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.
Friendship
Three Tasks For A Dragon
Studious Prince Lir is next in line to become the Wolfhound King, but he can’t ride a horse, lift a sword, or summon the fabled wolfhounds. So his stepmother decrees that her own son will inherit the crown instead, sending Lir away on a seemingly impossible—and assuredly fatal—quest: to rescue the maiden Cethlenn from the once-fearsome dragon Lasvarg. Rather than wage battle, Lir insists that Lasvarg, now decidedly past his prime, honor tradition by setting him three tasks to perform—starting with tackling the mold encrusting the dragon’s cave (and his feet!). As Lir improves Lasvarg’s life, he also grows closer to Cethlenn . . . as well as the wolfhound puppy strangely devoted to her. In time, they learn more of the dark magic that may be making pawns of them all—and how Cethlenn herself could be the key to breaking a spell that clouds the entire kingdom.
Three Tasks For A Dragon is featured in WOW Review Volume XVII, Issue 3.
The Shade Tree
Villagers like to come to rest and cool down in the shade of a huge, old tree. But when a young traveler decides to join them one day, a rich man on whose land the tree stands demands they leave because he owns the tree and therefore its shade. Thinking fast, the traveler strikes a deal: one that will enable him to outsmart the rich man and ensure that the villagers will always have access to the shade tree’s shade, wherever it may fall.
Translator: Mixter, Helen
This book is part of the Worlds of Words Global Reading List for 2023/24.
Corner
A crow finds itself alone in an empty corner in this (almost wordless) picture book. With only thoughts for company, the crow begins to pass the time by filling the empty space with furnishings and hobbies. But even after all the decorating, which includes a growing plant and wall-to-ceiling art, there is still something missing. Finally, the crow adds a window and discovers the need to connect with the world outside. The need for friendship.
A Pocketful Of Stars
Safiya and her mum rarely see eye to eye. They don’t seem to have anything in common. But when her mother falls into a coma, Safiya must come to terms with their complex relationship. As she waits by her mother’s bedside, Safiya finds herself in a confusing alternate world, where she meets a rebellious teenage girl who looks suspiciously familiar.
The House Of The Lost On The Cape
Kazu knows something odd is going on when he sees a girl in a white kimono sneak out of his house in the middle of the night-was he dreaming? Did he see a ghost? Things get even stranger when he shows up to school the next day to see the very same figure sitting in his classroom. No one else thinks it’s weird, and, even though Kazu doesn’t remember ever seeing her before, they all seem convinced that the ghost girl Akari has been their friend for years! When Kazu’s summer project to learn about Kimyo Temple draws the meddling attention of his mysterious neighbor Ms. Minakami and his secretive new classmate Akari, Kazu soon learns that not everything is as it seems in his hometown. Kazu discovers that Kimyo Temple is linked to a long forgotten legend about bringing the dead to life, which could explain Akari’s sudden appearance-is she a zombie or a ghost? Kazu and Akari join forces to find and protect the source of the temple’s power. An unfinished story in a magazine from Akari’s youth might just hold the key to keeping Akari in the world of the living, and it’s up to them to find the story’s ending and solve the mystery as the adults around them conspire to stop them from finding the truth.
Rez Ball
Debut novelist, Byron Gtaves, tells the story of Tre Brun who finds solace and purpose on the basketball court of the Red Lake Reservation high school team, despite grappling with the persistent ache of losing his older brother, Jaxon, to tragedy. When Jaxon’s former teammates extend a hand of camaraderie, Tre views this opportunity as a chance to honor his Ojibwe heritage and pursue his ambition of leading his team to their inaugural state championship.
Winner of the American Indian Library Association Youth Literature Award and the William C. Morris Debut Award from the American Library Association.
Pardalita
Sixteen-year-old Raquel is living in a small town in Portugal, where she must learn to navigate the angst that often comes with being a teenager: her parent’s are divorced, her mother is always working and she doesn’t like her father’s new wife. After being suspended for cursing at a school aide, Raquel meets Pardalita, a gifted artist and senior at her school. As the two girls get to know each other Raquel soon falls in love.
Something About Grandma
At Grandma’s house, where Julia is staying without her parents for the first time, the breeze is sweet like jasmine. Mornings begin with sugared bread, and the most magnificent hot chocolate cures all homesickness. There’s something about this place and about Grandma. Like how she can tell when Julia has been quietly picking limes from the garden. Or that she can see the future and knows when Julia is about to fall off her bike. Or how she can journey back in time through the stories she tells. In the room where Julia’s mother grew up, her grandmother holds her in a warm embrace, an embrace that Julia will pass on to her family when her parents arrive with her new baby brother.
Anthony And The Gargoyle
Anthony’s house is full of family photos of his parents’ trip to Paris, his great aunt, and Anthony himself as a toddler, holding his favorite rock. When Anthony wakes up one morning, he sees that his “rock” has cracked open and it’s hollow inside. He doesn’t see the little face peering out from the closet. Later, he discovers the newly hatched creature and they become friends. Anthony asks his mother about the rock, and she shows him a photo album of a trip to Paris. Anthony sees that his friend resembles the gargoyles at Notr -Dame cathedral. Back in his room, he shows the photos to the baby gargoyle who looks at them with longing. News arrives that Anthony’s great aunt is in hospital. The family travel to Paris to visit, and Anthony secretly brings the baby gargoyle. When the family have a chance to climb Notre-Dame’s tower, Anthony and his friend wander from one gargoyle to the next and until the baby gargoyle sees one that looks just like him. A bittersweet story of true friendship and letting go.