Tag Archives: War

The Secret Of The Blue Glass

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In the library, in a house in a Tokyo suburb, live the Little People: Fern and Balbo, Robin and Iris. Just a few inches high, a beloved nanny brought them from England to the Moriyama family in Japan. Since then, each generation of the Moriyama family children take care of the Little People by filling the blue glass goblet daily with milk to feed them.  Now it is Yuri Moriyama’s turn.  When World War II comes to Japan, and the older Moriyama brother becomes a fanatic nationalist, the family is divided.  Yuri and a loyal pigeon keep the Little People safe.  This tender fantasy story is full of adventure, hardship, and cultural revelations. mjw

Title: The Secret Of The Blue Glass Author: Tomiko Inui (1924-2002) Publisher: Pushkin Children’s Books.  London Copyright: 2015 Original Language: Japanese Translator: Ginny Tapley Takemori Original Title: Kokage No Ie No Kobitotachi (Yuri And The Little People) Original Publisher: Fukuinkan Shoten Publishers.  Tokyo Original Copyright: 1967 ISBN: 978-1-782690-34-4 Paperback pages: 192 Age range: 12-16 Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy Book setting: Tokyo suburb Author’s ethnicity: Japanese Awards: 2019 Global Literature in Libraries Initiative Shortlist Subjects: Asian historical fiction, Libraries, Pigeons, World War II

Marwan’s Journey

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Marwen is a young boy and refugee who flees from starvation, poverty, and war. Along with thousands of other refugees, he takes an incredible journey across the desert and away from his homeland and culture. Marwen hopes to return to his home in the future and create a place that is safe, happy, and filled with hope. Brown, black, blue, red, and yellow watercolors combine in variations to establish scenes that reflect the ups and downs of Marwen’s journey. mm

Title: Marwan’s Journey Author: Patricia de Arias Illustrator: Laura Borrás Publisher: Michael Neugebauer Publishing ltd Copyright: 2018 ISBN: 978-988-8341-55-9 Hardcover pages: 36 Age range: 5-7 Genre: Picture book Author’s ethnicity: Spanish Author’s residence: Brazil Illustrator’s ethnicity: Spanish Subjects: Family, Hope, Refugees

No Ballet Shoes In Syria

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Eleven-year-old Aya has just arrived in Manchester, England, from Syria, with her Mumma and her baby brother.  She is an “asylum seeker, a would–be refugee, a poor little girl from Syria, a fatherless child from a war zone.” Her passion is dance.  One day she comes across a ballet class and the teacher recognizes her talent and thinks she might earn a position at the prestigious Northern Ballet School.  Aya is a powerful, brave character.  Her story engages in a series of flashbacks about her life in Syria.  There is a parallel story about her ballet teacher who had to flee the holocaust.  This incredibly moving, well-written story shows how dance transcends borders.  A map of Aya’s journey from Syria is included. mjw

Title: No Ballet Shoes In Syria Author: Catherine Bruton Publisher: Nosy Crow Ltd. U.K. Copyright: 2019 Original Language: English  ISBN: 978-1-78800-4-503 Paperback pages: 272 Age range: 8-12 Genre: Fiction Book setting: Syria, Turkey, Greece, England Author’s ethnicity: English Author’s residence: England Subjects: Aleppo, Asylum seekers, Ballet, Dance, Prejudice and racism, Refugees

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 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

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

The Stars At Oktober Bend

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Alice is fifteen, but to everyone else, she is forever twelve.  She has acquired brain injury.  She can speak, but her words don’t come out right and her electrics don’t work.  She writes poetry – beautifully and anonymously.  Her first person narration has no capital letters and is very fragile. Manny is a boy who discovers her poetry. He was a boy soldier in Sierra Leone. He suffers from PTSD.  This is an incredible love story of two teens and their pains. mjw

Title: The Stars At October Bend Author: Glenda Millard Publisher: Candlewick Copyright: 2018 Original Language: English Original Copyright: 2016 ISBN: 978-0-7636-9272-8 Hardcover pages: 288 Age range: 12 up Genre: Fiction Book setting: Australia Author’s ethnicity: Australian Author’s residence: Australia Subjects: Child soldiers, Mute persons, Orphans, People with mental disabilities, Sexual abuse, Sierra Leone, Teenage refugees, Violence, Wounds and injuries