Ginney Etherton

Zak, a twelve-year-old boy who's never been anywhere, has no idea what's in store for him when his parents allow him to take a short trip with his widowed grandmother, Audra. They intend to go only as far as Washington, D.C. to receive his grandfather’s honorary award, but they end up on an emissary mission to the other side of the globe.
The State Department needs them to finish the work that Zak's diplomat granddad started in Mongolia and Angola. Exotic cultures and landscapes, and witnessing the burgeoning disparity in developing countries, give them firsthand educations about authentic current issues of global importance. Zak learns that real-life adventures in foreign places are definitely more exciting than video games.
Although they are generations apart, these traveling companions join together and show how awareness and respect can bring people closer.
Point A to Point Z is a full-length novel targeted to mature Middle Grade readers. However, it can appeal to anyone interested in an entertaining and engaging trip that goes beyond the prevailing scope of a genre saturated with dragons and superheroes.