Shabanu, Daughter of the Wind  •  Suzanne Fisher Staples LITERATURE •  1991 •  PAPER  • 240 PAGES • YOUNG ADULTS Written by a journalist formerly stationed in Asia, this young-adult novel set in Pakistan's Cholistan Desert debuted to copious praise (and an Newbery Medal) in 1990. The story of a young girl who doesn't want to marry, it's steeped in the nomadic culture of western Pakistan -- and starkly instructive about the role of women in a foreign culture. (PKN14, $5.99)
Under the Persimmon Tree  •  Suzanne Fisher Staples LITERATURE •  2005 •  HARD COVER  • 288 PAGES • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) A gripping story set in northern Afghanistan and Peshawar, Pakistan during the aftermath of 9/11. A young Afghan girl, orphaned by the war, disguises herself as a boy and makes the dangerous journey to a refugee camp in Pakistan. The author weaves the sights and sounds of the region with a trenchant, moving tale of the human cost of war. (CAS141, $17.00)