Book Review: The Red Pencil

The book The Red Pencil is a great book. It is about a little girl named Amira and she lives in Sudan during the war in 2003-2004. She really wants to learn so does her Dad. Her mom doesn’t think girls should go to school or study. Its not common for girls in their area to do so. Her Dad is all for helping her learn but then the entire village gets attacked by the Janjaweed that are basically people out to destroy everyone to control their land in Sudan. To know what happens to Amira through many troubled situations that I cant even imagine to be facing, please read the book. Its written in verse with some graphics.

I enjoyed many of the characters in the book like Amira’s sister and father. I like sometimes when the author described the many plastic bags on the ground as ‘flowers’. It reminded me also of the funds I raised a few years ago for the Unicef to get a well into a village in Africa. I wonder if it was to help children like Amira? Read and let me know what you think about the book and share details and recommendations of books you maybe reading.