Theme: Hope

Wild Wings

By Book Importer | Published: February 17, 2012

The majestic Osprey is an endangered bird that hasn’t been seen in Scotland for years, so when Iona McNair locates an Osprey nest, she’s desperate to keep the bird safe from poachers. She shares her secret with her classmate Callum, and the two become friends as they work to save the Osprey they’ve named Isis. [...]

Descriptors: Europe, Intermediate (ages 9-14), Realistic Fiction, Scotland (UK) » Other Themes: , , , , , , , , » 1 Comment

The Rabbit Girl

By Book Importer | Published: February 16, 2012

What is the secret of Mallie’s picture? The mystery unfolds as evacuees Tony and Alice escape the terrors of London’s Blitz for the Lake District, where they befriend a fascinating and fearless old lady.

Descriptors: England (UK), Historical Fiction, Intermediate (ages 9-14) » Other Themes: , , , , , , » Leave a comment

Beatrice’s Dream: A Story of Kibera Slum

By Book Importer | Published: February 16, 2012

Beatrice is a thirteen-year-old orphan in Kibera, Nairobi – a Kenyan shantytown built on refuse and rubbish and one of the biggest slums in Africa. In this book she describes her life: her walk to school, the dust that blows between her teeth and the mud she wades through, her teacher’s down-to-earth encouragement, her fear [...]

Descriptors: Africa, Intermediate (ages 9-14), Kenya, Nonfiction » Other Themes: , , , , , , » 1 Comment

Trapped: How the World Rescued 33 Miners from 2,000 Feet Below the Chilean Desert

By Book Importer | Published: September 26, 2011

In early August 2010, the unthinkable happened when a mine collapsed in CopiapÓ, Chile, and 33 miners were trapped 2,000 feet below the surface. For sixty-nine days they lived on meager resources and increasingly poor air quality. When they were finally rescued, the world watched with rapt attention and rejoiced in the amazing spirit and [...]

Descriptors: Chile, Intermediate (ages 9-14), Latin America, Nonfiction » Other Themes: , , , , , , » Leave a comment

Between Shades of Gray

By Book Importer | Published: September 26, 2011

In 1941, fifteen-year-old Lina, her mother, and brother are pulled from their Lithuanian home by Soviet guards and sent to Siberia, where her father is sentenced to death in a prison camp while she fights for her life, vowing to honor her family. See the review at WOW Review, Volume 4, Issue 2

Descriptors: Europe, Historical Fiction, Intermediate (ages 9-14), Lithuania, Russia » Other Themes: , , , , , , , » Leave a comment

Prayer for the Twenty-first Century

By Book Importer | Published: September 7, 2011

A compelling text speaks to both young and old, expressing the deeply held hopes and fears that everyone recognizes. Illustrated with paintings, photographs, and collages, this call from the heart contains a message we all wish for our loved ones.

Descriptors: Australia, Picture Book, Poetry, Primary (ages 6-9) » Other Themes: » Leave a comment

The Fire-Eaters

By Book Importer | Published: August 24, 2011

Despite observing his father’s illness, the suffering of the fire-eating Mr. McNulty, and the stress of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Bobby Burns and his family and friends still find reasons to rejoice in their lives and to have hope for the future.

Descriptors: England (UK), Europe, Historical Fiction, Intermediate (ages 9-14) » Other Themes: , » Leave a comment

Bloodline Rising

By Book Importer | Published: May 12, 2011

A story of loyalties tested, secrets exposed, and one boy’s search for identity amid the tangled political intrigue and deception of the Dark Ages. A young thief known as “the Ghost” roams seventh-century Constantinople, tangling in political feuds and petty theft, using his eerie gifts of persuasion and stealth. With his father away at war [...]

Descriptors: England (UK), Historical Fiction, Young Adult (ages 14-18) » Other Themes: , , , , , , , , » Leave a comment

The Bite of the Mango

By Book Importer | Published: May 10, 2011

The astounding story of one girl’s journey from war victim to UNICEF Special Representative.As a child in a small rural village in Sierra Leone, Mariatu Kamara lived peacefully surrounded by family and friends. Rumors of rebel attacks were no more than a distant worry.But when 12-year-old Mariatu set out for a neighboring village, she never [...]

Descriptors: Africa, Nonfiction, Sierra Leone, Young Adult (ages 14-18) » Other Themes: , , , , , , , , , , , » 6 Comments

Out of Shadows

By Book Importer | Published: May 10, 2011

A debut novel set in the early 1980s at a boy’s boarding school in the newly formed country of Zimbabwe.

Descriptors: Africa, Realistic Fiction, Young Adult (ages 14-18), Zimbabwe » Other Themes: , , , , , , , , » Leave a comment