One of the first swaps I did with PBS came with an extra book and a note to read it. So I did. I'm Not Scared by Niccolo Ammaniti (2003). It was amazingly good. I'd never heard of the author, but his style made the read easy. I've since loaned and/or suggested it to all my family and friends who enjoy a good read. It's a coming of age story.. sort of. A type of story similar to The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, you shouldn't really know what it's about until you read it. Knowing ahead of time ruins the impact and effect of the story. Highly recommended.