DEAR BLUE SKY- MARY SULLIVAN

DEAR BLUE SKY, by Mary Sullivan

Cassie's world is falling apart.

Her beloved older brother and running partner, Sef, 

has enlisted in the Army, and is headed to Iraq.

Her mother is drinking.  A lot. 

Her mother and father are fighting about Iraq.

Her older sister, Van, is dating a boy no one else likes.

Her little brother, Jack, who has Down's syndrome, has stopped talking.

Her best friend, Sonia, has stopped talking to Cassie.

Cassie's world is falling apart.

In her seventh grade social studies class, Cassie is assigned to connect with someone from another country. She decides to connect with someone from Iraq. On the internet, she meets Blue Sky, a thirteen-year-old girl from Baghdad. Blue Sky's life has been torn apart by the war- her home has been destroyed, she can no longer attend school, and a neighbor is blown apart right in front of her eyes. Blue Sky and her family want the Americans to go home, so that Iraqi people can begin to rebuild their lives. Through Blue Sky, Cassie discovers that war is much more complicated than it seems.

I loved this book. Mary Sullivan does a terrific job capturing how war impacted so many different people- Cassie, her siblings, and her mom and dad. Then she uses blog entries and email to capture Blue Sky's reality. This one is sure to bring up lots of conversations about the realities of war.  

WARNING: Have kleenex ready before you pick up this book!