Frank Carlson Library

A "debut novel about a young Afghan orphan and the harrowing, intractable nature of war"--Amazon.com.

Based on a true story, this inspiring tale shows how a desperate situation can be improved by finding common ground through play.

At the close of Ender's Game, Andrew Wiggin, called Ender by everyone, is told that he can no longer live on Earth, and he realizes that this is the truth. He has become far more than just a boy who won a game: he is the Savior of Earth, a hero, a military genius whose allegiance is sought by every nation of the newly shattered Earth Hegemony. He is offered the choice of living in isolation on Eros, at one of the Hegemony's training facilities, but...

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have impacted the children of soldiers--men and women who have been called away from their families to fight in a faraway war. In their own words, some of these children describe how their experience has marked and shaped their lives.

"In this memorable story, a young boy finds solace flying his kite from the rooftop after soldiers take his father and brother away. Without his father and brother, the young boy's life is turned upside down. He and his family have to stay inside, along with everyone else in town. At suppertime, he can't stop looking at the two empty places at the table and his sister can't stop crying. The boy looks out the window and is chilled to see a tank's spotlight...

The diary of a thirteen-year-old girl living in Sarajevo, begun just before her eleventh birthday when there was still peace in her homeland.

As Ilse and her family flee the Soviet army, their young Polish laborer tells enchanting folktales to keep Ilse's mind off the cold, the hunger, and the horrors. None of them realize his stories will prove prophetic.

"Adapted for Young Adults". Adapted from the adult memoir, this gripping story follows one boy's journey into young adulthood and offers an intimate account of modern immigration.Abdi Nor Iftin grew up amidst a blend of cultures, far from the United States. At home in Somalia, his mother entertained him with vivid folktales and bold stories detailing her rural, nomadic upbrinding. As he grew older, he spent his days following his father, a basketball...