Extra Credit

It IsnT That Abby Carson CanT Do Her Schoolwork. She Just DoesnT 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 AbbyS 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, ItS Not Proper For A Boy To Correspond With A Girl. So, SadeedS 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.