Extra Credit
Extra Credit is a 2009 children's novel written by Andrew Clements. The work was first published on June 23, 2009 through Simon & Schuster and follows a young schoolgirl who is given the option of receiving extra credit by writing to an overseas pen pal in a small Afghanistan village.[2] The book won a Christopher Award for Books for Young People in 2010.[3]
Plot
The protagonist of Extra Credit is a 6th grade girl named Abby who is falling behind in her classes. In order to improve her grades so that she will be able to go to Junior High, Abby has to write to a pen pal in another country for extra credit. The teachers of the Afghani town Abby writes to want Sadeed to respond because his English is the best, but the head elder does not think it would be right for a boy and girl to write to one another. Instead, Sadeed's sister Amira is chosen to write with Abby. However, Sadeed secretly writes the letters and Amira just signs them. Eventually Sadeed gets annoyed that Amira gets all the credit for the letters and writes a secret letter to Abby, telling her that he was the one writing the letters.
Reception
The book has received multiple reviews.[4][5][6][7] Two critics for the Horn Book Guide reviewed Extra Credit,[8] with one writing that "Although the ending is a little too neat, it’s the kind of ending kids like, and Clements’s timely story should receive high marks from middle-grade and early-middle-school readers."[9] Publishers Weekly praised the work, as they liked that Clements discussed different cultures in a way that could be understood and appreciated by younger readers.[10]
Awards
- Christopher Award for Books for Young People (2010, won)[3]
References
- ^ a b Extra Credit. Simon & Schuster. 23 June 2009. ISBN 9781416949299. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
- ^ "Extra Credit (review)". Booklist. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
- ^ a b "The 61st Annual Christopher Award Winners". Christopher Awards. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
- ^ Winslow, Betty (April 2010). "ANDREW CLEMENTS SCHOOL STORIES". Teacher Librarian. 37 (4): 10. Archived from the original on 2013-06-26. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
- ^ Marston, Elsa (March 2010). "Extra Credit". Multicultural Review. 19 (1): 74. Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
- ^ "Extra Credit (review)". New Moon Girls. 19 (6): 28. Aug 2012. Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
- ^ Kimberly, Shekosky. "Extra Credit (review)". StoryWorks. Archived from the original on 7 July 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
- ^ "Extra Credit (reviews)". Horn Book Guide, School Library Journal, Junior Library Guild. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
- ^ Smith, Robin L. (July–August 2009). "Andrew Clements: Extra Credit (review)". Horn Book Guide. 85 (4): 418–419. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
- ^ "Extra Credit (review)". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
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