{"product_id":"extra-credit-9781416949312","title":"Extra Credit","description":"It isn't that Abby Carson can't do her schoolwork. She just doesn't 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 Abby's 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, it's not proper for a boy to correspond with a girl. So, Sadeed's 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAndrew Clements (1949-2019) was the author of the enormously popular \u003ci\u003eFrindle\u003c\/i\u003e. More than 10 million copies of his books have been sold, and he was nominated for a multitude of state awards, including a Christopher Award and an Edgar Award. His popular works include \u003ci\u003eAbout Average\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eTroublemaker\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eExtra Credit\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eLost and Found\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eNo Talking\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eRoom One\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eLunch Money\u003c\/i\u003e, and more. He was also the author of the Benjamin Pratt \u0026amp; the Keepers of the School series. Find out more at AndrewClements.com. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eMark Elliott has a BFA in illustration from the School of Visual Arts. He has illustrated a number of book covers, and his work has been exhibited at the Society of Illustrators and the Art Directors Guild. Mark lives on a sheep farm in the Hudson Valley region of New York.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Atheneum Books for Young Readers","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50620724576530,"sku":"9781416949312","price":5.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_5ebc096f-7eed-485c-bd6a-9cb9e5ed498b.jpg?v=1737269043","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/extra-credit-9781416949312","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}