Tag Archives: Friends

Between Shades Of Gray


Between Shades Of Gray
Fifteen-year-old Lina’s life takes a drastic turn when the Soviet Secret Police force her out of her home. Lina, her mother, and her younger brother Jonas are treated like criminals and dragged onto a train to Siberia. Along the journey, Lina leaves behind hints for her father in the form of her drawings. This account of the tragedies and  horrors Lithuanians and others experienced during Stalin’s rule in Word War II is filled with hope, love, and compassion. Readers can look forward to the upcoming movie adaptation of the novel called Ashes In The Snow.  ema

 

 

 

 

Title: Between Shades Of Gray
Author: Ruta Sepetys
Publisher: Penguin
Copyright: 2012
Original Language
: English
Original Copyright:  2011
ISBN
: 978-0-14-242059-1
Paperback pages: 384
Age range
: 14 up
Genre
: Historical Fiction
Book setting
: Lithuania and Siberia
Author’s ethnicity
: American
Author’s residence: Tennessee
Awards: 2011 Prix-RTL LIRE Award for Best Novel for Young People, 2012 Golden Kite Award, An ALA Notable, A Carnegie Medal Nominee, and A New York Times Notable
Subjects
: Drawings, Letters, Lithuania, Paintings, Prison Camps, Siberia, Soviet Union, World War II

Night Guard

Night GuardVarious family members, particularly a young child, explore friendship, fear, love, loneliness, and the world around them in this sensitive poetry collection. The surrealistic illustrations are striking and haunting. They interact with the words, but do not say the same thing. Readers will ponder, be soothed, and smile, when they peruse this book. mjw
Title: Night Guard
Author: Synne Lea
Illustrator
: Stian Hole
Publisher
: Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, MI
Copyright
: 2016
Original Language
: Norwegian
Translator
: John Irons
Original Title
: Nattevakt
Original Publisher
: Cappelen Damm. Oslo, Norway
Original Copyright
: 2013
ISBN
: 978-0-8028-5458-2
Hardcover pages
: 82
Age range
: 9 up
Genre
: Illustrated poetry
Author’s ethnicity
: Norwegian
Author’s residence
: Norway
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Norwegian
Illustrator’s residence
: Norway
Subjects
: Bedtime, Dreams, Emotions, Families, Fear, Feelings, Friendship. Loneliness, Social issues

Mabrook!: A World Of Muslim Weddings

MabrookCongratulations – Mabrook! This colorful picture book looks at Muslim wedding ceremonies all over the world. In Pakistan, there is a henna party and the groom rides in on a great white horse. In Morocco, guests feast for days and days and days. In Great Britain, the party wears hijabs, kilts, and kurtas. Although Muslims celebrate in different ways all around the world, they all share the same ceremonies and religious rites. They join two hearts and begin a new journey. The acrylic and collage illustrations bring the weddings and the different communities to life. A note about Muslim weddings and a glossary complete the celebration. mjw
Title: Mabrook!: A World Of Muslim Weddings
Author: Na’ima B. Robert
Illustrator
: Shirin Adl
Publisher
: Frances Lincoln Children’s Books. London
Copyright
: 2016
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-1-84780-588-1
Hardcover pages
: 32
Age range
: 5-8
Genre
: Picture Book
Book setting
: Great Britain, Morocco, Pakistan, Somalia
Author’s ethnicity
: Scottish/Zulu
Author’s residence
: London and Cairo
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Born in U.K., brought up in Iran
Illustrator’s residence
: Oxford, England
Subjects
: Holidays and celebrations, Islam. Marriage, Religion. Weddings

Harry Potter And The Cursed Child: Parts One And Two, Special Rehearsal Edition Script

Harry PotterBased on a story by J.K. Rowling, this play is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series. The play received its world premier in London’s West End on July 30, 2016. It is nineteen years after Voldemort’s death in Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows and Harry is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic and the father of three school-age children. The story follows his younger son Albus Severus Potter as he struggles with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. The book sold over 2 million copies in the first two days of release. mjw
Title: Harry Potter And The Cursed Child: Parts One and Two, Special Rehearsal Edition Script
Author: J.K.Rowling, John Tiffany, and Jack Thorne
Publisher
: Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.
Copyright
: 2016
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-1-338-09913-3
Hardcover pages
: 320
Age range
: 8 up
Genre
: Fiction, Fantasy
Book setting
: England
Author’s ethnicity
: British (Rowling)
Author’s residence
: Scotland (Rowling)
Awards
: OBE Order of the British Empire
Subjects
: Fantasy, Good and evil, Harry Potter, Magic, Wizardry

It Ain’t So Awful, Falafel

It ain't so Awful FalafelIt’s 1978, and sixth grader Zomorod (Cindy) Yousefzadeh, who was born in Abadan, Iran, has just moved to Newport Beach, California. Her fitting in is very difficult because of the protests, revolution, and the taking of the U.S. hostages in Iran. Her father loses his job as an engineer at an oil refinery and Cindy has to face hostile prejudice at school and in her neighborhood. Humorous asides will keep readers engaged as Cindy finds new friends after moving, deals with family issues, and discovers her middle school self. Each short chapter has a clever title and the final author’s note suggests documentaries and websites with more information about the historical and cultural facts of this semi-autobiographical novel. mjw
Title: It Ain’t So Awful, Falafel
Author: Firoozeh Dumas
Publisher
: Clarion Books, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Copyright
: 2016
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-0-544-61231-0
Hardcover pages
: 384
Age range
: 10-12
Genre
: Fiction
Book setting
:  Southern California, U.S.
Author’s ethnicity
: Iranian
Author’s residence
: Munich, Germany
Subjects
: Emigration and immigration, Friendship, Humorous stories, Iran, Iran Hostage Crisis (1979-1981), Iranian-Americans, Middle East, Muslim-Americans. Prejudice and racism, Social issues – adolescence, United States history – 20th century

999 Frogs and a Little Brother

22493744999 tadpoles are growing together in a big, big pond. One tadpole isn’t growing quite so fast and gets left behind all alone. Fortunately he finds a friend in a small crayfish who thinks the small frog is his big brother. A strong bond is formed until the mother crayfish comes to take little brother away, but their friendship is not forgotten when a big snake comes to the lake. This vividly colored picture book will teach readers to “never underestimate the size of true friendship!”  amo
Title: 999 Frogs and a Little Brother
Author: Ken Kimura
Illustrator
: Yasunari Murakami
Publisher
: North South 
Copyright
: 2015
Original Language
: Japanese 
Translator
: Japan Foreign-Rights Center
Original Title
:999-hiki no kyodai no Otouto
Original Publisher
: Child Honsha Co., Ltd.
Original Copyright
: 2015
ISBN
: 978-0-7358-4202-1
Hardcover pages
: 40
Age range
: 4-8
Genre
: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity
: Japanese
Author’s residence
: Japan
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Japanese
Illustrator’s residence
: Japan 
Subjects
: Crayfish, Friendship, Frogs, Ponds

Bronze and Sunflower

Bronze and SunflowerSet during the Chinese Cultural Revolution (late 1960s and early 1970s), Sunflower, a young girl and her artist father are banished to do hard labor in the countryside at a cadre school. It’s a difficult life for her and she is lonely. She meets Bronze, the mute son of poor villagers, who is bullied by the other village boys. After Sunflower’s father dies, Bronze’s family takes her in despite facing extreme hardship, and Sunflower finally finds happiness. This engrossing, beautifully written novel, with luminous imagery, will broaden readers’ horizons. Notes in the back of the book provide historical background and information about Cao’s inspiration for the book. mjw
Title: Bronze and Sunflower
Author: Cao Wenxuan
Illustrator
: Meilo So
Publisher
: Walker Books Ltd. London
Copyright
: 2015
Original Language
: Chinese
Translator
: Helen Wang
Original Copyright
: 2005
ISBN
: 978-1-4063-4846-0
Paperback pages
: 400
Age range
: 9 up
Genre
: Fiction
Book setting
: Damaidi, China
Author’s ethnicity
: Chinese
Author’s residence
: China
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Chinese
Illustrator’s residence
: England
Awards
: 2016 Hans Christian Andersen Author Medal, 2019 Global Literature in Libraries Initiative Shortlist
Subjects
: China, Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), Friendship, Poverty, Survival

Mango And Bambang: The Not-A-Pig

mango and bambangMango Allsorts is brave, helpful, and good at all sorts of things, like karate and making buttered noodles for her very busy papa. Bambang becomes her pet tapir. He is completely not-a-pig and is new to the city. This charming first chapter book is a collection of four stories beautifully illustrated in black, gray, and purple. The stories are Mango and the Muddle, Bambang’s Pool, Bambang Puts On a Hat, and The Song of the Tapir. This is Book One in a series about the unlikely friendship between a kind and clever little girl and an Asian tapir. mjw
Title: Mango And Bambang: The Not-A-Pig
Author: Polly Faber
Illustrator
: Clara Vulliamy
Publisher
: Candlewick Press.  Somerville, Massachusetts
Copyright
: 2016
Original Language
: English
Original Publisher
: Walker Books,  London, England
Original Copyright
: 2015
ISBN
: 978-0-7636-8226-2
Hardcover pages
: 144
Age range
: 6-9
Genre
: Fiction
Author’s ethnicity
: English
Author’s residence
: England
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: English
Illustrator’s residence
: England
Subjects
: Asian tapirs, Hats, Music, Pets, Swimming

Every Falling Star

 

517TmezUbLL._SX329_BO1,204,203,200_In this young adult novel, Sungju Lee narrates the true story of his life in North Korea as a street boy. Sungju starts life in the capital of North Korea, Pyongyang, as part of an elite family with strong influence in the military. Sangju had dreams of becoming a general when at age eleven his family loses everything and is excommunicated by the regime. Over the next few years his world falls apart as his parents disappear while searching for food. In order to survive he formed a street gang of seven boys who became his brothers in his hard times. While in the street gang Sangju never gave up hope to see his parents again. To foster his hope he wished on every falling star to be reunited with family and free from his suffering.  amo
Title: Every Falling Star
Author: Sungju Lee & Susan McClelland
Publisher
: Amulet Books
Copyright
: 2016
Original Language
: English
ISBN
: 978-1-4197-2132-8
Paperback pages
: 336
Age range
: 13-16
Genre
: Autobiography
Book setting
: North Korea
Author’s ethnicity
: North Korean
Author’s residence
: United Kingdom
Subjects: Gangs, North Korea, Pyongyang, Street Boys, Work Camps

Princess Sylvie

princess-sylvie-elsa-beskow-booksPrincess Sylvie persuades her father to explore the woods outside of the castle gates. The woods enchant the royal family as they delve into new surroundings. Along with her dog Oskar, Sylvie meets a rabbit and a bear that live in the woods. New friendships are formed as the adventure continues. This classical fairytale is filled with vibrant watercolor paintings that add realistic detail to the timeless story.  amo
Title: Princess Sylvie
Author: Elsa Beskow (1874-1953)
Illustrator
: Elsa Beskow (1874-1953)
Publisher
: Floris Books
Copyright
: 2012
Original Language
: Swedish
Original Title
Sessalätts Äventyr
Original Copyright
: 1934
ISBN
: 978-0-863315-813-1
Hardcover pages
: 28
Age range: 3-6
Genre
: Fairytale, Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity
: Swedish
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Swedish
Subjects
: Bears, Dogs, Kings, Princesses

The Saver Of The Almond Tree

The Saver of the Alamond TreeThis colorfully illustrated, bilingual Chinese-English book in the Master Cheng Yen Tells Stories series contains three stories. The Man in White reminds readers that only people with kindness and virtue can realize the beauty of life. Empress Kymyo tells that when we do good deeds and give to others, we should think of it as our duty. The Saver of the Almond Tree relates that we should treat everyone equally with a sincere heart. The diverse stories are presented in traditional Chinese pinyin and English. mjw
Title: The Saver Of The Almond Tree
Author: Shih Cheng Yen
Illustrator
: Winni Lin
Publisher
: Jing Si Publications Co. Ltd.  Taipei, Taiwan
Copyright
: 2015
Original Language
: Chinese – English Bilingual Edition
Translator
: Tzu Chi USA Editorial team
ISBN
: 978-986-6661-88-4
Hardcover pages
: 48
Age range
: 4-9
Genre
: Picture book, Folklore
Book setting
: China, India, Japan
Author’s ethnicity
: Chinese
Author’s residence
: China
Illustrator’s ethnicity
: Chinese
Illustrator’s residence
: China
Subjects
: Birds, Buddha, Empress, Kindness, Royalty, Trees, Wisdom

Emily Of New Moon

UnknownYoung orphan Emily Starr is raised by her aunts Elizabeth and Laura Murray and her cousin Jimmy at New Moon Farm on Prince Edward Island. Her dear friends are Ilse, Teddy, and Perry. Tomboy Ilse’s father ignores Ilse because of a terrible secret concerning her mother. Teddy is a gifted artist and Perry has the makings of a great politician. Emily doesn’t always get along with stern Aunt Elizabeth because she doesn’t understand Emily’s need to write. Emily is a wonderful heroine with a deep love for beauty in nature and art, a strong loyalty to her friends, a thirst for knowledge, and an impassioned dedication to her writing. Similar to the more famous Anne of Green Gables series, the Emily novels are Emily of New Moon (1923), Emily Climbs (1925), and Emily’s Quest (1927). Emily was the author’s favorite character. mjw
Title: Emily Of New Moon
Author: L.M. Montgomery (1874-1942)
Publisher
: Virago Press, an imprint of Little, Brown Book Group, London
Copyright
: 2013
Original Language
: English
Original Publisher
: McClellan and Stewart
Original Copyright
: 1923
ISBN
: 978-1-84408-988-8
Paperback pages
: 416
Age range
: 8-12
Genre
: Fiction
Book setting
: Prince Edward Island, Canada
Author’s ethnicity
: Canadian
Author’s residence
: Lived on Prince Edward Island, Canada
Subjects
: Aspiration, Child authors, Foster homes, Orphans, Romance