Words in the Dust
Scholastic Inc | ISBN 9780545261265 Paperback
272 Pages | 5.27" x 7.58" | Ages 10 to 14
Winner of the Christopher Medal and a "heart-wrenching" Al Roker's Book Club selection on The Today Show.
Zulaikha hopes. She hopes for peace, now that the Taliban have been driven from Afghanistan; a good relationship with her hard stepmother; and one day even to go to school, or to have her cleft palate fixed. Zulaikha knows all will be provided for her — "Inshallah," God willing.
Then she meets Meena, who offers to teach her the Afghan poetry she taught her late mother. And the Americans come to her village, promising not just new opportunities and dangers, but surgery to fix her face. These changes could mean a whole new life for Zulaikha — but can she dare to hope they'll come true?
Raves & reviews:
Praise for Words in the Dust
"I love this story—it leaves no doubt that hope and love speak the same language everywhere." — Suzanne Fisher Staples, author of Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind
"Both heart-wrenching and timely." — Kirkus Reviews
"Reedy's narrative offers hope and will go a long way toward helping readers understand the people behind the headlines." —Publishers Weekly
"[Words in the Dust] is full of hard truths, painful lessons, beautiful human interaction, and the promise of possibility." —School Library Journal