In 1937, during the Depression, fifteen-year-old Mary Alice, initially apprehensive about leaving Chicago to spend a year with her fearsome, larger-than-life grandmother in rural Illinois, gradually begins to better understand and admire her grandmother's unusual qualities.

As letters flow back and forth--between the prairies of Illinois and the mountains of Afghanistan, across cultural and religious divides--sixth-grader Abby, ten-year-old Amira, and eleven-year-old Sadeed begin to speak and listen to each other.

The Garde, broken and divided, discover that the Mogadorians have commenced their ultimate invasion plans and will stop at nothing to thwart it.

"Nina's basketball dreams have been dashed. After moving to a small town, she learns her new school doesn't have enough players to form a girls b-ball team. Nina is bummed until she finds out the boys team is short one player--and anyone can try out. Nina decides to take a shot, and her hoop hopes rebound when she wins a spot on the roster. But not everyone is pleased she made the team. Can Nina prove herself as a power forward? Or will she buckle...