Sef is at the center of Cassie's family. Everyone adores Sef; he seems to keep the family together, and Cassie loves her early morning runs with him. The world crumbles when he decides to fight in the Iraq War. Cassie's mother begins taking psychotropic drugs, and her sister Van drinks to excess and is losing weight. Jack, her 10-year-old brother, who has Down's Syndrome, throws glass plates across the kitchen when he becomes enraged.

Cassie becomes friends with Big Mouth Kim in her school and Blue Sky, an Iraqi girl whom she corresponds with via email. Kim and Blue Sky serve as sounding boards for Cassie to vent about the neighbors mocking Jack, the trouble in her parents' marriage, and her deep grief and love of her soldier brother. 

Blue Sky is frightened for her family's safety in the midst of the conflict, and sometimes it is unsafe for her to attend school. Cassie is able to interview her about her experience for a school project. Mr. G discusses the impact of the Iraq War on Cassie and the rest of the class. Sef is killing people, and the effect of his mental health and his family is immediate and searing. Cassie and her family fervently hope for his safe return. 

Dear Blue Sky by Mary Sullivan, 2012

It was interesting that the book contained emails between the American and Iraqi girls during the Iraq War.

• Mary Sullivan's web site
• Books about Down's Syndrome
• Books about the Iraq War