(2) YA Baheer, an Afghan teen, faces a hardscrabble life under the Taliban, while post-9/11 American high-school senior Joe's college plans are put on pause as he begins his military tour. Joe's desire for retribution wanes when he is assigned a reconstruction mission instead of fighting on the front lines. As the boys' paths cross, mistrust clouds their judgment, but an unlikely friendship emerges through their shared experiences of war's gruesome realities. They realize their interdependence: Baheer hopes to improve his English and find work, while Joe seeks to write about the "unbiased truth" of war. Writing in alternating points of view, the co-authors draw on their real-life friendship (further explored in appended authors' notes) to tell a touching story about differences and finding common ground. Though regional geopolitics are rendered in easy binaries that gloss over America's role in the rise of the Taliban, the story effectively focuses on those most affected by violent conflict and the characters' shift in perspective from prejudice to openness. Joe's reading of war literature leads him to realize the common hardships people face in a war zone, while Baheer's engagement with Persian classics, Afghan poetry, and Quranic verses help him understand the humanity of all people. Through their individual reflections, they come to understand that education is the key to rebuilding a society, and they work together toward this goal.

Reviewer: Sadaf Siddique | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2021

(3) 4-6 Rogan Webber, twelve, spends most of his life in Virtual City, gaming his way to the top five in Laser Viper. Invited to compete in an exclusive, high-stakes gaming competition at the creator's cushy headquarters, Rogan eagerly agrees, but the young competitors soon realize the game feels alarmingly real. Video gamers especially will love this thrilling, high-tech adventure.

Reviewer: Jenn Matters

(3) YA As the Second American Civil War escalates, Danny Wright (Divided We Fall; Burning Nation) finds himself in the middle of it. Danny and friends grow disillusioned with the war effort after the U.S. fractures into numerous independent countries and the threat of international nuclear action looms. Character growth is strong as the protagonists suffer through painful losses; action scenes propel the story forward.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) YA Deadly protests have expanded to outright civil war, and Pvt. Danny Wright, high school friends, and fellow soldiers continue their fight for the newly created Republic of Idaho against the Federal government. Danny vacillates between being a fierce anti-federalist, a state's-rights supporter, and a reluctant hero who wants to go home. This confusion makes him more believable, though not necessarily a more likable character.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) YA The summer before senior year, Daniel Wright joins the Idaho National Guard and is deployed to settle a violent protest in Boise. The president has signed a national identification bill and Idaho's governor refuses to sign. Although the constitutional issues are awkwardly explained, Daniel's dual allegiance to state and nation reflects today's political discourse concerning states' rights and the legality of armed protest.

Reviewer: Betty Carter

(4) YA Since his father died in Afghanistan, Mike has become a model citizen: getting good grades; working after school; and taking care of his fragile, overprotective mother. Right before Mike turns sixteen, a series of letters comes from his father, written before he died and outlining the horrors of war. The advice-filled letters add a didactic tone to this coming-of-age story.

Reviewer: Betty Carter

(4) 4-6 Brian's father's new business venture--producing a "revolutionary" material called Plastisteel--relocates them to Iowa, where the sixth-grade skateboarder makes friends with brainiac Max and popular-kid Alex. The three implausibly use stolen Plastisteel to build a working airplane and save his father's flailing invention. The story is contrived, but kids who share Brian's fascination with flight may go along for the ride.

Reviewer: Rebecca Kirshenbaum

(3) 4-6 Based on actual experiences of an Afghani teen, this novel explores the hopes and dreams of thirteen-year-old Zulaikha, daughter of a welder in a mountain town near an American military base. The thoughtfully crafted narrative honestly and respectfully presents the social, economic, and cultural conditions of Afghani people, including similarities and differences between their hopes and ambitions and those of Americans. Reading list.

Reviewer: Juliet S. King