The Red Pencil

by Andrea Davis Pinkney
Illustrated by Shane W. Evans
Lexile:  620
Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Novel in Verse



Amira is growing up in South Dafur, Africa. Her biggest complaint is that her mother doesn't see the value in allowing her to go to school.  Amira really wants to learn to read and write and her father thinks she has what it takes to learn.  But then one day the Janajaweed militia storms into her village, and her life is changed forever.  Amira is going to have to fight for her survival and put her dreams of learning on hold.




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