With a new baby sister and a stepfather, the life of eleven-year-old Jake is full of change, but nothing prepares him for his relationship with an enigmatic girl, her large family, and the tragedy that strikes them all.
Intermediate (ages 9-14)
Material appropriate for intermediate age groups
Kampung Boy
Relates the life experiences, from birth to beginning boarding school, of a boy growing up on a rubber plantation in rural Malaysia.
A Little Piece of Ground
During the Israeli occupation of Ramallah in the West Bank of Palestine, twelve-year-old Karim and his friends create a secret place for themselves where they can momentarily forget the horrors of war.
Featured in Volume II, Issue 4 of WOW Review.
Helicopter Man
Pete’s dad is being pursued by a secret organisation and both their lives are in danger. That’s why they never stay in the same place long, and always stay out of sight. Pete knows he leads an unusual life for a twelve year old boy, but he’s never dared to ask questions before. Now he needs some answers.
If Not for The Calico Cat
In Japan, the ship The Jade Lotus takes a calico cat aboard for good luck, but the crew still runs into all kinds of trouble.
Facing the Lion: Growing Up Maasai on the African Savanna
A member of the Maasai tribe of Kenya, Africa describes his life as he grew up in a northern village, traveled to America to attend college, and became an elementary school teacher in Virginia.
Nicholas
A collection of 19 escapades, the stories introduce the protagonist and his cohorts as they wreak havoc out of simple, everyday situations at school, on the playground, and at home. Pestering the substitute teacher, trying to adopt a lost dog, and quarreling over soccer positions only to find there isn’t even a ball.
Archer’s Quest
Twelve-year-old Kevin Kim helps Chu-mong, a legendary king of ancient Korea, return to his own time.
Seesaw Girl
Jade Blossom can never go beyond her family’s Inner court. Every girl from a good family in seventeenth-century Korea must stay at home and learn to sew and work in the kitchen to prepare her for her future life in her husband’s Inner Court. Jade has other interests. She longs to take trips to the mountains and the marketplace. Jade won’t stop thinking about the world beyond the high walls of her home.
Sister Shako and Kolo the Goat : Memories of My Childhood in Turkey
Sister Shako, an old woman whose family was killed in a vendetta, lives with her goats in eastern Turkey. She asks for shelter from Dalokay’s father who was the landlord of the village. The young boy’s friendship with the old woman flourishes with daily visits.