• Age: 12 to 18
• Grade: 9
• Reading age: 12 to 18

Award-winning photographer Rafal Gerszak spent a year embedded with the American military in Afghanistan, where he used his camera to document everyday life in the war-torn country. While there, he developed a deep affection for the land and its people, and he later returned on his own. Despite the dangers around him, he continued taking photos, exposing the plight of that besieged country.

Framed by journal entries that relate his experiences on two levels—as a foreigner looking for a deeper connection to a country that has stirred him, and as a journalist looking for another side to the story—BEYOND BULLETS addresses the volatile situation in Afghanistan with sensitivity and profound insight. Through Gerszak’s lens, readers can see the shattered aftermath of military attacks and dismal hospitals and refugee camps, but they can also experience the vibrant activity of life in the markets, at home and on the Muslim day of rest.

Featuring more than 40 of Gerszak’s photographs and at once harrowing and heartrending, BEYOND BULLETS is as illuminating as it is riveting.

Rafal Gerszak's work has been published and exhibited internationally.

Rafal Gerszak's profile page

Dawn Hunter is an editor and the author of several books for young people, including Adventures on the Ancient Silk Road, winner of the Norma Fleck Award for non-fiction. She lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Dawn Hunter's profile page

• Winner, Book of the Year Award, ForeWord Reviews

“The photos tell a story all on their own, but the added narrative draws readers in and gives them a front-row seat.”

School Library Journal, 12/11