Meet Author Laura Schaefer

It is my pleasure to introduce Laura Schaefer, author of The Teashop Girls and the newly released sequel, The Secret Ingredient.

For readers who don't know you please tell us a little about yourself.

I live in Madison, Wisconsin and I began writing full-time after I graduated from college here in 2001. When I was in school, I wrote book reviews for my school paper and had the chance to interview several authors. It was a world I knew I wanted to join. I initially thought I might be an editor, but it turned out that freelance writing suited me, so I stuck with it.

As I found my niche, I fell in love with it. I began as a curriculum writer, which means I wrote educational content such as small lessons, informational pieces for reading comprehension practice, and test questions. When I turned to fiction, it was a natural fit for me to write for middle-grade and young adult readers. I've always been a huge reader myself and the books I read when I was ten or twelve years old are the ones that really stuck with me. It's an honor to write for young readers.

Why did you decide to use blogging and social networking to create awareness about you and your books?

I think social networking is a great way for authors to connect with readers. I've really embraced Twitter and Facebook in the last few years, so when it came time to write a sequel to The Teashop Girls, it made sense to me to incorporate that part of my life into The Secret Ingredient. Annie starts a food blog, which isn't necessarily an easy thing to do. I've only blogged intermittently in the last three years, so I have a lot of respect for anyone who can keep a quality blog going.

Using the Internet in all its glory to connect with readers is such a natural fit for most authors. As a group, we tend to be a bit introverted, so it's nice to have an option to reach out to people that doesn't involve getting on stage.

How much of Annie's personality and life experiences are biographical?

Her personality is more biographical than her life experiences, as I've never worked in a tea shop myself. We do share some things: great friends, an entrepreneurial spirit, and concern for the world around us. Annie is thoughtful and genuine, and I'd like to think I am too. :-) One thing we don't share is hair problems. Annie always fights with her big red curls, and my hair doesn't really give me trouble. It's usually up in a bun and not on my mind at all. That's the beauty of not having to leave the house for work, I suppose!

Did you create and tryout the recipes for the scones in The Secret Ingredient? What is your favorite scone?  What is your favorite tea?

I did! My favorite scone in the book is the last recipe, which involves apples and toffee (but don't flip ahead...they're all good!). My tea tastes have really been evolving lately, so it's harder and harder to pick a favorite. For a while, it was English Breakfast tea, which is delicious and classic. Then I really loved this caramel rooibos. Next up, I went through a matcha phase where I made a lot of frappes with blended milk, ice, matcha, and sugar (the recipe is in the new book). Now I'm drinking Pu'erh, which is an earthy tea from China that is good for heart health. I recommend all of these.

I think the Steeping Leaf scone blog being real is brilliant.  How did you come up with that idea?

Actually, the blog address given in the book just directs back to my website in real life. ;-) But I did have a lot of fun writing the blog entries in the book. I might have Annie or Genna "guest blog" on www.teashopgirls.com one of these days. Perhaps they could answer questions from readers. That would be fun.

What are you reading now?

I just finished an advance review copy of Lauren Oliver's lovely middle grade novel LIESL & PO and I'm starting CLEOPATRA CONFESSES by Carolyn Meyer next.

Who was your favorite author as a tween?

As a young tween, I loved The Babysitters Club books and the Anastasia Krupnik books by Lois Lowry. As for stand-alone titles, I adored A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (I've been meaning to reread that, in fact).

Have you thought about writing in another genre and if yes which one?

Yes. It's fun to try new things. I'm working on a book now for older teen readers, and I'm also working on some non-fiction titles for 8-12 year-olds. They're a series of travel guidebooks for kids called Planet Explorers. I just finished a guide to Chicago and one to Walt Disney World...so fun to work on! They will exist as ebooks only.

Will we see Annie, her grandmother and friends in another book?

I think so! I'm not working on a third book just yet, but it would be great fun to see where another story could take them. :-)


Wow!  Thank you so much for visiting my blog Laura :)


If you'd like to purchase either book on Amazon.com click on the title here : The Teashop Girls or The Secret Ingredient.  


If you'd like to read my reviews of the books you can click here for The TeaShop Girls and click here for The Secret Ingredient.


Here's the link for  The Teashop Girls website for lots more fun! http://teashopgirls.webnode.com/ 

The Secret Ingredient by Laura Schaefer

     Warning: reading this book will make you crave tea and scones.  Not that that is a bad thing!  Annie and her friends are back after helping to save The Steeping Leaf teashop in The Teashop Girls reviewed here.  In The Secret Ingredient Annie is attempting to create an original scone recipe and at the same time publish a food blog while gathering a following to win an entry into a contest.  Annie shares her recipes with us her along with her blog posts.  Annie is also dealing with understanding the love/hate relationship with Zach especially after he kisses her.
      Middle grade girls will relate to Annie and the secondary characters. They will enjoy her friends and how they help her and support her.  They'll laugh at the awkwardness between her and Zach.  They'll love the relationship between Annie and her grandmother which is so loving and caring.   They may be inspired to start a blog or even to bake scones and try new teas.  
     The illustrations are charming and will add to the desire to taste a scone or drink chai latte (artwork was not final).  While not absolutely necessary to read The Teashop Girls first I would suggest to do so.  Recommended for fans of that book, contemporary fiction and friendship stories and LITTLE BLOG ON THE PRAIRIE by Cathleen Davitt Bell.  Read as an ebook arc courtesy of Simon and Schuster.  The Secret Ingredient will be available June 28, 2011 and on June 29 the author, Laura Schaefer will be stopping by this blog so come on back!
**Note:Received the book and read some of it again.  This time got to see the final illustrations and photos added to the blog posts and recipes.  Yummy.  And guess what? Used the vegetable sushi recipe for lunch :) Next up?  One of those tea frappes.

Troublemaker by Andrew Clements

     Clay is a troublemaker and a frequent visitor to the principal's office.  His file is so thick with incident reports that the school secretary calls it her masterpiece.  However, when Clay's brother Mitch is released from jail after serving a month for contempt of court, Mitch sets out to change Clay's ways.  While it's not easy giving up throwing food at lunch, Halloween and hanging with his troublemaker friends Clay learns to trust his brother's words of wisdom.
     Andrew Clements has written another terrific story for middle graders.  Readers will get a glimpse as to why someone might bully and make fun of others.  The secondary characters are well drawn and Mrs. Ormin the school secretary is my favorite.  Mitch is believable as the reformed troublemaker older brother and we can see why Clay idolized him both before and after his jail sentence.  The writing is smooth and the illustrations (although not final) work well with the story.  Recommended for 3-6 graders.  Read as an ebook arc courtesy of Simon & Schuster.  Troublemaker will be available on July 26, 2011.

Junonia by Kevin Henkes

     Each year Alice and her parents vacation in Florida and celebrate Alice's birthday there.  Alice considers the guests in the other cottages and her mom's best friend  (who stays in their cottage) her extended family as she really has no other relatives.  She's hunting for junonia, a rare seashell and spends lots of time searching for it on the beach.  This year not only does the junonia continue to evade her but some of the regulars do not come to Florida.  Additionally Kate is joined by her boyfriend and his six-year-old daughter Mallory.  Alice is worried that her tenth birthday will not be the best birthday ever.
     Alice is a child on the cusp of pre-teen.  Supported by attentive and very loving parents, they help her navigate and deal with a trying situation.  It's very obvious that the other guests adore Alice but have little patience for Mallory.  Henkes is spot on in how a ten-year-old thinks.  From her jealous feelings and anger towards Mallory to the joy of her birthday gifts, from walks on the beach to the pitter patter of rain this is a delightful book and young girls in grades 3-6 will enjoy it.
     Read as an ebook arc courtesy of Harper Collins via Netgalley (without the illustrations).  

Press Here by Herve Tullet

The first time I prepared to read this book to a class it was checked out by an upper grade student when I wasn't looking. Finally today it was back and so I read it to a class of kindergartners. I asked one boy to come up to help me. Although I enjoyed the Press Here on my own it was seeing it through 5 and 6 year-old eyes that made me really appreciate it's brilliance. They loved it. They laughed and begged for more. Recommended for everyone!

Aliens on Vacation by Clete Smith

Publisher's description : "David, otherwise known as Scrub (don't ask), isn't happy about leaving Florida and his friends to summer with his grandmother in "Middle of Nowhere," Washington. When he arrives at her Intergalactic Bed & Breakfast, he isn't surprised by its 60s meets Star Wars decor, but he is surprised by the weird-looking guests. It turns out that each room in the inn is a portal, and his grandma is the gate-keeper, allowing aliens to vacation on Earth. Grandma desperately needs Scrub's help with welcoming (and disguising) the tourists, shopping for cartloads of aluminum foil for dinner, and taking rambunctious alien kids camping in the nearby woods. The problem is, the town sheriff--already suspicious about Granny--is a scout leader camping in the same spot."

A combination of science fiction and humor, Aliens on Vacation will appeal to a wide audience.  There is also a little romantic thread running through as Scrub finally learns how to talk to a girl, even one he has a crush on.  Scrub is an amazing young boy.  Thrown into a situation not many young boys would be able to handle he manages to help his grandmother take care of and entertain her "guests" in the inn although he also gets the inn into a lot of trouble around the same time he wins the summer challenge. The basketball scenes with the aliens are hysterical as is the kind of food the aliens eat. Imagine eating tin foil for dinner?  Yuk!.  All of the main characters are well drawn and Grandma, Mr. Harnox, Amy and Scrub are all believable and likeable.  The Star Wars theme is brilliant and kids who read nothing but Star Wars books will enjoy this.  Clete Smith has his finger on the pulse of what middle grade students like and I highly recommended this book for boys and girls alike.
Read as an ebook arc courtesy of Disney-Hyperion via Netgalley.

The Lemonade Crime by Jacqueline Davies

In "The Lemonade Crime" by Jacqueline Davies Jessie and Evan are sibling fourth graders in the same class. However, Jessie has skipped third grade and Evan is not too happy about having his little sister in his class. When fellow classmate and bully Scott announces he has purchased a brand new video game console Jessie suspects he has stolen the money that Evan and Jessie made over the summer with their competing lemonades stands. She sets out to prove it by putting Scott on trial. Each chapter opens with a term relating to crime or the law and it's definition. "The Lemonade War", also by Davies focused on marketing and making money. In "The Lemonade Crime" readers will not only get a glimpse into a courtroom but also see what it's like to have siblings that really do care for each other. I read this advanced readers copy as an e-book courtesy of Houghton Harcourt Mifflin via Netgalley. The Lemonade Crime will be published in May 2011 and I highly recommended it for elementary school students.

Till Death Do Us Bark by Kate Klise

This is book 3 in a series entitled 43 Cemetery Road and is written by Kate Klise and illustrated by M. Sarah Klise. For my review of the first book please see this post . My favorite parts of this series are the clever names especially Shirley U. Jest and Kanine Breth. The illustrations work very well with the written word and I really enjoyed the story. It will be an easy book to recommend to the elementary students in my library as is the whole series.  Read as an ebook arc courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt via Netgalley. 

Bird in a Box by Andrea Davis Pinkney

Joe Louis was nicknamed the Brown Bomber and was one of the first African American sports heroes in the U.S. When Joe Louis boxed people sat around their radios and listened.  In Bird in a Box we meet three children who are strangers from different families who became friends and we see how the Brown Bomber affected their lives.  They cheer Joe on and we cheer them on and hope they overcome obstacles in their lives.  From the Depression to jazz to life in an orphanage Andrea Davis Pinkney has written a beautiful book. Recommended for middle graders who are fans of boxing, historical fiction and "Dave at Night."

Read as an ebook arc courtesy of Little, Brown Book for Young Readers via Netgalley.

Between Two Ends by David Ward

     Imagine finding a pirate bookend that's been buried in the dirt for twenty years and reuniting it with it's partner.  At once the bookends come alive and like genies, grant you a wish.  That's exactly what happens to Yeats, a 12 year-old boy in David Ward's Between Two Ends.  The pirates transport Yeats into The Arabian Nights to rescue Shari, his father's friend, left in the story twenty years before. Shari thinks she is Shaharazad. Yeats needs to convice her she's really Shari and make her wish to return home.  There is more on the line for Yeats than just rescuing Shari and he is determinded not to die in the story.
  The pacing of this book is one that will keep readers interested.  The pirates are quite funny and entertaining.  While the other adults have minor roles it is admirable to see how much Yeats loves his family and is willing to risk his life to help them. 
     David Ward has written a tale filled with adventure, fantasy and mystery and Between Two Ends will appeal to a wide audience.  Readers who enjoyed Inkheart, The Magic Tree House or The Time Warp Trio series will enjoy this one too as will fans of adventure.  While it is a stand alone book Ward has left open the possibility for a sequel.  Read as an ebook arc courtesy of Abrams Books via Netgalley.  It will be published May 1, 2011.

Rodeo Queen (Kylie Jean )

Kylie Jean decides she wants to enter a rodeo and win the title of  "Rodeo Queen."  From previous books (reviewed on this blog) we know that Kylie Jean is a determined young girl with a lot of family support.  In this book one of her grandmothers helps her learn to ride a pony.  Fans of the series will like it and first time readers will fall in love with Kylie Jean. Each book starts off the same so it doesn't matter which one you read first.  Recommended for young girls who enjoy horse stories and those ready to move on from easy readers.  Read as an ebook arc courtesy of Capstone via Netgalley.

Blueberry Queen (Kylie Jean) by Marci Peschke

In this installment of the series, Kylie Jean sets her goal on winning her first pageant and becoming Blueberry Queen in the local blueberry festival.  She asks her cousins, neighbor, friends and grandparents for help and surprises her mom with the news after her application is submitted.
     Kylie Jean is a lucky girl.  She is surrounded by loving and supportive parents, brother, extended family, friends and has a dog who understands her so well.  With a writing style ideal for readers who enjoy Ivy & Bean and Judy Moody the story easily flows from chapter to chapter with lovely illustrations sprinkled throughout.  This is such a fun upbeat book and girls in grades 2 and up will love it.  See below for reviews of other Kylie Jean books.
     Read as an ebook arc courtesy of Capstone via Netgalley.
    

Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt

At the start of Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt I almost put the book down. Doug Swieteck (a character from The Wednesday Wars)is beaten up by his brother for a signed Joe Pepitone baseball cap (the first thing Doug ever owned that was not a hand-me-down)and quietly admits to his other brother beating him up before he's drafted into the army and to his dad having "quick hands." However I kept going and proceeded to read the book in one day. Doug moves to a small town in the Catskill Mountains and has life changing experiences. He befriends a girl and a librarian/artist, gets a job, finds caring teachers and develops an appreciation of the art of John James Audobon. The librarian helps Doug understand Audobon and the plates of paintings of birds on display in the library. His job delivering groceries introduces him to the townspeople including a writer who owns one of the Audobon paintings sold out of the book in the library (Doug begins a mission to have all the plates returned). Doug's brother is accused of robbing a hardware store and the grocery store and Doug needs to deal with the changing attitudes of the townspeople and school staff as they assume he is guilty by association. There is so much going on here and Schmidt had me rooting for Doug throughout the book. There are twists and turns (spoilers I can't discuss) and you too will root for Doug. This is an amazing book and I love it. If you haven't read THE WEDNESDAY WARS read that one now as this one is not being published until April. Read as an ebook arc courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt via Netgalley.

P.S.  OKAY FOR NOW is now available.

Yum Yum by Catherine Hnatov

This is a charming board book for babies and toddlers. The illustrations are bright & lovely. Each animal/food gets a different color treatment with black & white common in all of them. Pre-schoolers will be able to "read" this book.  My kids would have loved Yum Yum when they were babies. It's short and sweet and yummy!  Read courtesy of Star Bright via Netgalley.

Six Sheep Sip Thick Shakes by Brian Cleary

Most of us grew up with "She sells sea shells by the seashore" and "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickeled pepper" that  we were challenged to say three times fast.  A new generation will get a new slew of tongue twisters courtesty of Brian Cleary.  In Six Sheep Sip Thick Shakes, lusciously illustrated by Steve Mack, we are introduced to 23 new ones and children (and adults) will enjoy saying them aloud.  For instance "The water in Flo's Inn flows in frozen."  Mack has shown a penguin in the shower with ice cold water pouring out of the faucet and a Flo's Inn sign outside the bathroom window.  Another cute one is "As a favor my favorite flavor was placed on my plate." A turtle is being served green leaves!  Readers will enjoy the tongue twisters as well as the illustrations.  Read as an ebook arc courtesy of Lerner Publishing Group via Netgalley.

Dino-Basketball by Lisa Wheeler

It's March madness in Dino Land and the Grass Clippers are playing the Meat for the championship.  Each teammate is aptly named a dinosaur, the cheerleaders are set and the arena is packed.  We get the play by play of the game in verse with each player's name in the color of it's team.  Barry Gott's illustrations capture the enthuasiam and dedication of the players, the coaches frustrations, and we are treated to celebrity fans in the stands hiding behind their dark sunglasses. At the conclusion of the book Wheeler lets us know that football season is around the corner and I'll be looking forward to that book and I need to play catch up with the previous Dino Land books.  Recommend for fans of dinosaur and/or sports stories. They will love not only the story but also the illustrations which are just charming. Read as an ebook arc courtesy of Lerner Publishing Group via Netgalley.

The Great Moon Hoax by Stephen Krensky

In 1833 the New York Sun, a new publication used newsboys to sell it's newspapers on the street.  To entice people to buy their paper the headlines and stories needed to be interesting.  And so in 1835 when the paper began to write about what a far away astronomer was seeing on the moon through his telescope, lots of papers were sold.  Jake and Charlie are two of these boys and it's their story we hear.  Homeless and without family they sell papers to feed themselves and on a big sales day spend the night in a boardinghouse.  Illustrations by Josee Bisaillon depict among other creatures man-bats and moon beavers.  When Jack and Charlie learn it was all a hoax they're not upset.  Instead Jake thinks about writing his own stories one day.  Krensky has made this historical fiction book accessible for young readers and even though the boys live in poverty, hope for them shines bright.  Readers will look at the moon through new eyes.  Read as an ebook arc courtesy of Carolrhoda via Netgalley.

The Trouble with Chickens by Doreen Cronin

In Doreen Cronin's THE TROUBLE WITH CHICKENS, J.J. is a retired search and rescue dog enjoying a quiet life in the country. Unfortunately his doghouse does not have a door and so when Millicent (Mooosh) the chicken asks for help in finding her two kidnapped chicks J.J. can't hide from helping to solve the mystery. All his training and experience will really come in handy when the inside dog, Vince the Funnel's scheme comes to light. There are some very laugh out loud funny lines which made me laugh out loud. For instance, When J.J. informs Moosh that the inside dog, Vince the Funnel has the chicks "She was running around like a chicken without a head." The illustrations are adorable and young readers will enjoy the mystery and animal antics. Be sure to read this if you enjoyed THE DIARY OF A WORM or THE DIARY OF A SPIDER or any of Cronin's other books, or if you like mysteries or animal fiction. I read this as an e-book ARC through netgalley and the book will be published in March 2011.

Mudkin by Stephen Gammell

This book is all about going out after a rainstorm to play in the mud. Boys will love the rain, the mud and the messiness of the whole book.  Girls will love the queen and the carriage (made out of mud).  They will be laughing out loud and trying to fill in the gibberish of Mudkin's part of the conversation.  Some children may need some help in understanding the story but when they get it they'll enjoy it. Recommended for pre-schoolers through first graders.  Read as an ebook arc courtesy of Carolrhoda via Negalley. 

Big Bouffant by Kate Bosford

This book begs to be read aloud! Annabelle is a girl who wants to be an individual and not look like all the other girls with their ponytails and braids. After seeing a picture of her grandma with a bouffant she decides that's what she needs. After not succeeding in making one herself her mom agrees to help. Reminiscent of Munsch's Stephanie's Ponytail in story this one will also connect with young girls and inspire them to be be creative. The pictures are adorable. Read as an ebook arc courtesy of Carolrhoda Books via Negalley. Big Bouffant will be published April 2011.
To see a book trailer on you-tube click here.

The Unicorn's Tale by R. L. LaFevers

The Unicorn's Tale is Book 4 in the series Nathaniel Fludd : Beastologist.  Nate and his aunt Phil are summoned to the Broceliande Forest in France to check up on a unicorn that has been acting strange.  While Nate would rather search for information about his missing parents, he and Aunt Phil head to the forest to examine the unicorn.  Unfortunetly Obediah Fludd, another relative follows them there and threatens to harm the unicorn.  He claims to have information about Nate's parents.  In exhange for the parents and the unicorn's safety Obediah wants the Book of Beasts.  Will Aunt Phil and Nate trade the book for the unicorn's safety?  Are Nate's parents alive?  What is wrong with the unicorn anyway?  You'll have to read the book to find out!

Readers are quickly caught up in the events of the previous books so reading them prior to this one is not necessary.  However, they may just want to read the first three books after this one and will certainly await the next installement as I do.  The book is infused with fantasy and mystery while being funny at the same time.  The adventurous aunt, the various beasts and creatures and an era before cell phones and the internet make this a fun read for young readers. Read as an ebook arc courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt via Netgalley. The Unicorn's Tale will be published in April, 2011 and I recommend it for students in grades 2-6.

The Secret of Rover by Rachel Wildavsky

     Katie and David are twins and live with their parents in a suburb of Washington, D.C.  After struggling for many years financially their parents (and uncle) invent Rover for the U.S. government and since then things have been much better.  Their parents are now off to Katkajan to adopt a baby girl while Katie and David stay behind with the newly hired nanny.  However, it turns out that Katkajan is in a political mess, the nanny is not a nanny and the parents and baby sister have been kidnapped.  Katie and David realize only their reclusive uncle can help them and so they venture on their own to Vermont to find him.
     This in an exiting adventure though the pacing is a little slow. It's a page turner nonetheless.  Katie and David, like most siblings argue and bicker a lot but they work well together.  Bouncing ideas off each other or just winging it they manage to reach their uncle on a remote mountain in Vermont.  Uncle Alex is a great character.  (I'd love to hear his story, but I digress). But can he help them?  Can they save their parents and bring them and their new baby sister home?  And what is Rover anyway?  You'll have to read this book to find the answers.
     Recommended for readers who enjoyed Stormbreaker (Alex Rider series),  Mission Unstoppable (Genius Files series), (for my review click here) or who enjoy adventure and mysteries with a little sci-fi thrown in.  Read as an ebook arc courtesy of Amulet Books via Netgalley.  The Secret of Rover will be published March 1, 2011.

Play Ball, Jackie! by Stephen Krensky

One of the first illustrations in this fabulous book is of Jackie Robinson sitting in the locker room tying his shoes.  We can only imagine what was going on in his head that day.   As the story unfolds we learn that Matty's dad got two tickets to the 1947 Dodger opening game from a co-worker who doesn't want to attend the game.  The co-worker does not want to see a black man play baseball.  The dad takes Matty out of school early and they see history being made.  The dad quietly explains why Jackie is having a hard time as a black man in baseball but there is hope in his words. We also see the baseball game going on, the fan's reactions in the stands and the history of black people in baseball.

The illustrations are lustrous and Jackie seems larger than life perhaps giving us a clue as to the enormity of this first of many days in the big leagues.  While the illustrations totally grab you in the story flows smoothly from history to converstation to baseball.  Included at the end are some real photos of Jackie, an author's note well worth reading, and suggestions for further reading.  This is a wonderful book for baseball fans of all ages and belongs in everyone's library. Read as an ebook arc courtesy of Lerner Publishing Group via Netgalley and will be available March 1, 2011.

The Basilisk's Lair by R. L. LaFevers

Book two in the Nathaniel Fludd Beastologist series reminds me of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.  Sort of.  At least the parts about the basilisk and in the Chamber with the basilisk.  This could however be a draw for young readers.  Nate and Aunt Phil need to capture and return an escaped basilisk to it's lair or if need be kill it.  As a student of beastology Nate is along for the ride and observation but his knowledge and bravery helps their mission succeed.  Nate is an intelligent boy who uses his resources wisely.  The book is exciting and full of adventure in foreign countries.  Book three is set up in the ending to two.  There is a very helpful glossary in the back of the book.  Recommended for fans of fantasy and adventure in grades for grades 3-5.

Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy

Words in the Dust takes place in a small village in Afghanistan and shows us the day to day life through the eyes of a young girl named Zulaikha.  Zulaikha was born with a cleft lip and hides behind her shawl.  She shares the household chores with her older sister Zeynab and her father's second wife and helps to care for her younger brothers while her older brother works with their father.  At the baazar she meets an old woman who knew her late mother and the woman teaches her to read and write in secret.  American soldiers help Zulaikha have surgery to fix her face soon after her sister is married off to a much older man.

So much of Afghani life is described in this book.  We learn about the call to prayer at dawn, bargaining at the bazaar, wedding rituals, daily chores and family dynamics.  The writing is beautiful and I could barely put the book down. It is hard for most Americans to imagine girls not being allowed to go to school, not meeting their new spouse until the wedding and women being treated as subserviant to men. As Zulaikha's tells her story we can see she is a strong, brave and loving girl who's one wish in life is to be normal.  As I read this book I anticipated something awful  happening to her as visions of The Kite Runner floated in my head.  I breathed a sigh of relief with the success of her surgery and then cried as Zeynab's story unfolded the way it did. 

The author, Trent Reedy spent time in the army on a peacekeeping mission and his repect and admiration of the people of Afghanistan shines through.  His "author's note" helped me understand how he came to write this story and to portray the characters as well as he did.  The glossary was very helpful and I used it often.  This is a fascinating piece of fiction and I recommend it highly to fourth graders and up and to those who enjoyed  A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park and/or Shooting Kabul by N.H. Senzai.