapters. This book is highly recommended for libraries. Not only will readers be able to relate to the school theme and learn about a form of communication other than email or calling, but they will also learn a valuable lesson about appreciating one’s own home and respecting others’ cultures. ( )

This was a great approach to a very contemporary issue. The exchange of letters between a girl from Illinois and brother and sister in Afghanistan really approaches an issue a perfect way. It allows the reader to feel comfortable in discussing the place without being overwhelmed by it. I was very impressed with the honest and delicate approach he took with the whole exchange. It seemed plausible and sincere. That's the way a good book does things. ( )

Well done story with good characters. A chance to introduce current history. ( )

This story bridges part of a cultural gap between two different countries, Illinois, United States and Afghanistan, but brings up questions that sometimes can't be answered. Working hard for something that you want even need pays off if you are sincere about it. Procrastination for too long can really hurt you personally. There are lessons to be had in this book, prioritizing, working hard to accomplish a targeted outcome, overcoming fears, bending rules that are not harmful to others, but understanding why the rules are in place. This is a chapter book for ages 8-12. It does not get bogged down in the task at having to do the homework but keeps up the pace to see what the next letter will say. ( )

What a hilarious, yet poignant book! Everyone will be able to relate to the character of Abby Carson, who is smart but just doesn't feel like doing her homework. When it comes down to not passing the sixth grade, she decides that homework is important and part of her work is the extra credit project of having a pen pal from a foreign country. Her pen pal is Sadeed, a boy from Afghanistan. However, because cultural rules in Afghanistan forbid a boy from corresponding with a girl, Sadeed's sister becomes the official pen pal, with Sadeed writing most of the letters. Abby and Sadeed learn a lot about each other's cultures, and Sadeed learns that girls have much more to them than he previously thought.

I like the idea of this book. It is about two kids from very different cultures connect as pen pals. The author does a great job of exploring the cultural differences for young people in different countries, but also showing similarities for kids anywhere. I really loved that the Pen Pal part was still via letters (not email), and that the letters took a long time to go back and forth. And came in neat envelopes with cool stamps. The book does not gloss over the political strain between countries or cultures