The Mystery Of The House Of Pigeons

A trinket-seller thinks he has found the son of his dead employer who owned the jewels of Samarkand. He hopes the boy will lead him to the jewels and tells him to beware of the House of Pigeons. The boy’s sister and friend think the old man is crazy as he always calls Parvez by the wrong name.

A Moment Comes

a momentAs the partition of India nears in 1947 bringing violence even to Jalandhar, Tariq, a Muslim, finds himself caught between his forbidden interest in Anupreet, a Sikh girl, and Margaret, a British girl whose affection for him might help with his dream of studying at Oxford.

The Three Little Pigs And The Somewhat Bad Wolf

In this original version of the traditional tale, the three little pigs are in their usual trouble with the somewhat bad wolf–who is really just very hungry and frustrated that the pizza parlor will not serve him.

The Herd Boy

While doing a good job of caring for his grandfather’s sheep and goat on the grasslands of South Africa, young Malusi dreams of everything from owning his own dog to becoming president one day.

Featured in Volume VI, Issue 1 of WOW Review.

Kids Of Kabul

Since its publication in 2000, hundreds of thousands of children all over the world have read and loved The Breadwinner. By reading the story of eleven-year-old Parvana and her struggles living under the terror of the Taliban, young readers came to know the plight of children in Afghanistan.But what has happened to Afghanistan’s children since the fall of the Taliban in 2001? In 2011, Deborah Ellis went to Kabul to find out. She interviewed children who spoke about their lives now. They are still living in a country torn apart by war. Violence and oppression still exist, particularly affecting the lives of girls, but the kids are weathering their lives with courage and optimism: “I was incredibly impressed by the sense of urgency these kids have — needing to get as much education and life experience and fun as they can, because they never know when the boom is going to be lowered on them again.”The two dozen or so children featured in the book range in age from ten to seventeen. Many are girls Deb met through projects funded by Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan, the organization that is supported by royalties from The Breadwinner Trilogy. Parvana’s Fund provides grants towards education projects for Afghan women and children, including schools, libraries and literacy programs.All royalties from the sale of Kids of Kabul will also go to Women for Women in Afghanistan. Aftermatter includes a map, glossary, a short history of Afghanistan and suggestions for further reading/resources.

Featured in Volume VI, Issue 1 of WOW Review.

The Language Inside

Raised in Japan, American-born tenth-grader Emma is disconcerted by a move to Massachusetts for her mother’s breast cancer treatment, because half of Emma’s heart remains with her friends recovering from the tsunami.

This book has been included in WOW’s Language and Learning: Children’s and Young Adult Fiction Booklist. For our current list, visit our Booklist page under Resources in the green navigation bar.

Featured in Volume VI, Issue 1 of WOW Review.

Bluefish

Thirteen-year-old Travis has a secret: he can’t read. But a shrewd teacher and a sassy girl are about to change everything in this witty and deeply moving novel. Travis is missing his old home in the country, and he’s missing his old hound, Rosco. Now there’s just the cramped place he shares with his well-meaning but alcoholic grandpa, a new school, and the dreaded routine of passing when he’s called on to read out loud. But that’s before Travis meets Mr. McQueen, who doesn’t take “pass” for an answer—a rare teacher whose savvy persistence has Travis slowly unlocking a book on the natural world. And it’s before Travis is noticed by Velveeta, a girl whose wry banter and colorful scarves belie some hard secrets of her own. With sympathy, humor, and disarming honesty, Pat Schmatz brings to life a cast of utterly believable characters—and captures the moments of trust and connection that make all the difference.