Tag Archives: Friends

In Andal’s House (Tales Of The World)

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Young Kumar is invited to his classmate Andal’s house to watch the fireworks for the celebration of Diwali, India’s 5-day Festival of Light. Andal is a high-caste Brahmin and his family is wealthy. Kumar’s family had been Dalit, outcasts or untouchables. Kumar thinks he has been invited because he is the best student in their class, but when he arrives at Andal’s house, Andal’s grandmother sends him away. He cannot join the festivities. Disappointed, he returns home, where his grandfather explains how things used to be and that India is changing. Men like Mahatma Gandhi and Doctor B.R. Ambedkar have helped to outlaw discrimination against the Dalit, or the broken people. The story ends with Kumar feeling hopeful about both his and India’s future. A Glossary helps with unfamiliar words and an Author’s Note provides more information. Colorful folk-art illustrations in pencil crayon and watercolor ink depict the Diwali celebration and everyday life in contemporary India. mjw

Title: In Andal’s House (Tales Of the World) Author: Gloria Whelan Illustrator: Amanda Hall Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press.  Ann Arbor , Michigan Copyright: 2013 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-58536-603-3 Hardcover pages: 40 Age range: 6-10 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: Gujarat, India Author’s ethnicity: U.S. Author’s residence: Michigan, U.S. Illustrator’s ethnicity: English Illustrator’s residence: United Kingdom Subjects: Castes, Diwali, Gandhi, Prejudice, Social classes, Untouchables

The Letter For The King

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As he waits in a chapel on the eve of his knighting ceremony, sixteen-year-old Tiuri is asked to deliver a secret letter to the king of the neighboring kingdom, Unauwen. Though leaving the chapel could cost him his knighthood, he goes on a lengthy journey to deliver a message which could change the destiny of the kingdoms of Unauwen and Dragonaut. This epic tale of heroism, bravery, and true friendship will intrigue readers who are fans of fantasy, mystery, and medieval literature. Dragt’s sequel, The Secrets Of The Wildwood, has also been translated into English. ema

Title: The Letter For The King Author: Tonke Dragt Illustrator: Tonke Dragt Publisher: Pushkin Children’s Copyright: 2014 Original Language: Dutch Translator: Laura Watkinson Original Title: De brief voor de koning Original Publisher: Uitgeverij Leopold Original Copyright: 1962 ISBN: 978-1-782690-10-8 Hardcover pages: 460 Age range: 12 up Genre: Fiction, Novel Author’s ethnicity: Born in Indonesia Author’s residence: The Netherlands Illustrator’s ethnicity: Born in Indonesia Illustrator’s residence: The Netherlands Awards: 2004 Gouden Griffel Winner, 1976 State Prize for Youth Literature, 1963 Children’s Book of the Year Award for the Netherlands Subjects: Action, Kings, Knights, Journeys, Medieval setting, Quests

Shooting Kabul

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Twelve-year-old Fadi and his family are illegally leaving Afghanistan for asylum in the U.S. in 2001. As they hurriedly board the escape truck, Fadi’s six-year-old sister Mariam lets go of his hand and is lost. As the Taliban is patrolling, there is no going back. They arrive in San Francisco to begin anew, but they are heart-broken and are constantly searching for Mariam. Fadi joins and finds comfort in the photography club at his middle school, with the hope that he can win a photo competition. The prize is a trip to India. Since Afghanistan is close to India, he thinks he can go there and find his sister. Fadi’s family also has to deal with the September 11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. Kids at school assume Fadi is responsible for what happened and make him fearful and miserable. A clever and satisfying ending will encourage readers to move on to the Glossary, Author’s Note, Suggestions for Further Reading, and Reading Guide. A map is also included. This story about family relationships, with realistic detail about the immigrant experience and Afghani (particularly Pukhtun) culture, is based on the author’s husband’s personal history of fleeing his home in Soviet controlled Afghanistan in the 1970s. One note: “shooting” in the title is a reference to photography, and not violence. mjw

Title: Shooting Kabul Author: N.H. Senzai Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers Copyright: 2010 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-4424-0194-2 Hardcover pages: 273 Age range: 8-12 Genre: Fiction Book setting: San Francisco.  Afghanistan Author’s residence: U.S.  Has lived in Saudi Arabia and England. Awards: 2010 Middle East Outreach Book Award for Youth Literature, 2011 CBC/NCSS Notable Children’s Book Subjects: Afghan-Americans, Bravery, California, Cameras, Emigration, Immigration, Love, Perseverance, Photography, Prejudice, Tolerance

Peter Pan

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James Matthew Barrie’s classic tale of Peter Pan, a mischievous boy who can fly, and his adventures in Neverland with Wendy, Michael, and Peter Darling, is reimagined in this stunning unabridged volume. All new full-color illustrations and interactive 3-D inserts, such as a foldout map of Neverland, Peter’s shadow, Tinkerbell’s fairy wing, and a crocodile clock that tells time, bring to life the story of the boy who never grows up. The artwork is astounding. MinaLima is the London-based, award-winning graphic design studio best known for its involvement in the Harry Potter film franchise. mjw

Title: Peter Pan  Author: J. M. Barrie (1860-1937) Illustrator: Mina Lima Design – Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima Publisher: Harper Design, New York Copyright: 2015 Original Language: English Original Title: Peter Pan, Or The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up Original Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton Original Copyright: 1904 ISBN: 978-0-06-236222-3 Hardcover pages: 256 Age range: 12-18 Genre: Fiction, Fantasy Book setting: London, England Author’s ethnicity: Scottish Illustrator’s residence: London, England Subjects: Brothers and sisters, Captain Hook, Coming of age, Dogs, Imaginary places, Motherhood, Pirates

Imelda and the Goblin King

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This entertaining story about fairies and goblins tells of adventurous Imelda, who helps her fairy friends devise a plan to turn the toothy, grumpy, mean, and greedy Goblin King into a worm. After he imprisons their Fairy Queen, he is given a chance to be generous, but he remains a bully, and so deserves what he gets. Vivid illustrations of the fairies, who come in all shapes, sizes, colors, genders, and hairstyles and the straightforward, crisp storytelling enrich this brand new fairytale. mjw

Title: Imelda And The Goblin King Author: Briony May Smith Illustrator: Briony May Smith Publisher: Flying Eye Books, an imprint of Nobrow Ltd., London Copyright: 2105 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-909263-65-9 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 5-7 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: English Author’s residence: Sandhurst, U.K. Illustrator’s ethnicity: English Illustrator’s residence: Sandhurst, U.K. Subjects: Fairies, Fairytales and folklore, Goblins, Pie, Royalty

Thea’s Tree

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A little girl named Thea lives in a city full of “houses, houses, and more houses” and longs for a tree to climb, to hide in, and to sit under and dream. A solitary, beautiful leaf floats past her window and Thea drifts off into a dream. She awakes with a seed in hand. She plants it and a tiny plant sprouts from the soil. Thea and the tree grow. Thea’s children play under the tree, and Thea’s grandchildren, too. The story’s setting is not specified, but Thea’s Papa tells about picking mangoes and guavas and neem leaves to eat. The tender, Chagall-like, ink, pastel, colored pencil, and collage illustrations are magical and portray the beauty in nature. The text is printed over delicate leaf prints. mjw

Title: Thea’s Tree Author: Judith Clay Illustrator: Judith Clay Publisher: Karadi Tales Company Pvt.Ltd., Chennai, India Copyright: 2014 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-8-181-90297-9 Hardcover pages: 28 Age range: 4 up Genre: Picture Book Book setting: Asia Author’s ethnicity: German Author’s residence: Germany Illustrator’s ethnicity: German Illustrator’s residence: Germany Awards: 2011 White Ravens List of the International Youth Library Subjects: Environment, Natural world, Nature, People and places, Trees

This One Summer

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Every year Rose and her family go to Awago Beach, but this year her parents are fighting. Best friends Rose and Windy question what it means to be grown up. The gorgeous blue illustrations and writing capture the pace of summer, the joys, struggles, relationships, and feelings during adolescence.  It subtly and powerfully touches on misogyny, sexism, depression, and will leave readers pondering how they come to their conclusions of others without knowing the full story. ema

Title: This One Summer Author: Mariko Tamaki Illustrator: Jillian Tamaki  Publisher: First Second Books Copyright: 2014 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-62672-094-7 Hardcover pages: 320 Age range: 12-18 Genre: Graphic Novel Book setting: Canada Author’s ethnicity: Canadian Author’s residence: Canada Illustrator’s ethnicity: Canadian Illustrator’s residence: Brooklyn Awards: 2014 Governor General’s Literary Award for Illustration, 2015 Caldecott Honor, 2015 Printz Honor, 2015 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award Winner Subjects: Bullying, Cartoons, Comics, Coming of Age, Female Protagonists, Graphic Novels, Love,  Marital Conflict, Relationships, Summer, Teenage Pregnancy, Teenagers,  Vacation, Verbal Abuse

Climbing The Stairs

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Fifteen year-old Vidya has aspirations of attending college, but this is rare for a girl living in British-occupied India during World War II. When misfortune falls upon Vidya’s family, they are forced to live with her father’s family which is a traditional Indian household where women are expected to be married and not educated. Vidya feels suffocated by the lifestyle, but she feels like she can breathe a bit easier when she discovers her grandfather’s library. In the library, Vidya gains a new friend who encourages her to pursue her education. Unfortunately, it is when Vidya finally feels that she finds some comfort in the house that her brother unexpectedly leaves. This  moving story about a young woman overcoming political and her own inner turmoils will effectively enlighten readers about Hindi words, traditions, religious festivals, and historical events that occurred during a critical time in Indian history. ema

Title: Climbing The Stairs Author: Padma Venkatraman Publisher: Speak, an imprint of Puffin Books Copyright: 2010 Original Language: English  ISBN: 978-0142414903 Paperback pages: 254 Age range: 12 up Genre: Historical Fiction Book setting: India during WWII Author’s ethnicity: Indian Author’s residence: America Awards: A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age, A Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year, An ALA/YALSA Best Book for Young Adults, An 2009 ALA/Amelia Bloomer Book, A Book Sense Notable, A Publishers Weekly Flying Start Selection, A Booklist Editor’s Choice Subjects: Brain damage, British occupation of India, Gender roles, Prejudices, World War II

The Lion And The Bird

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A heartwarming friendship builds between a lion and a bird after the bird’s wing is injured. The lion generously offers to care for the bird during the winter. Eventually, the bird’s flock returns signaling their parting. One autumn day the pair are reunited and “stay warm again this winter”. Impressive use of splendid illustrations, created using muted washes of brown, blue, and green colored pencil, conveys the changing of seasons and characters’ emotions. Everyone will be delighted along with the lion when  he hears one single note. ema

Title: The Lion And The Bird Author: Marianne Dubuc Illustrator: Marianne Dubuc Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books Copyright: 2014 Original Language: French Translator: Claudia Z. Bedrick Original Title: Les éditions de la Pastèque Original Publisher: Le lion et l’oiseau Original Copyright: 2013 ISBN: 978-1-59270-151-3 Hardcover pages: 64 Age range: 4 up Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: French Canadian Author’s residence: France Illustrator’s ethnicity: French Canadian Illustrator’s residence: France Awards: 2014 Governor General’s Literacy Award for Illustrations  Subjects: Birds, Helping Others,  Lions, Loneliness,  Nature, Unexpected Friendships, Seasons

Little White Duck: A Childhood In China

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Andrés Vera Martínez’s mash of comic and classical styles with brown-palette illustrations captures what it was like for his wife, Na Liu, to grow up in China in the 1970s and 1980s. Na Liu, who is called by her nickname Da Qin “Big Piano” in the novel, and her sister Xiao Qin “Little Piano” grew up during a transitional time when China was slowly opening up to the world both economically and culturally. Illustrations and words simply capture the reality of China following Chairman Mao’s death without being overly pedantic. These changes are shown in the eight short stories describing Da Qin’s childhood, life in post-Mao China era, and Chinese traditions and stories. A glossary of terms, a timeline, translations of Chinese characters, a map of China, and a note about the author and illustrator are included. ema

Title: Little White Duck: A Childhood In China Author: Na Liu Illustrator: Andrés Vera Martínez Publisher: Graphic Universe a division of Lerner Publishing Group Copyright: 2012 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-0-7613-8115-0 Paperback pages: 108 Age range: 8 up Genre: Graphic Novel, Biography Book setting: China Author’s ethnicity: Chinese Author’s residence: United States Illustrator’s ethnicity: American Illustrator’s residence: United States Awards: 2012 Kirkus Reviews Best Children’s Book, 2012 SLJ Best Children’s Books in Fiction, 2012 Horn Book Fanfare in Fiction, 2012 Cybils Award Finalist for Elementary/Middle-Grade Graphic Novels Subjects: Biography, Childhood, China, Comics,  Government, Graphic Novels, History, Language, Memoir, Mythology, World Politics

Zac And Mia

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Seventeen year old leukemia patient Zac says that he accepts his odds. His world changes when he hears loud music from the hospital room next door. His neighbor, the fiery osteosarcoma patient Mia, refuses to accept the unfair reality that is her life. When the two are released from the hospital, they try to resume normalcy, but they are unable to erase their minds about the other. The writing, as told in dual narratives from Zac and Mia, tells a genuine tale about a friendship that builds between two strangers. ema

Title: Zac And Mia Author: A.J. Betts Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers Copyright: 2014 Original Language: English Original Title: Zac And Mia Original Publisher: Text Publishing Original Copyright: 2013 ISBN: 978-0544331648 Hardcover pages: 304 Age range: 14 up Genre: Contemporary Fiction Book setting: Australia Author’s ethnicity: Australian Author’s residence: Australia Awards: 2012 Australian Text Prize Subjects: Cancer, Disabilities, Family, Farming, Farms, Friendships, Hope, Hospitals, Relationships,Teens

Tiger Boy

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Set in the tidal mangrove forests of the Sunderbans of India and Bangladesh, this quiet, suspenseful story tells of young Neel and his efforts to track down a female tiger cub that has escaped from a local animal reserve and save it from greedy poachers. Neel is a good student and could qualify for a scholarship for a private boarding school in Kolkata. This would ensure him and his family a much better quality of life. But he loves his home, is reluctant to leave his familiar world, and therefore, only studies half-heartedly. Neel and his sister hatch out a courageous plan and succeed in rescuing the tiger. And Neel changes his mind about education. Global warming, gender discrimination, endangered animals, environmental protection, and class structure are some of the important issues in this fast-paced story, which is enhanced by dramatic black-and-white pastel illustrations. An Author’s Note, Information on Organizations Working with Bengal Tigers and Organizations Working to Improve Life in the Sunderbans, and a Glossary are provided. mjw

Title: Tiger Boy Author: Mitali Perkins Illustrator: Jamie Hogan Publisher: Charlesbridge.  Watertown, MA Copyright: 2015 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-58089-660-3 Hardcover pages: 144 Age range: 7-10 Genre: Fiction Book setting: Sunderbans, West Bengal, India Author’s ethnicity: Born in Kolkata, India Author’s residence: U.S.  Has lived in Bangladesh, Cameroon, Ghana, India, Mexico, Thailand, Great Britain Illustrator’s residence: U.S. Subjects: Animal rescue, Community, Conflict, Economics, Nature, Teachers, Tigers