I Will Always Write Back: How One Letter Changed Two Lives

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Little, Brown & Co.

Annotation: Chronicles the friendship between an American girl and her pen pal from Zimbabwe, discussing how a class assignment was the beginning of a correspondence that spanned six years and changed two lives.

Genre: [Biographies]

Reviews: 4

Catalog Number: #122767

Format: Perma-Bound Edition

Common Core/STEAM: Common Core

Publisher: Little, Brown & Co.

Edition Date: 2016 Release Date: 05/03/16

Pages: 402 pages

ISBN: Publisher: 0-316-24133-4 Perma-Bound: 0-605-94736-8

ISBN 13: Publisher: 978-0-316-24133-5 Perma-Bound: 978-0-605-94736-8

Dewey: 920

LCCN: 2014030355

Dimensions: 22 cm.

Subject Heading:
Alifirenka, Caitlin. Correspondence.
Ganda, Martin. Correspondence.
Pen pals.
Pen pals. Zimbabwe.
Teenagers. Zimbabwe. Social conditions.
Teenagers. United States. Social conditions.
Friendship.

Language: English

Reviewing Agencies: - Find Other Reviewed Titles
National Council For Social Studies Notable Children's Trade
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Wilson's High School Catalog
Wilson's Junior High Catalog

Word Count: 82,879

Reading Level: 5.6

Interest Level: 7-12

Accelerated Reader: reading level: 5.6 / points: 13.0 / quiz: 173540 / grade: Middle Grades

Reading Counts!: reading level:5.2 / points:20.0 / quiz:Q65906

Lexile: 790L

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The true story of an all-American girl, a boy from Zimbabwe, and the letter that changed both of their lives forever.

It started as an assignment. Caitlin had never even heard of Zimbabwe when everyone in her class was told to write a letter to an unknown student in a distant place. Excited for the first time about homework, she went home that night and wrote about her favorite color and what sports she played, and asked her mystery pen-pal about life in Zimbabwe.

Martin had never heard of Pennsylvania when he read Caitlin’s letter. He was lucky to even receive a pen-pal letter—his class only received ten letters for fifty kids! But as the top student, he got the first one. He wrote Caitlin back, talking about his siblings and soccer and saying he hoped she wrote again.

These letters were the beginning of a correspondence that spanned six years and changed two lives. In this compelling dual memoir, Caitlin and Martin recount how they became best friends—and better people—through their inspiring long-distance exchange.

Praise for I Will Always Write Back
"An inspiring story that will change your life, too." ―Patricia McCormick, author of the National Book Award finalist Sold
"A little miracle of unexpected genuineness." ―New York Times Book Review
"Moving and uplifting." ―Award-winning author and journalist Peter Godwin

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