I really need to stop reading illustrated books via audio and missing out on the drawings! But I can't help it, there's just something about hearing a book in verse read aloud that I'm now hooked on. The Red Pencil is a middle grade title set in a refugee camp in Sudan, where Amira and her remaining family are forced to flee after their peaceful village is attacked by the Janjaweed. The author said in an afterword that she felt compelled to write this story after learning about what was happening in Darfur, and wondered how she could make younger children aware of the plights of people around the world in an accessible way. Obviously I can't speak to a child's experience, but to me it was a thoughtful and sensitive book, and I loved the message of education and especially the men in Amira's life who encouraged her passion for drawing and writing. I need to get a hold of the physical copy so I can see the illustrations!