Same, Same but Different

Pen pals Elliott and Kailash discover that even though they live in different countries–America and India–they both love to climb trees, own pets, and ride school buses.

Beyond Bullets: A Photo Journal of Afganistan

Award-winning photographer Rafal Gerszak spent a year embedded with the American military in Afghanistan, where he used his camera to document everyday life in the war-torn country. While there, he developed a deep affection for the land and its people, and he later returned on his own. Despite the dangers around him, he continued taking photos, exposing the plight of that besieged country.

Framed by journal entries that relate his experiences on two levels — as a foreigner looking for a deeper connection to a country that has stirred him and as a journalist looking for another side to the story — Beyond Bullets addresses the volatile situation in Afghanistan with sensitivity and profound insight. Through Gerszak’s lens, readers can see the shattered aftermath of military attacks and dismal hospitals and refugee camps, but they can also experience the vibrant activity of life in the markets, at home and on the Muslim day of rest.

 

Leaving Vietnam: The Journey Of Tuan Ngo (Ready-To-Read : Level 3 Reading Alone)

Tells the story of a boy and his father who endure danger and difficulties when they escape by boat from Vietnam, spend days at sea, and then months in refugee camps before making their way to the United States.

The Whispering Cloth: A Refugee’s Story

A young Hmong girl in a Thai refugee camp in the mid-1970s finds the story within herself to create her own pa’ndau.

The Lotus Seed

When she is forced to leave Vietnam, a young girl brings a lotus seed with her to America in remembrance of her homeland. “Exquisite artwork fuses with a compelling narrative–a concise endnote places the story effectively within a historical context–to produce a moving and polished offering.”–Publishers Weekly

Mahtab’s Story

Mahtab and her family are forced to leave their home in Afghanistan and travel secretly to faraway Australia, a journey she must endure along with the disappearance of her father.

Little Dog Moon

“You must not use the mountain road.” “We know no other way,” the girl told him. “Perhaps not, but moon does,” answered Tenzin. He knelt down to stroke the long hair from the little dog’s eyes. “Take them. Show them the way.” A young monk is moved by the bravery of two children journeying alone to the freedom of Nepal. He offers what help he can–a hot bowl of soup, a warm bed for the night–but he realizes their best chance lies with Moon. She is the little dog who knows the unguarded paths out of the mountains, the very dog who will leave an ache in his heart when she goes. This story was inspired by the sacrifice and courage of those who struggle to be free. It is not uncommon in Tibet for parents to send their children into the treks through the mountains in the hope they will find refuge in Nepal. During the winter when the passes are not heavily guarded, the bitter cold is considered a smaller threat than remaining at home. Many such children have made it, many have turned back, many more have simply disappeared.