Tag Archives: Families

Deep Sea

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Almost four years ago, Stephie, now nearly sixteen, and her eleven-year-old sister Nellie, were sent from Nazi-occupied Vienna to Sweden by their parents. She lives in the city on the mainland and attends school. Nellie lives on a remote island in the Goteborg archipelago with her foster parents. Stephie worries about her education, her sister, her faith, and her parents, who are in a concentration camp in Austria. Smoothly integrated into this delicate coming of age story are details about how neutral Sweden was affected by the war. The present tense, third-person narration gives the novel an unusual impact. This is the third installment in a quartet of books about Stephie’s experiences as a Jewish refugee in Sweden during World War II. The first, Faraway Island, won the 2010 Batchelder Award. The second, The Lily Pond, was a Batchelder Honor Book in 2012. mjw

Title: Deep Sea Author: Annika Thor Publisher: Random House Children’s Books, Delacorte Press, New York Copyright: 2015 Original Language: Swedish Translator: Linda Schenk Original Title: Havets djup Original Publisher: Bonnier Carlsen, Stockholm Original Copyright: 1998 ISBN: 978-0-385-74385-3 Hardcover pages: 229 Age range: 12-16 Genre: Historical fiction Book setting: Sweden Author’s ethnicity: Swedish Author’s residence: Stockholm, Sweden Awards: Author has won the Deutsche Jugendliteraturpries Subjects: Jews, Refugees, Sisters, Sweden, World War II

Nine Open Arms

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A family of nine – three sisters, four brothers, their ever-optimistic father, and their strong-tongued grandmother Oma Mei – move into a run-down, mysterious brick house outside a small village in the province of Limburg, the Netherlands, in 1937. The house stands as long as nine open arms. The first and third parts of the story are narrated by eleven-year-old Fing, who tells of their new school, her father’s money-making schemes, family relationships, “tragical tragedy”, and the mysterious button-chewer, Oompah Hatsi. The middle part, narrated by Oma Mei, is set in the 1860s, and tells the story of the lovers Charley Bottletop and Nienevee, the traveler girl. By the end of this unique Dutch import, all the secrets are revealed and they neatly and believably click into place. Some Dutch words have been left untranslated and are defined in a Slang Words and Character List. A Map and Translator’s Note are also included in this well-crafted, challenging, and quirky story about storytelling. mjw

Title: Nine Open Arms Author: Benny Lindelauf Illustrator: Dasha Tolstikova Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books, New York Copyright: 2014 Original Language: Dutch Translator: John Nieuwenhuizen Original Title: Negen Open Armen Original Publisher: Em. Querido’s Uitgeverij B.V. Original Copyright: 2004 ISBN: 978-1-59270-146-9 Hardcover pages: 264 Age range: 9 up Genre: Historical fiction, Mystery Book setting: Limburg, The Netherlands Author’s ethnicity: Dutch Author’s residence: Rotterdam, The Netherlands Translator’s ethnicity: Dutch Translator’s residence: Australia Awards: 2015 Mildred L. Batchelder Award Subjects: Dwellings, Family life, Grandmothers, Mystery, Romanies, Single-parent families, Sisters

The Adventures Of Shola

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Shola is a small white, highly cultivated and opinionated dog with a huge imagination. She lives with her long-suffering owner, Senor Grogo. Four short stories are included in this one volume, with comic pen and ink and watercolor illustrations on practically every double page spread. In the first story, Shola discovers her inner lioness. In the second, she leads the pack on a wild sheepboar hunt. Third, she helps another dog, Angelino, who is plagued by a mouse. And finally, Shola is visited by her eccentric Aunt Clementine from America, who can never remember the pronunciation of Shola’s name, but completely understands Sholas’ independence. Feisty Shola is used to doing and eating exactly what she wants and walking in the park without a collar and lead. The use of language is delightful, especially the use of rarely used words, like “discombobulated” and “rara avis” (Latin for strange creature). Shola doesn’t always understand the words and this results in some very funny consequences. mjw

Title: The Adventures Of Shola Author: Bernardo Atxaga Illustrator: Mikel Valverde Publisher: Pushkin Children’s Books, London Copyright: 2013 Original Language: Euskera (Basque) Translator: Translated into Spanish by the author.  Translated in English by Margaret Jull Costa. Original Spanish Title: Shola y los leones, Sholas y los jabalies, Shola y Angelino, Shola y la tia de America Original Spanish Publisher: Ediciones SM Original Spanish Copyright: 1995, 1997, 2006, forthcoming ISBN: 978-1-782690-09-2 Hardcover pages: 220 Age range: 9-12 Genre: Fiction Book setting: Spain Author’s ethnicity: Basque Author’s residence: Spain Illustrator’s ethnicity: Basque Illustrator’s residence: Spain Awards: 2015 Marsh Award for Literature in Translation Subjects: Aunts, Dogs, Food, Lions, Human-animal interactions, Short stories, Wild boar

So Much for Democracy

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Twelve-year-old Astrid has moved from Canada to Ghana with her parents and two younger siblings so that her father can help organize the 1979 national election. Difficulties at school, the oppressive heat, the threat of disease, soldiers on the roads, and her mother’s overprotectiveness are some of the many challenges Astrid faces. She is a strong, kind, and courageous character with good sense. The beauty of the land and the relationships the Ghanaians have with each other and with Astrid’s family are honestly presented. A brief historical note on Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings’ coup provides background information about an event relatively unknown in the United States.mjw

Title: So Much for Democracy Author: Kari Jones Publisher: Orca Book Publishers. Canada Copyright: 2014 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-4598-0481-4 Paperback pages: 175 Age range: 9-12 Genre: Historical fiction Book setting: Accra, Ghana Author’s ethnicity: Australian Author’s residence: British Columbia, Canada Subjects: Conflict, Coups, Elections, Ghana

Hidden: A Child’s Story of the Holocaust

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In this touching and powerful graphic novel told in flashbacks, Dounia tells her story to her granddaughter Elsa. At about age six, in Paris, Dounia found herself shunned by her teachers and classmates when she attended school wearing the yellow star, which identified her as Jewish. After police took her parents away in a scary nighttime raid, neighbors hid her from the Nazis in their apartment for as long as they could. She eventually was taken by Resistance workers to a farm in the French countryside, where she was protected by a loving family, and after the war ended, was reunited with her mother. Honest and direct words and full-color graphics mingle seamlessly to make this heart-breaking subject accessible to children. An Afterword explains that 84% of Jewish children living in France survived because of people who were willing to risk their own lives to hide and protect children from the Nazis and collaborating French police. mjw

Title: Hidden: A Child’s Story of the Holocaust Author: Loic Dauvillier Illustrator: Marc Lizano, Color: Greg Salsedo Publisher: First Second/Roaring Brook, New York Copyright: 2014 Original Language: French Translator: Alexis Siegel Original Title: L’Enfant Cachee Original Publisher: Le Lombard Original Copyright: 2012 ISBN: 978-1-59643-873-6 Hardcover pages: 76 Age range: 10 up Genre: Graphic novel, Historical fiction Book setting: Paris Author’s ethnicity: French Author’s residence: France Illustrator’s ethnicity: French Illustrator’s residence: France Awards: 2015 Mildred L. Batchelder Award = Older reader category, 2015 Sydney Taylor Award, 2015 NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People Subjects: Comics, Grandmothers, Graphic novels, Hidden children, Holocaust, Jewish, Multigenerational, Nazis, Paris

Where I Belong

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Teenager Carrie, adopted as an infant, looks completely different from her parents and is the only black-haired, dark-skinned girl in McDonalds Corners, Ontario. She feels like she is out-of-place. At a hockey game, she meets Tommy, who is from a nearby Mohawk reserve. This leads to the discovery that her biological father is Mohawk. She journeys to Kahnawake, Ontario, to meet him and there realizes that she can love two families. This story of self-discovery takes place during the Oka Crisis in the summer of 1990, which was a 78-day standoff between Mohawk protestors, police, and army over the proposed expansion of a golf course on disputed land that included a Mohawk burial ground. mjw

Title: Where I Belong Author: Tara White Publisher: Tradewinds Books.  Vancouver, Canada Copyright: 2015 Original Language: English  ISBN: 978-1-896580-77-7 Paperback pages: 112 Age range: 12-15 Genre: Fiction Book setting: Canada Author’s ethnicity: Mohawk Author’s residence: Ontario, Canada Subjects: Canada, Hockey, Indian reservations, Mohawk, Oka Uprising 1990, Quebec history, Self-discovery

The Tiny King

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Once upon a time, there was a Tiny King, who lived in a big castle guarded by an army of big soldiers. He ate all alone at a big table. He could never finish the huge feast. He had a big white horse, but he always fell off. He bathed in a big bathtub with a water fountain, but splashing alone wasn’t much fun. And he slept in a big bed, but not very well. One day, he met a big princess. They married and were blessed with ten children. Then, everything brightened and became just the right size. The spare text of this new fairytale is complemented by clever, colorful, cut-outs, and digital collage. mjw

Title: The Tiny King Author: Taro Miura Illustrator: Taro Miura Publisher: Candlewick Press, Somerville, Massachusetts Copyright: 2013 Original Language: Japanese Original Title: Chilsana Osama Original Publisher: Kaisei-sha Publishing Co., Ltd., Tokyo Original Copyright: 2010 ISBN: 978-0-7636-6687-3 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 2-5 Genre: Picture book Author’s ethnicity: Japanese Author’s residence: Japan Illustrator’s ethnicity: Japanese Illustrator’s residence: Japan Awards: 2011 Sankei Award for Children’s Books and Publications Subjects: Counting, Family, Happiness, Kings and rulers, Shapes, Size, Stature

Vango: Between Sky and Earth

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In 1934, a young man named Vango on the cusp of taking priestly vows is suddenly made a fugitive. Accused of murder, pursued by police and mysterious others, Vango finds that proving his innocence involves uncovering secrets from his past, taking him from Parisian rooftops to Mediterranean islands to Scottish forests in a hyper-coloured spy-thriller with a backwards-and-forwards timeline.  Part of the book’s charm involves historic figures turned into characters – like Hugo Eckener (commander of the Graf Zeppelin) who de Fombelle has written as a friend of Vango and as a quick-witted protester to Hitler’s increasing regime.  Snippets of story are also told from the perspective of a young girl who turns out to be Stalin’s daughter. These historic guess-who’s never felt clunky.  With a larger-than-life protagonist, Vango will appeal to lovers of daring escapades. The mystery to his identity unravels in the sequel, Vango, Book 2, A Prince Without A Kingdom, published in 2105. ew

Title: Vango: Between Sky and Earth Author: Timothee de Fombelle Publisher: Candlewick Press.  Somerville, Massachusetts Copyright: 2014 Original language: French Translator: Sarah Ardizzone Original title: Vango: Entre ciel et Terre Original publisher: Gallimard Jeunesse Original copyright: 2010 ISBN: 978-0-7636-7196-9 Paperback pages: 421 Age range: 12 up Genre: Historical fiction Book setting: France, Germany, Mediterranean Islands, Russia, Scotland Author’s ethnicity: French Author’s residence: Paris, France Awards: Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Books of 2014,  2012 IBBY Honor List Subjects: Adventure, Fugitives, Identity, Mystery, Nazi, Priests, Voyages, World War II, Zeppelin

Anna Hibiscus’ Song

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Anna Hibiscus lives in Africa. Amazing Africa. She is so happy that she almost floats out of the mango tree. When she asks her grandparents, Aunt Joli, Uncle Tunde, and her cousins what they do when they are happy, they all offer suggestions. She asks her father and mother, and her mother knows how to channel Anna’s infectious happiness. Anna climbs back into the mango tree and sings her happiness song. Gorgeous, colorful illustrations feature the daily life of a large extended family in urban Africa. This is the first picture book that brings Anna’s world into full color. It could be used as an introduction to the four chapter books about Anna. mjw

Title: Anna Hibiscus’ Song Author: Atinuke Illustrator: Lauren Tobia Publisher: Kane Miller, A Division of EDC Publishing Copyright: 2011 Original Language: English Original Publisher: Walker Books, Ltd., London Original Copyright: 2011 ISBN: 978-1-61067-040-1 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 3-7 Genre: Picture book Book setting: Africa Author’s ethnicity: Nigerian Author’s residence: Wales Illustrator’s ethnicity: English Illustrator’s residence: England Subjects: African culture, Emotions, Family life, Multi-generational, Music

My Happy Life

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Dani is excited and nervous about starting kindergarten. She lives with her dad. Her mother has passed away. She starts school and finds Ella, who becomes her best friend. They eat triangle and square sandwiches together, play with Ella’s pet hamster Partyboy, and they each wear half-heart friendship necklaces. However, not everything in Dani’s life is happy. When Ella moves away, Dani’s new loneliness reminds her of her mother’s death. Happiness comes and goes during Dani’s day-to-day life. The story ends positively. There is always something to rejoice in. Dani and Ella write letters to each other and plan to spend a weekend together at Ella’s new home. Difficult subjects are handled in a caring way in this charming story. With its simple language, twenty short chapters, and fine pen-and ink drawings on just about every page, My Happy Life is a great first chapter book. mjw

Title: My Happy Life Author: Rose Lagercrantz Illustrator: Eva Eriksson Publisher: Gecko Press,  Wellington, New Zealand Copyright: 2013 Original Language: Swedish Translator: Julia Marshall Original Title: Mitt Lyckliga Liv Original Publisher: Bonnier Carlsen Bokforlaget, Stockholm, Sweden Original Copyright: 2010 ISBN: 978-1-877579-35-6 Hardcover pages: 136 Age range: 6-10 Genre: Novel Book setting: Sweden Author’s ethnicity: Swedish Author’s residence: Sweden Illustrator’s ethnicity: Swedish Illustrator’s residence: Sweden Awards: Both author and illustrator have received the Astrid Lindgren Prize Subjects: Best friends, Death, Grandmothers, Grief, Happiness, Loss, Kindergarten, Optimism, Primary school, Single fathers.

The End of the Line

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It is 1942 in Amsterdam and five-year-old Jewish Beatrix is left on a tram when her mother is taken away by Nazi soldiers. She is saved when elderly ticket-taker Lars Gorter and his brother, Hans the conductor, claim that she is their niece. The two brothers have no idea how to take care of a child and they know that harboring a Jew could cost them their lives. They turn to their neighbors, Mrs. Vos and Lieve van der Meer, for help. The unlikely group becomes a family. They survive through the horrors of war, hunger and cold, bombings, fear, and anxiety. The book concludes with explanations of the characters’ futures after Holland’s liberation in 1945. It also includes a description of “When Strangers Were Saviors” and an Afterword that provides information about details of the war. Based on historical facts about World War II, this suspenseful short novel is written from the point of view of the two brothers, yet it will engage young readers. mjw

Title: The End of the Line Author: Sharon E. McKay Illustrator: Serena Malyon Publisher: Annick Press, Toronto Copyright: 2014 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-55451-658-2 Paperback pages: 120 Age range: 8-11 Genre: Historical fiction Book setting: Amsterdam Author’s ethnicity: Canadian Author’s residence: Prince Edward Island, Canada Awards: 2015 USBBY Outstanding International Books Grades 6-8, 2008 First children’s author to be awarded the title of CFAP -Vet (War Artist), Canadian Forces (War) Artists Program Subjects: Amsterdam, Courage, Elderly, Holocaust, Jews, Netherlands, Prejudice, Survival, Tolerance, World War II

Anna’s Heaven

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As church bells chime, young Anna and her restless father prepare to attend her mother’s funeral, though the funeral, death, and grief are never mentioned in the text. They fly through a hole in the sky and make their way to heaven. Their world becomes dreamlike and surreal with floating mailboxes, flying elephants, cooing sea urchins, and even an Elvis cameo. They take turns questioning, imagining, and commenting. This is their pathway to peace. A hopeful ending shows Anna comforting her now-smiling father and strawberries raining down from the sky. Beautiful language and fantastic photo collages don’t give answers, just space for questions about life’s mysteries. Anna’s Heaven may not be appropriate for some public schools, since there is a discussion of God in the story. mjw

Title: Anna’s Heaven Author: Stian Hole Illustrator: Stian Hole Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, Grand Rapids, Michigan Copyright: 2014 Original Language: Norwegian Translator: Don Bartlett Original Title: Anna’s himmel Original Publisher: Cappelen Damm Original Copyright: 2013 ISBN: 978-0-8028-5441-4 Hardcover pages: 42 Age range: 6-10 Genre: Picture book Author’s ethnicity: Norwegian Author’s residence: Norway Illustrator’s ethnicity: Norwegian Illustrator’s residence: Norway Awards:  2015 USBBY Outstanding International Books Grades 3-5 Subjects: Daughters, Death, Dying, Fathers, Social issues