Tag Archives: War

Welcome To Nowhere

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Twelve-year-old Omar lives in Bosra, Syria with his family.  He dreams of being a businessman and his sister wants to be a teacher. Their hopes are shattered when  war breaks out. The family is forced to flee Syria by foot to get to Jordan. This is a moving and sensitive novel with lovable characters. A Letter from the Author provides more information about the war in Syria. Also included is a section What Can You DoTo Help? that tells about the Hope School in Jordan. mjw

Title: Welcome To Nowhere Author: Elizabeth Laird Illustrator: Lucy Eldridge Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Books Copyright: 22017 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-5098-44047-2 Paperback pages: 329 Age range: 9-11 Genre: Fiction Book setting: Syria, Jordan Author’s ethnicity: Born in new Zealand of Scottish parents Author’s residence: Britain Awards: Winner of the UKLA Book Award Subjects: Cerebral Palsy, Homelessness, Middle East, Poverty, Refugees, Syria

When Spring Comes To The DMZ

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The beautiful paintings in this book show the changing seasons and the variety of wildlife that live peacefully in the Demilitarized Zone of Korea. Readers can also see the ever-present fences and soldiers. Salmon swim bravely upstream and mountain goats jump after their mother.  Grandfather goes to the DMZ every season and dreams of flinging the gates wide open and walking inside and looking up into the blue sky. The book is part of the Peace Picture Book Project by illustrators from Korea, China, and Japan. A map of Korea and historical facts are included as back matter and the endpapers provide a world map. mjw

Title: When Spring Comes To The DMZ Author: Uk-Bae Lee Illustrator: Uk-Bae Lee Publisher: Plough Publishing House. New York Copyright: 2019 Original Language: Korean Translator: Aileen Won Original Title: Bimujang chidae e bom i omyon Original Publisher: Sakyejul Publishing Ltd. Paju, Korea Original Copyright: 2010 ISBN: 978-0-87486-972-9 Hardcover pages: 40 Age range: 5-8 Genre: Picture Book, Historical Fiction Book setting: Korea Author’s ethnicity: Korean Author’s residence: Korea Illustrator’s ethnicity: Korean Illustrator’s residence: Korea Awards: 2020 ALA Mildred Batchelder Honor Award Subjects: Grandfathers, Korean Demilitarized Zone, Seasons, Soldiers

Letters From Bear

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Bird migrates south for the winter and Bear takes a long journey to find her. Bear writes letters to record her adventures. The letters recount a trip into the scary woods, being rescued by a mermaid, escaping a battle between two human armies, a squirrel’s birthday party, and much more.  Bear finally reaches her destination only to find that Bird never received the letters.  Bird didn’t want to be separated from Bear, so she headed back north.  Bird’s friends devise a plan for the friends to be reunited. Rich paintings illustrate Bear’s adventure. mjw

Title: Letters from Bear Author: Gauthier David Illustrator: Marie Caudry Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers Copyright: 2020 Original Language: French Translator: Sarah Ardizzone Original Title: Les lettres de L’ourse Original Publisher: Autrement, Belgium Original Copyright: 2012 ISBN: 978-0-8028-5536-7 Hardcover pages: 56 Age range: 5-9 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: French Author’s residence: Drome, France Illustrator’s ethnicity: French Illustrator’s residence: Drome, France Subjects: Birds, Bears, Desert, Forest, Letter writing, Mountains, Oceans, Seas, Seasons, Volcanoes

My Long List Of Impossible Things

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Sixteen-year-old Katja, her eighteen-year-old sister Hilde, and their mother are forced out of their house in Germany when Soviet troops take over their village after WW II. German society has collapsed and there is much hardship and violence.  Their mother is killed and the two girls make a long and dangerous journey to another town on their own.  The story is told from the point of view of Katja and the German teenage post war perspective and is rarely examined in young adult fiction.  Katja questions so much about her country, but manages to make a new life for herself.  One thing that saves Katja is her love of the piano.  Interesting facts about famous composers are sprinkled throughout this brilliant novel. mjw

Title: My Long List Of Impossible Things Author: Michelle Barker Publisher: Annick Press. Toronto Copyright: 2020 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-77321-364-4 Paperback pages: 360 Age range: 9 up Genre: Historical Fiction Book setting: Germany Author’s ethnicity: Canadian Author’s residence: Vancouver, BC, Canada Subjects: Music, Musicians, Nazism, Piano, Soviet occupation, Violence, World War II

A Grain Of Rice

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Thirteen-year-old Yen and her family live in rural Vietnam. A flood destroys their village.  Famine and persecution because they are of Chinese ancestry lead the family to flee from their war-torn homeland after the fall of Saigon.  They become boat people and are eventually rescued by the Malaysian Coast Guard. There is a glossary of Vietnamese words. The story is based on events from the author’s childhood. mjw

Title: A Grain Of Rice Author: Nhung N. Tran-Davies Publisher: Tradewind Books. Vancouver Copyright: 2018 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-926890-25-8 Paperback pages: 154 Age range: 12 up Genre: Historical Fiction Book setting: Vietnam Author’s ethnicity: Vietnamese Author’s residence: Edmonton, Alberta. Canada  Subjects: Famine Food, Persecution, Poverty, Prejudice, Refugees

Maison Rouge: Memories Of A Childhood In War

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Liliane Leila Juma was sixteen years old when her home in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was destroyed by rebel soldiers.  In her memoir, she tells about her life before and after her family was torn apart by militia invasions and civil war.  Through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Leila and her family were able to relocate to Canada.  An introduction gives facts about Congo.  A helpful map of the region is included. mjw

Title: Maison Rouge: Memories Of A Childhood In War Author: Liliane Leila Juma Publisher: Tradewind Books. Vancouver Copyright: 2020 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-926890-30-2 Paperback pages: 126 Age range: 12 up Genre: Nonfiction, Information Book, Biography Book setting: Congo Author’s ethnicity: Congolese Author’s residence: Vancouver, BC, Canada Subjects: Canada, Civil war, Congo (Democratic Republic), Invasion, Refugees, Social conditions, Survival

Brave With Beauty: A Story Of Afghanistan

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This beautiful book is the extraordinary story of Queen Goharshad, a 15thcentury monarch. She was an Afghani woman who was the wife of Sha Rikh.  Together they ruled over the empire of Khorasan that stretched from Turkey to China. Goharshad loved all things of beauty, including art, poetry, music, architecture, calligraphy, and the sciences. She “didn’t care a fig for war.” She was a strong woman whose mission was to bring beauty into the world. Goharshad was instrumental in the construction of a mosque, a university, and a library.  The book is filled with elaborate period illustrations and poems.  There is a guide with pronunciations of some of the words used in the story, an author’s note, and a guide for parents and educators.  A downloadable Activity Guide is included on the Yali Books website. mjw

Title: Brave With Beauty: A Story Of Afghanistan Author: Maxine Rose Schur Illustrator: Patricia Grush, Robin Dewitt, Golsa Yaghoobi Publisher: Yali Books. New York Copyright: 2019 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-949528-97-8 Hardcover pages: 42 Age range: 7-9 Genre: Picture Book, Historical Fiction, Biography Book setting: Afghanistan Author’s ethnicity: U.S. Author’s residence: U.S. Illustrator’s ethnicity: U.S. Illustrator’s residence: U.S. Subjects: Architecture, Beauty, Biographies, History, Queens, Royalty

Crossing The Farak River

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Fourteen-year-old Hasina, her younger brother Araf, and her thirteen-year-old cousin Ghadiya are forced out of their home in the Rakhine province of Myanmar when the Sit Tat Myanmar Army invades one night.  They become separated from their parents.  They know to flee because they are persecuted Muslim Rohingyas. They run deep into the Rakhine forest to hide, but when they return to their village, it has been burned and mostly destroyed.  Their house is still standing, but their family is gone. Hasina is a strong, courageous character who fights for her family in this captivating account of the crisis in Myanmar. mjw

Title: Crossing The Farak River Author: Michelle Aung Thin Publisher: Annick Press. Toronto Copyright: 2020 Original Language: English Original Title: Hasina Original Publisher: Allen and Unwin. Australia Original Copyright: 2019 ISBN: 978-1-77321-396-5 Paperback pages: 224 Age range: 11 up Genre: Fiction Book setting: Myanmar Author’s ethnicity: Born in Burma, now Myanmar Author’s residence: Australia Subjects: Arakan, Buddhists, Burmese, Human trafficking, Muslims, Persecution, Rakhine State,Refugees, Rohingyas, Soldiers

The Brave Princess And Me

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Young Tilde Cohen and her mother are Jews who are searching for a safe place to hide.  They go to Princess Alice’s residence unannounced, begging the princess to hide them.  Princess Alice of Greece was born deaf, but is proficient in lip-reading.  Her kindness is put to the test when two Gestapo agents come by and demand to search the house.  She uses her cleverness to outwit the men and keep Tilde and her mother safe. The illustrations depict emotions beautifully.  Also included are biographical facts and photographs of Princess Alice.  The book is based on a true story from World War II Greece.  Alice is the grandmother of England’s Prince Charles and the great-grandmother of Princes William and Harry. mjw

Title: The Brave Princess And Me Author: Kathy Kacer Illustrator: Juliana Kolesova Publisher: Second Story Press, Toronto, Canada Copyright: 2019 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-772601022 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 7-10 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: Greece Author’s ethnicity: Canadian Author’s residence: Toronto. Canada Illustrator’s ethnicity: Canadian Illustrator’s residence: Toronto. Canada Subjects: Athens, Holocaust, Jewish, Nazis, World War II

The Jasmine Sneeze

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Haroun is a happy cat living in Damascus, Syria.  He loves lazing and sleeping on the marble floor next to the fountain in his favorite courtyard.  But Haroun has a problem.  The fragrance of the beautiful jasmine flowers causes him to sneeze.  He decides to eradicate the problem by putting old fish skeletons, chicken bones, and other stinky smells into the jasmine tree pots. However, the jasmine spirit is watching his every move.  She is not happy and so she counter attacks Haroun in a funny way.  Haroun learns his lesson and peace returns to Damascus.  The illustrations are bright and cheery.  An author’s note explains more about Damascus, the City of Jasmine.  mjw

Title: The Jasmine Sneeze Author: Nadine Kaadan Illustrator: Nadine Kaadan Publisher: Lantana Publishing, Ltd. Copyright: 2018 Original Language: English Original Publisher: Lantana Publishing Ltd. United Kingdom Original Copyright: 2016 ISBN: 978-1-911373-31-5 Hardcover pages: 36 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: Damascus, Syria Author’s ethnicity: Syrian Author’s residence: United Kingdom Illustrator’s ethnicity: Syrian Illustrator’s residence: United Kingdom Subjects: Cats, Flowers, Jasmine

Captain Rosalie

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Five-year-old Rosalie lives with her mother in a French village during World War I.  Her father is away at the front.  She keeps a secret notebook and is on a mission. She is Captain Rosalie, spying on the enemy.  Her mother reads aloud Father’s letters and they all look forward to the war’s end and Father’s return home.  One day, a letter arrives that Rosalie’s mother does not read.  Watercolor, pen, and ink illustrations in muted grays with soft spots of orange, pink, and blue contribute to this quiet, emotional story of hope and courage. mjw

Title: Captain Rosalie Author: Timothee De Fombelle Illustrator: Isabelle Arsenault Publisher: Candlewick Press Copyright: 2019 Original Language: French Translator: Sam Gordon Original Publisher: Walker Books Ltd. Original Copyright: 2014 ISBN: 978-1-5362-0520-6 Hardcover pages: 64  Age range: 8-12 Genre: Historical Fiction, Novella Book setting: France Author’s ethnicity: French Author’s residence: Paris, France Illustrator’s ethnicity: Canadian Illustrator’s residence: Quebec Subjects: Fathers and daughters, Letters, Loss, Military fiction, Reading, School issues, World War I

The Good Son: A Story From The First World War Told In Miniature

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It’s Christmas time 1914, and a French soldier named Pierre leaves his regiment to visit his family. When he returns, he is imprisoned and faces execution for desertion.  Did he leave without permission?  Did he return late?  Part of the story is told in a letter he writes to his mother.  This is a heartbreaking and sad story of a terrible war. It is based on true events and is played out in photographs of miniature scenes.  A map of the Western front and an author’s note are included.  The author explains his connection to the story and his interest in “little soldiers” and photography.  The illustrators’ process is similar to that used in filmmaking, but in miniature.  Fascinating pictures illustrate the process.  This book is a piece of art. mjw

Title: The Good Son: A Story From the First World War Told In Miniature Author: Pierre-Jacques Ober Illustrator: Jules Ober and Felicity Coonan Publisher: Candlewick Studio Copyright: 2019 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-5362-0482-7 Hardcover pages: 104 Age range: 14 up Genre: Picture Book, Nonfiction, Information Book Book setting: France Author’s ethnicity: French Author’s residence: Australia Illustrator’s ethnicity: Australian Illustrator’s residence: Australia Subjects: Campaigns, Desertions, France, Military, Miniatures, Soldiers, Storytelling, Violence, Western front