Two best friends, Eitan and Rivka, live in a gated Jewish ghetto, where they have been imprisoned by the Nazis since last Spring. But here they can still experience children laughing, dogs barking and women chatting, all as Eitan plays his violin. Yet no one can leave, and if anyone goes through the gates, they never come back. Light hearted in appearance only, this picture book presents one of the darkest moments in human history, the Holocaust, by showcasing the complexities of the human condition and how hope can endure, be it the music of a violin, or the sound of laughter and chatting. They may be trapped within walls of a ghetto, but they can still climb to the rooftop.
Fear
Me And My Fear
When a young girl has to move countries and start at a new school, her fear tells her to be alone and afraid. How can she hope to make friends if she doesn’t understand anyone? Surely no one else feels the same way.
Night Guard
This wondrous and beautiful volume pairs expressionistic poems with surreal illustrations to create a series of meditations on family relationships that explore isolation, fear, uncertainty and friendship.
Ballad Of A Broken Nose
Bart is an eternal optimist. At thirteen years old, he’s had a hard life. But Bart knows that things won’t get any better if you have a negative attitude. His mother has pushed him into boxing lessons so that Bart can protect himself, but Bart already has defense mechanisms: he is relentlessly positive…and he loves opera.
Lionheart
Richard hears something in his room before bedtime. Is it a monster? He doesn’t wait to find out and sets off running through the streets, over the hills, through the forest, and into the fields until he finds himself in a magical jungle. With the help of his stuffed lion Lionheart, Richard finds the courage he needs to face his fears.
Ready, Steady, Ghost!
A timid little ghost searches for a safe place to haunt.
Goodnight, You
In this heartwarming title from the Piggy and Bunny picture book series, the two friends explore what scares them as they prepare for their first campout together. When Bunny admits to being frightened of monsters, Piggy responds that “even if there WAS a monster, I wouldn’t scream like you!” When Bunny asks, “What if the monster GROWLS at you?” Piggy answers, “PWAAT! I can be loud, too!” Then, one by one, all of Bunny’s questions about what to do if a monster came near are countered confidently by Piggy.
My Palace of Leaves in Sarajevo
In 1991, ten-year-old Nadja begins writing to her cousin in Minnesota, and over the next four years, her letters reveal the horrors of war in this former republic of Yugoslavia, while her cousin’s letters give Nadja and her family some hope.
Can’t Scare Me!
A fearless little boy ignores Grandma’s warning about nighttime monsters until he runs away and meets the two-headed giant’s three-headed brother.
Alone In The Forest
One day Musa sets off from his village to collect firewood. It is the first time he has ventured out alone. Suddenly he hears a loud noise and becomes very afraid. Was the sound a wild boar? A whole herd of wild boars? Or something even worse?