Tag Archives: Friends

The Story Of The Blue Planet

The Story of the Blue Planet Book Cover In this cautionary ecological parable, best friends Hulda and Brimir, live on a beautiful, tranquil blue planet that is inhabited by children who never grow old.  One day, a grown-up, Gleesome Goodday, “Dream Come True Maker and joy bringer,” crashes his spaceship on the beach.  He sprinkles all the children with sun-activated fly powder, nails the sun in the sky so it can always be play time, and charges them a bit of their youth. When the children fly to the other side of the planet and see sickly, pale, dying children, they realize the Goodday is not all that he seems. mjw
Title: The Story Of The Blue Planet
Author: Andri Snaer Magnason
Illustrator
: Aslaug Jonsdottir
Publisher
: Seven Stories Press
Copyright
: 2012
Original language
: Icelandic
Translator
: Julian Meldon D’Arcy
Original title
: Sagan Af Blaa Hnettinum
Original publisher
: Forlagio
Original copyright
: 1999
ISBN
: 978-1-60980-428-2
Hardcover pages
: 96
Age range
: 7-10
Genre
: Eco-lit
Author’s residence
: Iceland
Illustrator’s residence
: Iceland
Awards
: Icelandic Children’s Book Prize
Subjects
: Adventure, Best friends, Conduct of life, Europe, Iceland, Interpersonal relations, Northern Europe

The Lynching Of Louie Sam

The Lynching of Louie Sam Book Cover In 1884, in Washington Territory just miles from the British Columbia border, 15-year-old George Gillies and his siblings discover a local white settler murdered.  Suspicion falls on 14-year-old Louie Sam, a member of the Stó:lo tribe. George and his friend Pete secretly follow a lynch mob into Canada, where Louie Sam is seized and hanged.  But, George and his father have doubts about Louie Sam’s guilt.  Based on the only recorded lynching to occur on Canadian soil, this is a gripping story about racism, injustice, mob mentality, and discrimination.  A final note provides historical facts. mjw
Title: The Lynching Of Louie Sam
Author: Elizabeth Stewart
Publisher
: Annick Press, Toronto
Copyright
: 2012
Original language
: English
ISBN
: 978-1-55451-438-0
Paperback pages
: 288
Age range
: 12 up
Genre
: Historical fiction
Book setting
: British Columbia, Canada
Author’s ethnicity
: Canadian
Author’s residence
: Canada
Awards
: 2013 Notable Books forA Global Society, 2103 Best Books for Kids and Teens – Canadian Children’s Book Center
Subjects
: British Columbia, Decision making, Historical fiction, Justice, Mystery, Native peoples, Racism

Here I Am

Here I Am Book Cover This semi-autobiographical wordless graphic novel illustrates the story of a young boy who emigrates with his family from an Asian land to New York City.  Facial expressions, body language, and colors in the whimsical, abstract watercolor and digital art depict his transition and triumph in discovering his new place in a foreign landscape.  An author’s note describes her journey at age four from Korea to Washington D.C.  This universal tale would be useful with immigrant populations in any community. mjw
Title: Here I Am
Author: Patti Kim
Illustrator: Sonia Sanchez
Publisher
: Picture Window Books, an imprint of Capstone
Copyright
: 2014
Original language
: English
ISBN
: 978-1-4048-8299-7
Hardcover pages
: 40
Age range
: 5-10
Genre
: Picture book, Graphic novel
Book setting
: Asia and New York City
Author’s ethnicity
: Korea
Author’s residence
: U.S.
Illustrator’s ethnicity:  Spanish
Illustrator’s residence:  
Spain
Subjects
: Acceptance, Emigration. Friendship. Immigration. Stories without words, United States