Have you ever had a pen pal?

Pen pals are kids (usually) who live far apart and write to each other. Sounds old-fashioned, but you'll see some of the advantages of written letters over email in Extra Credit by Andrew Clements. Abby's not doing well in 6th grade, but she'll get some extra credit by writing to Sadeed Bayat in Afghanistan. However, his village doesn't think it's appropriate for boys and girls to write to each other, so his younger sister dictates the letters while Sadeed makes sure the English is correct. But he can't resist writing to Abby in secret, too. What happens if he gets caught? Both characters are described very realistically, and reading about all the differences in the cultures was pretty cool. (For example, Abby thinks the flat cornfields of Illinois are really boring; Sadeed views them as food for an entire village.) Think about this book next time you hear about Afghanistan in the news.

A difficult but inspiring journey

Based on the true experiences of the author's great-aunt, Letters from Rifka by Karen Hesse is an amazing glimpse at the strength of a child. Written as a series of letters to her cousin back home in Russia, 12-year-old Rifka details her journey to America. It was difficult enough just to get as far as Belgium, but when it's discovered that Rifka has ringworm, she has to stay behind while the rest of her family gets on the steamship. She eventually gets to leave and survives a deadly ocean crossing, only to be quarantined at Ellis Island because of the baldness caused by the ringworm - the immigration authorities think she will never get a husband and they will end up supporting her. But Rifka's survival instinct is strong, and she's both intelligent and resourceful, and all turns out well. A wonderful story of courage and perseverance.