Street of Storytellers

Notable Social Studies Trade Book, awarded by National Council for the Social Studies and The Children's Book Council

Gold Medal, Young Adult Fiction, Independent Press Awards

Silver Medal, Teen Fiction, Benjamin Franklin Awards, Independent Book Publishers Association

YA Fiction Book Award, Independent Book Publishers of New England

Indie Editors Choice, Kirkus Reviews

An American kid, in a place he doesn't understand.

This multicultural thriller for YA and adult readers is about three families across two cultures. It's about the power of music, the impacts of extremism, an ancient true story - and taking the risk, even when it's big, of thinking for yourself.

Luke blames his parents' divorce on his dad's obsession with finishing a book about a lost civilization in a dangerous part of Asia. But his father wants his son to understand, so during a school holiday he brings Luke to Peshawar, the legendary frontier city in northwest Pakistan. Luke refuses to learn anything about his dad's project; instead he's drawn into the strange, intriguing Old City, where a violent new extremism is on the rise. He's dazzled by a rebellious girl, Danisha, but they can't ever be seen together. He's recruited by her brother to assist the jihadis - but he also bonds with Yusuf, an Afghan refugee who knows what could happen. Then there are the musicians Luke befriends, and a warmhearted Sufi teacher who opens his eyes.

This is an adventure book that's about something. Once you start reading, it will grip you till the end.

ISBN-13: 9781578690169

Media Type: Paperback

Publisher: Rootstock Publishing

Publication Date: 09-10-2019

Pages: 230

Product Dimensions: 8.50h x 5.51w x 0.52d

Age Range: 13 - 17 Years

Wilhelm, Doug: - Doug Wilhelm is a full-time writer and editor in Weybridge, Vermont. His 16 published books for young readers includes The Revealers (FSG 2003, Macmillan/Square Fish '11), which has been the focus of reading-and-discussion projects in well over 1,000 middle schools and continues to be a perennial choice for grade-wide and all-school reads across the country. A production of the play version of The Revealers, by the National Children's Theatre of South Africa, was nominated for the 2015 Naledi Award-South Africa's top theatrical honor. Doug has visited over 100 schools across the U.S. His website, www.dougwilhelm.com, is a resource center for working with his novels.