Code of Honor

Product Description From the acclaimed of author of Prisoner B-3087, a timely, heart-racing action-adventure about the War on Terror -- and the bond between brothers. Kamran Smith has it all. He's the star of the football team, dates the most popular girl in school, and can't wait to join the Army like his big brother, Darius. Although Kamran's family hails from Iran, Kamran has always felt 100% American. Accepted. And then everything implodes.Darius is accused of being a terrorist. Kamran refuses to believe it, but the evidence is there -- Darius has been filmed making threats against his country, hinting at an upcoming deadly attack. Kamran's friends turn on him -- suddenly, in their eyes, he's a terrorist, too.Kamran knows it's up to him to clear his brother's name. In a race against time, Kamran must piece together a series of clues and codes that will lead him to Darius -- and the truth.But is it a truth Kamran is ready to face? And is he putting his own life at risk? From School Library Journal Gr 8 Up—An Arab American teen, Kamran has always considered himself fully American—a high school star football player who dates one of the most popular girls and a homecoming king contender. He plans to attend West Point for college, like his army officer brother, Darius. All of this changes when authorities identify his brother as a deserter and terrorist, responsible for the bombing of the U.S. embassy in Turkey and the deaths of 53 people. Life takes on nightmarish proportions when Kamran is first ostracized by his friends and classmates and then taken into custody and held as a prisoner by the U.S. government. Despite days of questioning and watching videos of Darius, the teen refuses to acknowledge that his brother is a terrorist. As he pays closer attention to the videos, he realizes that his brother is trying to give him information about terrorist plans by using scenarios from games the two used to play and the Code of Honor they signed when they were children. With help from surprising sources, Kamran escapes and heads out to find his sibling. Exciting, at times ripped from the headlines, and scary, this cinematic work has layers of intrigue and danger in each scene. The well-developed protagonist reacts in typical teen fashion, with anger, doubt, rage, and faith in his brother. This action-packed novel will appeal to a variety of readers and will raise questions about patriotism, loyalty, and trust. VERDICT A winner for independent reading and deeper discussion with its timely topic, strong writing, and appealing characters.—Janet Hilbun, University of North Texas Review Praise for Code of Honor:"Readers will be swept up by both the intrigue and the rapid pacing... Kamran is a smart and sympathetic narrator, and readers will be happy to spend time with him in this action-packed thriller." -- Kirkus Reviews"Exciting, at times ripped from the headlines, and scary, this cinematic work has layers of intrigue and danger in each scene... will appeal to a variety of readers and will raise questions about patriotism, loyalty, and trust... A winner." -- School Library Journal"Vivid characters and timely topics, such as posttraumatic stress disorder, contribute to making Code of Honor a first-rate novel." -- VOYAPraise for Prisoner B-3087:A Junior Library Guild SelectionGolden Sower Award, 2014-2015 Winner NebraskaIsinglass Teen Read Award, 2014-2015 Winner New HampshirePennsylvania Young Readers' Choice Award, 2014-2015 Winner PennsylvaniaJunior Book Award, 2015-2016 Winner South CarolinaGrand Canyon Reader Award, 2015-2016 Winner ArizonaTruman Readers Award, 2015-2016 Winner MissouriReaders Choice Awards, Winner 2015-2016 Virginia Volunteer State Book Award Winner, 2015-2016 Tennessee"A powerful story, well told." -- School Library Journal"A bone-chilling tale not to be ignored." -- Kirkus Reviews"[A] remarkable survival story." -- Booklist"Gratz ably conveys . . . fatalism, yearning, and determination in the face of the u