Asia

Materials from Asia

Vermonia #1: Quest for the Silver Tiger

On a distant Blue Star, Mel, Jim, Naomi, and Doug — friends obsessed with their garage band — don’t seem that different from any of the other twelve-year-old skateboarders at Union Middle School. But everything changes when Mel is kidnapped and imprisoned in a world called the Turtle Realm. As her friends rush to save her, guided by the magical squelp Satorin, they find a world terrorized by a conquering army, a land whose villagers’ only hope is an ancient prophecy foretelling the arrival of four heroes.

My Brother, My Sister, and I

The author of So Far from the Bamboo Grove continues her semi-autobiographical fiction, describing the hardships, poverty, tragedies, and struggles of life for her and her two older brother and sister, living in post-World War II (1947) Japan.

 

 

Rumi: Whirling Dervish

Born in Afghanistan in the thirteenth century, Rumi settled in Turkey and became a great mystical poet. Although he began his adult life as a highly respected scholar, he found his true calling after being mentored by a holy man, Shamsuddin. From “Shams,” he learned to listen for the sacred sound of God within himself. When his creative spirit was awakened, he recited more than 50,000 rhymed couplets. He also wrote about the love that resides in the soul of everyone regardless of religion or background. He founded the order of the whirling dervishes who believed their spinning dances put them in touch with God and brought peace and love into the world. Although Rumi died 800 years ago, his poems are more widely read now than ever before. To honor the 800th anniversary of his birth, the United Nations declared 2007 The Year of Mawlana Jalaladdin Rumi.

Thank You, World

Eight very different kids, from eight different continents, all go about their day and experience the same moments of happiness: greeting the sun in the morning, swinging on a swing, flying a kite, being tucked in by Mommy at bedtime.

My Japan

A young boy, Yumi, discusses his life in Japan, describing his home life, food, a typical day at his school, summer vacation, transportation, holidays, the city, and systems of writing.

 

My Cat Copies Me

Gently explore the special bond between children and their pets. A shy little girl and her very independent cat, play, hide, and comfort one another. Both children and parents will appreciate how the cat soothes the little girl and silently encourages her to explore the bigger world and experience new things.

All The Broken Pieces

Two years after being airlifted out of war-torn Vietnam, Matt Pin is haunted: by bombs that fell like dead crows, by the family — and the terrible secret — he left behind. Now, inside a caring adoptive home in the United States, a series of profound events force him to choose between silence and candor, blame and forgiveness, fear and freedom. By turns harrowing, dreamlike, sad, and triumphant, this searing debut novel, written in lucid verse, reveals an unforgettable perspective on the lasting impact of war and the healing power of love.