Adem's Cross

Alice Mead. Laurel Leaf Library, $4.5 (144pp) ISBN 978-0-440-22735-9

Set in 1993 in a former Yugoslavian province, this drama examines the plight of ethnic Albanians in Serb-occupied Kovoso when one Albanian boy defies authority. ""While the graphic depictions of violence invite sympathy for the Albanians, the message of this riveting novel carries a wider meaning,"" said PW. Ages 10-up. (May)

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