Tag Archives: Friends

Ida And The Whale

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Ida and the whaleIda, a curious little girl, spends her days sitting in a tree house pondering existential questions. One night, she befriends a giant flying whale who takes her on an incredible journey beyond the stars. They visit many strange and wonderful places including one where everything is upside down and one where everything is still and empty. Along the way, Ida’s questions are answered and she and the whale part ways as friends. Combined mediums of watercolor, pen, and computer graphics illustrate the beautiful and philosophically situated worlds Ida and the flying whale visit on their journey. mm

Title: Ida And The Whale
Author: Rebecca Gugger
Illustrator: Simon Rothlisberger
Publisher: NorthSouth Books
Copyright: 2018
ISBN: 9780735843417
Hardcover pages: 33 
Age range: 4-8
Genre: Picture book
Author’s ethnicity: Swiss
Author’s residence: Thun, Switzerland
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Swiss
Illustrator’s residence: Thun, Switzerland 
Subjects: Emotions, Human-animal relationships, Philosophy, Whales

 

Rasha: Little Girl Big Heart

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Feisty fourteen-year-old Rasha is abandoned by her mother in a village far from their cosmopolitan Dhaka home, where she is forced to live with her aged and probably mad grandmother. The village has no electricity, heavy rains, and nosy neighbors. Rasha has to attend a primitive school with a bullying teacher.  She rises against her circumstances and exposes the teacher, stops a child marriage from happening, builds a boat so that she can get to school, and teaches her new school friends how to use a computer.  She even wins a science Olympiad. mjw
Title: Rasha: Little Girl Big Heart
Author: Muhanned Zafar Iqbal
Publisher: Puffin Books.  Penguin Random House India
Copyright: 2016
Original Language: Bengali
Translator: Arunava Sinha
Original Title: Rashed Amar Bondhu
Original Publisher: Tamralipi, Dhaka
Original Copyright: 2010
ISBN: 978-780143434887
Paperback pages: 240
Age range: 12-15
Genre: Fiction
Book setting: Bangladesh
Author’s ethnicity: Bangladeshi
Author’s residence: Bangladesh
Translator’s ethnicity: Bangladeshi
Translator’s residence: Bangladesh
Awards: Translator has won the Crossword Prize for Translated Books.  The book is on the 2019 Global Literature in Libraries Initiative Award Shortlist
Subjects: Bangladesh liberation war, Dhaka, East Pakistan, Freedom, Freedom fighters, Intergenerational

Step Up To The Plate, Maria Singh

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It is 1945, and with World War II going on, fifth-grader Maria Singh wants to play baseball.  When her teacher starts an all-girls team at her school, Maria is thrilled.  However she meets many challenges. Her father from India doesn’t want her wearing shorts.  Her mother form Mexico wants her to stay home to watch her younger brother.  Maria also wants to work to get the city council to approve a baseball field for her neighborhood.  And because her father isn’t a U.S. citizen, he can’t own their farm and the family is in danger of losing it.  As she learns about teamwork and baseball, she also learns about prejudice and racism in her community.  And most importantly, she learns to speak up and make a difference in her world.  This well-written, fascinating book, that covers a lot of social history, has great potential for the classroom.  mjw
Title: Step Up To The Plate, Maria Singh
Author: Uma Krishnaswami
Publisher: Tu Books, an imprint of Lee and Low Books.  New York
Copyright: 2017
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-600602-61-0
Hardcover pages: 288
Age range: 9-12
Genre: Historical fiction
Book setting: California
Author’s ethnicity: born in New Delhi
Author’s residence: Victoria, British Columbia
Awards: 018 South Asia Book Award
Subjects:East Indian Americans, Farm life, Mexican Americans, Prejudice, Racially mixed people, Racism, Sexism, Softball, World War II

The Moose Of Ewenki

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The Ewenki people live in the forest of Greater Khingan, in northern China, and they live on hunting and raising reindeer. The old hunter Gree Shek hunts a mother moose by mistake. She leaves a young moose.  He feels terrible because Ewenki hunters would never hunt a female moose that was raising a baby.  The motherless baby follows Gree Shek back to the campsite where Gree Shek feeds the hungry moose.  He names it Little Moose. The moose and the man form a bond and go on adventures together.  As Little Moose grows older and bigger, Gree Shek knows he must return the moose to the forest.  Beautifully detailed paintings complement this touching story, which highlights the traditional and vanishing way of life of the Ewenki people. mjw
Title: The Moose Of Ewenki
Author: Gerelchimeg Blackcrane
Illustrator: Jui Er
Publisher: Greystone Kids Books
Copyright: 2019
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-77164-538-6
Hardcover pages: 68
Age range: 5-9
Genre: Picture Book
Book setting: Inner Mongolia
Author’s ethnicity: Chinese
Author’s residence: Hulunbuir Grassland in Mongolia
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Chinese
Illustrator’s residence: Beijing, China
Awards:  2020 USBBY Outstanding International Books List
Subjects: Asia, Caribou, Deer, Global studies, Moose, People and places, Reindeer

The Fox On The Swing

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Paul lives with his family in a tree house in a big city. On his way home from the bakery, where everyday he gets three fresh rolls, Paul befriends a wise, friendly, orange fox. Being friends with the fox is a magical and challenging experience for Paul.  He has to deal with an unexpected move; friendship; appreciating the little things in life, like carrot cake and marmalade; and the nature of happiness. Brightly colored digital collages portray people, very detailed buildings, vehicles, and animals in this unpredictable, quirky story. mjw
Title: The Fox On The Swing
Author: Evelina Daciute
Illustrator: Ausra Kiudulaite
Publisher: Thames & Hudson, U.K.
Copyright: 2018
Original Language: Lithuanian
Translator: The Translation Bureau
Original Title: Laime Yra Lape
Original Publisher: Tikra Knyga. Vilnius. Lithuania
Original Copyright: 2016
ISBN: 978-0-500-651-8
Hardcover pages: 48
Age range: 5-8
Genre: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity: Lithuanian
Author’s residence: Lithuania
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Lithuanian
Illustrator’s residence: Lithuania
Awards: 2019 Batchelder Award
Subjects: Emotions, Fox and wolf, Happiness, Loneliness

Anne Arrives: Inspired By Anne Of Green Gables

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In this first of a charming early reader series that reimagines L. M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables, Anne Shirley arrives at the farm of Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert. They had adopted what they thought would be a sturdy boy to help on their farm.  Instead, they got imaginative – and outspoken – red-headed Anne-with-an-e.  This book covers the first few chapters of Montgomery’s book.  The lovely illustrations are rendered in graphite, watercolor, and colored pencil and completed digitally.  And the chapters are short enough to keep young readers’ attention. mjw
Title: Anne Arrives: Inspired By Anne Of Green Gables
Author: Kallie George
Illustrator: Abigail Halpin
Publisher: Tundra Books, and imprint of Penguin Random House. Canada
Copyright: 2018
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-77149-930-9
Hardcover pages: 72
Age range: 6-8
Genre: Historical fiction
Book setting: Prince Edward Island, Canada
Author’s ethnicity: Canadian
Author’s residence: Vancouver, British Columbia
Illustrator’s ethnicity: U.S.
Illustrator’s residence: Maine.  U.S.
Subjects: Farms, Foster homes, Orphans

Hello, Horse

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When the little boy’s friend Catherine asks him to come meet her horse named Shannon, he replies that he’s not so sure he likes horses.  Shannon is very big, but Catherine says she’s very kind.  Catherine teaches the boy to talk quietly to the horse, how to feed her carrots, how to lead her across a field, and even how to blow at her softly to show that he likes her.  Catherine helps him up onto the horse for his first ride.  Facts about horses are sprinkled throughout this gentle story. The book ends with an author’s note that tells that Shannon is the illustrator’s horse.  An index and more information are also included.  The beautiful illustrations were done in mixed media. mjw
Title: Hello, Horse
Author: Vivian French
Illustrator: Catherine Rayner
Publisher: Candlewick Press.  Somerville, MA
Copyright: 2018
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-5362-0167-3
Hardcover pages: 40
Age range: 5-8
Genre: Picture Book
Book setting: Scotland
Author’s ethnicity: British
Author’s residence: Scotland
Subjects: Farm animals, Horses, New experiences

The Fox Girl And The White Gazelle

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Twelve-year-old Reema is a Syrian refugee trying to find her place in Glasgow.  She struggles with a new language and culture and misses her older brother who got left behind in Aleppo.  Caylin feels completely alone.  She has to look after her alcoholic mother.  She bullies the other kids and steals from them so that she can eat. Reema and Caylin become friends when they discover an injured fox and her babies. The girls also discover that they both like to run. Told in alternating perspectives, this is a great story of friendship. mjw
Title: The Fox Girl And The White Gazelle
Author: Victoria Williamson
Publisher: Kelpies, an imprint of Floris Books. Edinburgh, Scotland
Copyright: 2018
Original Language: English 
ISBN: 978-178250-490-0
Paperback pages: 272
Age range: 10-12
Genre: Fiction
Book setting: Scotland
Author’s ethnicity: Scottish
Author’s residence: U.K.
Subjects: Foxes, Glasgow, Poetry, Prejudice and racism, Refugees, Running, Syria

The Little Prince 75th Anniversary Edition

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This is the 75thanniversary edition of the classic story about an aviator whose plane is forced down in the Sahara Desert where he encounters a little prince from a small planet who relates his adventures in seeking the secret of what is important in life.  This edition offers the full text of the beloved story – including a biography of the author, sketches, photos, and reviews from the first edition.  It also features a free audio download read by acclaimed author Viggo Mortensen.  The Little Prince is the most widely translated literary work of the twentieth century. mjw
Title: The Little Prince 75th Anniversary Edition
Author: Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1900-1944)
Illustrator: Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. New York
Copyright: 2018
Original Language: French
Translator: Vali Tamm
Original Title: Le Petit Prince
Original Publisher: Editions Gallimard. Paris
Original Copyright: 1943,1946
ISBN: 978-1-328-47975-4
Hardcover pages: 224
Age range: 10-12
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction
Book setting: Sahara Desert
Author’s ethnicity: French
Illustrator’s ethnicity: French
Subjects: Airplanes, Fables, Fairytales, Pilots, Planets, Princes, Roses

Buried Beneath The Baobab Tree

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Based on interviews with young women who were kidnapped by Boko Haram in 2014, this powerful novel tells the story of young YaTa and her dreams that became nightmares.  The terrorist group attacked her village and killed most of her family.  Before the abduction, she had a promising future of getting a university scholarship and becoming a teacher.  The book is written in poetic vignettes that tell how the girls were forced to follow their captors’ radical beliefs.  The narrator was forced to marry a man who used her for her body. But she refused to be brainwashed.  An enlightening afterword by Italian journalist Viviana Mazza gives more information about the kidnapping.  References and resources are also included. mjw
Title: Buried Beneath The Baobab Tree
Author: Adobe Tricia Nwaubani
Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers
Copyright: 2018
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-0-06-269672-4
Hardcover pages: 336
Age range: 14 up
Genre: Fiction
Book setting: Nigeria
Author’s ethnicity: Nigerian
Author’s residence: Abuja, Nigeria
Subjects: Africa, Girls, Human rights, Prejudice and racism, Survival, Violence

Mangoes, Mischief, And Tales Of Friendship: Stories From India

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This book includes eight original trickster tales inspired by traditional Indian folktales. Ten-year-old Prince Veera and his best friend, Suku, are given the opportunity to preside over King Bheema’s court.  They have to deal with a greedy merchant who charges people for enjoying the smells of his sweets. They also have to settle a dispute between a man and his neighbor to whom he sells a well – but not the water in it. Veera and Suku manage to outsmart the King’s trickiest subjects and how to be wise and just. The clever, black and white illustrations are done in acrylic, poster color, and watercolor. mjw
Title: Mangoes, Mischief, And Tales Of Friendship: Stories From India
Author: Chitra Soundar
Illustrator: Uma Krishnaswamy
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Copyright: 2019
Original Language: English
Original Title:  A Dollop Of Ghee And A Pot Of Wisdom and A Jar Of Pickles And A Pinch Of Justice
Original Copyright: 2010 and 2016 in the U.K.
ISBN: 978-1-5362-0067-6
Hardcover pages: 192
Age range: 6-9
Genre: Fiction, Folktales, Short stories
Book setting: India
Author’s ethnicity: Indian
Author’s residence: London
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Indian
Illustrator’s residence: Chennai, London 
Subjects: Asia, Bravery, Folktales, Justice, Myths, Royalty, Short stories, Trickster tales

Astrid The Unstoppable

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Nicknamed “the little thunderbolt,” ten-year-old Astrid likes to spend her days skiing, sledding, singing, and drinking hot chocolate with her grumpy best friend and godfather, Gunnvald.  She is the only child living in the village of Glimmerdal and she wishes there were other children in the town.  When two children unexpectedly show up, and then another strange woman appears, Astrid’s life suddenly gets very exciting.  This hilarious book will charm fans of Pippi Longstocking and Heidi. A map of Glimmerdal sets the scene. mjw
Title: Astrid The Unstoppable
Author: Maria Parr
Illustrator: Katie Harnett
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Copyright: 2018
Original Language: Norwegian
Translator: Guy Puzey
Original Title: Tonje Glimmerdal
Original Publisher: Det Norske Samlaget. Oslo
Original Copyright: 2009
ISBN: 978-1-5362-0017-1
Hardcover pages: 320
Age range: 9-12
Genre: Fiction
Book setting: Norway
Author’s ethnicity: Norwegian
Author’s residence: Norway
Translator’s ethnicity: Grew up in Scotland
Translator’s residence: Scotland
Subjects: Girls, Humor, Norway, Rural children, Songs