This article profiles Pegi Deitz Shea, an author who considers herself a rule-breaker. While she is surely capable of writing lovely, sentimental stories such as "New Moon" (Boyds Mills Press, 1997) and "Bungalow Fungalow" (Clarion Books, 1991), she is concerned with much more than just telling kids about the niceties of life. With books like "The Carpet Boy's Gift" (Tilbury House, 2003), "The Whispering Cloth" (Boyds Mills Press, 1995), and "Tangled Threads" (Clarion Books, 2003), Pegi Deitz Shea has begun to carve a very special niche for herself, one in which she is dedicated to opening readers' eyes to some very sophisticated content. From this stable of stories comes serious subjects such as child labor in Pakistan, life in the refugee camps of Thailand, and adjusting to America as a former refugee. While her other stories are loaded with wonderful details such as daylight "the color of peach ice cream," it is Pegi Deitz Shea's latest books for children that have the tendency to reach out, grab readers by the collar and give them a good shake.