In ancient Japan, Himiko, the privileged daughter of her clan’s leader, fights the constraints and expectations imposed on young women and finds her own path, which includes secret shaman lessons.
Asia
Materials from Asia
Circle of Cranes
Taken from her small, impoverished Chinese village and forced to sew in a New York City sweatshop, thirteen-year-old Suyin is visited by the cranes with which she has a strange connection and learns she is the daughter of the Crane Queen, who needs her help.
Shadows on the Moon
Trained in the magical art of shadow-weaving, sixteen-year-old Suzume, who is able to re-create herself in any form, is destined to use her skills to steal the heart of a prince in a revenge pot.
Inside Out And Back Again
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No one would believe me but at times I would choose wartime in Saigon over peacetime in Alabama. For all the ten years of her life, HÀ has only known Saigon: the thrills of its markets, the joy of its traditions, the warmth of her friends close by . . . and the beauty of her very own papaya tree. But now the Vietnam War has reached her home. HÀ and her family are forced to flee as Saigon falls, and they board a ship headed toward hope. In America, HÀ discovers the foreign world of Alabama: the coldness of its strangers, the dullness of its food, the strange shape of its landscape . . . and the strength of her very own family. This is the moving story of one girl’s year of change, dreams, grief, and healing as she journeys from one country to another, one life to the next.
See the review at WOW Review, Volume 4, Issue 3
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.
Tashi and the Tibetan Flower Cure
A young Tibetan American girl helps her grandfather recover from an illness through the use of a traditional cure that focuses on spiritual as well as physical recovery and brings together a caring community.
Stories To Play with: Kids’ Tales Told with Puppets, Paper, Toys, and Imagination
For storytellers who are just starting out, it seems appropriate to begin telling to young children. Yet young children present the most difficult audience a storyteller can face. So where does one begin? Simple. With some old newspaper and the story Rain Hat or Mountain Climbing, children will be enthralled at the action of the young hero as you fold and tear and create mountains, hats, fans, and boats right before their very eyes. Or, take a milk carton and make a frog puppet to tell the story.
Folktales from the Japanese Countryside
As in many countries, storytelling is a revered art in Japan, and traditional tales have been carefully preserved for centuries. Yet only a small portion of Japan’s tales has been shared with English-speaking audiences. From one of Japan’s most popular and respected storytellers, this collection introduces readers to more than 40 wondrous tales from rural Japan–stories they have not yet seen or heard-from animal tales and tales of supernatural beings to stories about village characters and priests and their apprentices. These are tales from the Japanese countryside, representative of the country’s rich folklore, and preserved and retold by a “ohanashi obaasan” (storytelling granny). You’ll find such stories as “Sky Watcher,” “Mouse Teeth,” “Owl’s Paintshop,” “Radish Bath,” and “Snow Woman’s Baby.” Tales are organized into broad thematic categories-animal tales, stories of village people, priests and their apprentices, strange happenings, yamanbas, and supernatural tales. It’s a fascinating assortment that will delight young listeners, intrigue older readers, and offer scholars new insights. Background on the country and Japanese culture, notes on the tales, a glossary, recipes, games and crafts, and color photos and illustrations enhance the collection.
Tibetan Tales from the Top of the World
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A young prince, wise monkey, and magical guardian are some of the engaging characters that fill this book. Each story, told in English and Tibetan, offers a fun, enchanting glimpse of Tibetan culture. The book is written and illustrated with full-page, full color paintings by Naomi C. Rose, and has a foreword by the Dalai Lama.
Warriors and Wailers: One Hundred Ancient Chinese Jobs You Might Have Relished or Reviled
Learn about 100 jobs you might never have imagined existed and discover fascinating facts about more than 4,000 years of life in China
Tua and the Elephant
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In Chiang Mai, Thailand, nine-year-old Tua releases an abused elephant from its chains–can she complete the rescue by getting it to an elephant refuge without being caught herself?
See the review at WOW Review, Volume 7, Issue 1