Code of Honor

Starred review from January 1, 2016

Gr 8 Up-Seventeen-year-old Kamran Smith is a typical American high school student. He plays football, has a girlfriend and friends, plans to attend West Point after he graduates, and has an older brother he idolizes, Darius, a U.S. Army Ranger. But when Darius is captured in Afghanistan and is then seen on television appearing to work alongside terrorists, Kamran and his family are viewed with suspicion. People, including all of Kamran's friends, begin to distance themselves from the family. Fear, discrimination, and prejudice begin to rear their heads, as well as anti-Muslim and anti-Arab sentiment. Homeland Security eventually detains the family. And Kamran still has to deal with his own questions and doubts about his brother's loyalty. As more footage airs, Kamran begins to believe that Darius may be trying to send coded messages to him. Determined to prove that his brother is not a traitor, Kamran enlists the help of a CIA operative. This riveting work, narrated by Dan Bittner, moves at a furious and intense pace. Because the story deals with events taken from today's headlines, it takes on a gritty and frightening plausibility. VERDICT A fast-paced, relevant, and well-crafted story that will keep listeners guessing whether Darius is or is not a traitor. ["A winner for independent reading and deeper discussion with its timely topic, strong writing, and appealing characters": SLJ 7/15 review of the Scholastic book.]-Mary Oluonye, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH

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