Tag Archives: War

Malala: Activist For Girls’ Education

Malala Yousafzai stood up to the Taliban, fought for girls’ education, and received the Nobel Prize in 2014. At age fifteen, the Taliban attempted to kill her, but even this did not stop her activism. Bright, beautiful naïve-style folk illustrations depict Pakistan and Malala’s life. The present tense text will engage and inspire older readers. Back matter includes photos of Malala, the history of the fight for girls’ education, a map of Pakistan, a timeline, information about the Taliban, details about Malala’s heroes, excerpts from her speeches, and a brief biography. mjw

Title: Malala: Activist For Girls’ Education
Author: Raphaele Frier
Illustrator: Aurelia Fronty
Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing, Watertown, MA. USA
Copyright: 2017
Original Language: French
Translator: Julie Cormier
Original Title: Malala: pur le droit des filles a l’education
Original Publisher: Editions Rue du Monde
Original Copyright: 2105
ISBN: 978-1-58089-785-3
Hardcover pages: 48
Age range: 6-9
Genre: Picture Book Biography
Book setting: Pakistan and England
Author’s ethnicity: French
Author’s residence: France
Illustrator’s ethnicity: French
Illustrator’s residence: France
Awards: 2018 Batchelder Award Honor
Subjects: Biography, Education Girls, Pakistan, Political activists, Sex discrimination in education, Women social reformers

Ticket To India

Leave a reply

After their grandmother’s death, twelve-year-old Maya and her older sister Zara set off on a mission from Delhi to their grandmother’s childhood home in Aminpur in northern India. They are looking for valuable heirlooms that are buried in a trunk on the property. The family left them decades earlier when they fled to Pakistan during Partition in 1947. Along the way, Maya is kidnapped, makes some very bad decisions, but ultimately finds the treasure and her inner bravery. Maya’s journal fills readers in on the backstory of India and Pakistan. A Map, a Glossary, an Author’s Note, and a Reading Group Guide are also included in this action novel packed with fascinating information about the history and culture of India and Pakistan. mjw

Title: Ticket To India
Author: N.H. Senzai
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books. New York
Copyright: 2015
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-4814-2259-8
Paperback pages: 304
Age range: 8-12
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction
Book setting: Pakistan and India
Author’s ethnicity: Indian
Author’s residence: U.S.
Subjects: Asia; Historical, Asia; Multigenerational; Partition, 1947

Hidden

Leave a reply

Alix, 14, lives on quiet Hayling Island off the coast of England. One day at the beach, she and her friend Samir pull a drowning man out of the incoming tide. He is Mohammed, an asylum seeker, who was tortured by rebels in Iraq for helping the allied forces. Alix and Samir decide to hide Mohammed and, consequently, have to make choices that will determine whether Mohammed will live or die. Alix is a likeable and brave character who has problems of her own – Dad has left, Mom has a broken leg, and Grandfather just died. Samir is an Iraqi refugee who is bullied at their school. This thought-provoking book deals with important themes, like racism, immigration, diversity, and human rights. mjw

Title: Hidden
Author: Miriam Halahmy
Publisher: Holiday House
Copyright: 2016
Original Language: English
Original Publisher: Albury Books
Original Copyright: 2011
ISBN: 978–0-8234-3694-1
Paperback pages: 224
Age range: 12 up
Genre: Fiction
Book setting: Hayling Island, England
Author’s residence: London, England
Awards: Nominated for the Carnegie Medal
Subjects: Asylum seekers, Gangs, Human rights, Immigrants-England, Iraqi, Political refugees, Racism, Terrorism

The Tin Snail

Leave a reply

This fun, fast-paced World War II adventure, told through the eyes of a teenage boy, is based on the true story of the Citroen 2CV car. In 1938, thirteen-year-old Angelo wants to help his father, who is a well-known auto designer, invent a car for everyday working people. After many failures and crashes, they, with the help of Angelo’s friend Camille and other villagers, build a prototype that will carry “a farmer, his wife, two chickens, a flagon of wine, and a dozen eggs safely across a bumpy fields.” War breaks out and testing the prototype, the Tin Snail, becomes difficult because the Nazis want to steal the design. Black-and–white chapter-heading drawings are a delightful addition. An epilogue, set at the Paris Motor Show of 1948, tells about the post-war development of the car and brings readers up to date with Angelo and Camille. A final chapter, The True Story Behind The Tin Snail, gives the events that inspired the story. mjw

Title: The Tin Snail
Author: Cameron McAllister
Illustrator: Sam Usher
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Copyright: 2014
Original Language: English
Original Publisher: Random House Children’s Publishers UK, London
Original Copyright: 2014
ISBN: 978-0-553-53638-6
Hardcover pages: 275
Age range: 9-12
Genre: Historical Fiction
Book setting: France
Author’s ethnicity: English
Author’s residence: Brighton, England
Illustrator’s ethnicity: English
Illustrator’s residence: North London, England
Subjects: Automobiles – design and construction, Cars, Europe, Fathers and sons, France, German occupation, Italians, Military and wars, Underground movements, World War II

Don’t Cross The Line!

Leave a reply

An armed guard stands at the gutter of the book. He follows the angry general’s order without question and the order is that no one can cross the line (the gutter) to the right-hand page of the book. A lone person and a dog try to cross. The guard yells “STOP!” More and more people and creatures appear until the left-hand page is full. A red ball bounces over the line and the guard allows two children to retrieve it. Then, the floodgates open and everyone crosses. When the general sees the crowd, he tries to arrest the guard. The crowd rebels. “NO WAY! HE’S OUR HERO!” Colorful endpapers identify the 63 characters in the book. The speech-bubbled storyline and lively illustrations rendered in colored marker enhance this story about injustice and peaceful questioning of authority. mjw

Title: Don’t Cross The Line
Author: Isabel Minhos Martins
Illustrator: Bernardo P. Carvalho
Publisher: Gecko Press, New Zealand
Copyright: 2016
Original Language: Portuguese
Translator: Daniel Hahn
Original Title: Daqui ninguem passa!
Original Publisher: Planeta Tangerina, Portugal
Original Copyright: 2106
ISBN: 978-1776570744
Hardcover pages: 40
Age range: 4-8
Genre: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity: Portuguese
Author’s residence: Portugal
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Portuguese
Illustrator’s residence: Portugal
Subjects: Authoritarianism. Dictatorship, Generals, Government, Peace, Pets, Revolution Social issues

Stepping Stones: A Refugee Family’s Journey

Leave a reply

This stunning bilingual Arabic/English picture book was inspired by the unique stone-collage art of Syrian artist Nizar Ali Badr. It is the story of Rama and her family, who are forced to flee their once peaceful village to escape the devastation of the civil war. Taking only what they can carry on their backs, Rama, her mother and father, her grandfather, and her brother Sami, walk to freedom in Europe. The artist’s images are photographs of carefully placed stones, creating figures that come to life to tell the story. A forward tells how the author discovered Badr’s art. mjw

Title: Stepping Stones: A Refugee Family’s Journey
Author: Margriet Ruurs
Illustrator: Nizar Ali Badr
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Copyright: 2016
Original Language: English and Arabic
Translator: Falah Raheem
ISBN: 978-1-4598-1490-5
Hardcover pages: 28
Age range: 9-12
Genre: Picture Book
Book setting: Syria and Europe
Author’s ethnicity: Dutch
Author’s residence: British Columbia
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Syrian
Illustrator’s residence: Syria
Subjects: Bilingual books, Civil war- Syria 2011, Refugee crisis, Refugees, Stone art, Syria.

The World Beneath

Leave a reply

Eleven-year-old Joshua is growing up in South Africa in 1976. Because he is living as a young black boy during apartheid, he is not equal to the white people living around him. One day, by chance, Joshua meets a freedom fighter who is escaping the police and invites him home. While listening to the stories of the freedom fighter, Joshua learns the harsh reality of rebelling against power. As he becomes more involved in the fight for freedom, he struggles to understand his role in society. In this richly historic novel young readers will get a glimpse into the world of apartheid South Africa through a young perspective. amo

Title: The World Beneath
Author: Janice Warman
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Copyright: 2014
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7856-2
Hardcover pages: 176
Age range: 10-14
Genre: Historical Fiction
Book setting: South Africa
Author’s ethnicity: South African
Author’s residence: England
Subjects: Apartheid, Human Rights, South Africa

The Emergency Zoo

Leave a reply

It is the week before World War II in 1939 in England, and twelve-year-olds Rosy and Tilly try to outwit their families and the authorities by hiding their pets in a run-down hut in the woods. Other children bring their pets – rabbits, guinea pigs, cats, dogs, and more, and the emergency zoo grows to be a real challenge for the girls. An added problem is that all the children are about to be evacuated to the countryside for safety. The story is inspired by the unspeakable and little known episode in British history when pets were to be destroyed because it was believed that the animals could not cope with bombs and gas and that, with rationing, there would not be enough food for them. Told from the viewpoint of children, this is a moving novel about courage, resourcefulness, and animal welfare. An author’s note gives historical background and explains that organizations such as the Dumb Animal League tried to save as many pets as possible. It is estimated that around 750,000 pets were destroyed in Britain. mjw

Title: The Emergency Zoo
Author: Miriam Halahmy
Publisher: Alma Books. Surry, U.K.
Copyright: 2016
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-84688-397-2
Paperback pages: 254
Age range: 12 up
Genre: Historical fiction
Book setting: England
Author’s residence: London, England
Subjects: England, Evacuation, Pets, World War II, Zoo animals

The Story Of Hurry

Leave a reply

A loveable donkey named Hurry lives in the Gaza Strip during 2008. He sees that the children around him are struggling and he tries to help cheer them up with rides on his back. Based on the true story of the Happy Land Zoo in the Gaza Strip, Hurry is taken in by a creative zookeeper who had lost his animals due to hunger or injury. Hurry is the solution to the lack of zebras when he is reintroduced to the community with black and white stripes. With an informative historical note at the end, this story shows the resilience of our human spirit. amo

Title: The Story Of Hurry
Author: Emma Williams
Illustrator: Ibrahim Quraishi
Publisher: Seven Stories Press
Copyright: 2014
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-60980-589-0
Hardcover pages: 36
Age range: 3-7
Genre: Picture Book
Book setting: Gaza Strip
Author’s ethnicity: English
Author’s residence: New York City
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Kenyan
Illustrator’s residence: Amsterdam
Subjects: Animals, Donkeys, Gaza Strip, Zoos

Between Shades Of Gray

Leave a reply

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

It Ain’t So Awful, Falafel

Leave a reply

It’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

The Princess And The Warrior: A Tale Of Two Volcanoes

Leave a reply

Princess Itza has many wealthy and powerful suitors, but she refuses them all. She loves a warrior named Popoca because he loves her for who she is and promises to stay by her side no matter what. Itza’s father, the emperor, does not want his daughter to marry a mere warrior. He tells Popoca that if he can defeat their enemy, Jaguar Claw, he can marry Itza. When Popoca is close to victory, his opponent sends a messenger saying Itza has fallen into a deep sleep. Popoca returns home and even he cannot wake her. He stays by her side and two volcanoes are formed – Itzaccihuatl, who continues to sleep and Popocatepetl, who spews ashes and smoke from time to time trying to wake his sleeping princess. This retelling of an ancient Aztec legend is illustrated by Tonatiuh’s recognizable artwork with sharp lines and figures always shown in profile. A glossary with pronunciations and an author’s note about the artwork and source materials are included. mjw

Title: The Princess And The Warrior: A Tale Of Two Volcanoes
Author: Duncan Tonatiuh
Illustrator: Duncan Tonatiuh
Publisher: Abrams
Copyright: 2016
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-4197-2130-4
Hardcover pages: 40
Age range: 6-9
Genre: Picture Book, Folk Tale
Book setting: Mexico
Author’s ethnicity: Mexican
Author’s residence: Mexico
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Mexican
Illustrator’s residence: Mexico
Awards: Author/illustrator has won the Pura Belpre Award. 2016 New York Times Best Illustrated Books.
Subjects: Fairy tales, Folk tales, Geography and cultures, Hispanic and Latino, Mexico, Myths, Multicultural studies