Why do you think Alan Gratz alternates his chapters between Brandon and Reshmina? Do you think it is an effective way to tell their stories? Why or why not? How might the novel be different if the stories were told one after the other?

How does being a girl in Afghanistan affect Reshmina’s life, in terms of both her day-to-day life and her future? How does she fight against this mold?

Compare and contrast nine-year-old Brandon and 11-year-old Reshmina. How are they similar? How are they different?