Sylvia Whitman (1)

This book is about the holiday Ramadan. It talks about the fasting that occurs, activities that are done and how time is spent during the holiday. The illustrations were done nicely and took up the full page. It helps keep the reader interested in the story. The way the story is written in an almost rhyming pattern keeps the story flowing smoothly. This would be a great book to use when talking about different holidays around the world. It would be even better to have a parent who practices the faith to read to the students and share personal experiences about how they spend Ramadan.… (more)

A story about the bond that develops between two pen pals, an American teen named K.C. and a fourteen-year-old Sudanese refugee Nawra. I found Nawra's harrowing daily struggles to survive far more interesting than K.C.'s experiences which seem quite frivolous by comparison. I often became annoyed with K.C. and her issues because they are so completely trivial compared to Nawra's, although she does become a passionate activist for Darfur. Perhaps reading this will help American teens put their own life experiences and problems in perspective.… (more)