The Terrorist by Caroline B. Cooney

Cooney, Caroline B. The Terrorist. New York: Scholastic, 1997. ISBN-10: 0060935464 

Summary 
 Laura and her family are living in London for a year. Laura and her younger brother Billy attend London International Academy alongside kids from all over the world. One day on the subway someone hands Billy a package. Billy curls himself around the package shielding the others from the blast of the bomb. Now Laura is obsessed with finding the terrorist who killed her brother. Suddenly, her classmates are all suspects. Although Laura knows nothing of world politics, she is quickly learning that the world is a dangerous place and many nations have many enemies. A classmate, Jehran asks Laura for Billy's passport. A Muslim, Jehran claims that her older brother is going to marry her to an older man and she wants to escape to America. Laura hopes that her brothers death can help her friend, but she still doesn't completely trust Jehran.

Evaluation 
Written before 9/11, The Terrorist was a novel to introduce young teens to world politics. Laura, the naive American experiences terrorism first hand and is moved to learn more about terrorism in the world stage. Her classmates at the International Academy are interesting characters. The story of the family's grief is realistic and therapuetic. Nonetheless, I was disappointed to learn that the terrorist is a Muslim. Given the intense prejudice middle eastern people have experience lately, I would have liked the character Mohammed to be a stronger counter to Jehran. In the end the terrorist's motives were unclear, which is realistic, but also serves to equate unknown cultures with dangerous cultures.

Reader's Annotation 
By the time Billy realizes that package he's holding is a bomb, he only has time to cover it with his body-- killing himself but saving the rest of the crowded subway. Billy's death was an act of terrorism and now Laura is convinced that one of the other students at their international school is a terrorist. But who?

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness 
Death, grief, especially resulting from terrorism

Genre and Subject 
Death, terrorism, world politics

Why I read it
 Cooney's writing is so dramatic. She really transports her readers.