The lives of children and teens in Kabul, Afghanistan, are illuminated in eye-opening ways through personal stories that expand understanding of things readers may have heard about in news stories of life under the Taliban and in the war. The voices of the youth in this book are honest, real, and memorable, and so very child- or teen-like. The result is numerous moments of striking poignancy. Deborah Ellis provides an impassioned introduction to the book as a whole and to the individuals who speak in these pages. Her perspective is overtly political—she offers her opinions openly and transparently—while providing information about some of the issues, events, or activities the young speakers reference in the individual profiles. While it’s unfortunate that Ellis does not provide readers with any information about the questions that she asked her interview subjects, that oversight can’t detract from the book’s strength, which is providing insight into the lives of these young people. (Age 11 and older)