Three years ago, Stephie and her younger sister, Nellie, escaped the Nazis in Vienna and fled to an island in Sweden, where they were taken in by different families. Now sixteen-year-old Stephie is going to school on the mainland. Stephie enjoys her studies, and rooming with her school friend, May. But life is only getting … Continue reading USBBY Outstanding International Book Pick: Deep Sea by Annika Thor
Zeina Abirached, author of the award-winning graphic novel A Game for Swallows, returns with a powerful collection of wartime memories. Abirached was born in Lebanon in 1981. She grew up in Beirut as fighting between Christians and Muslims divided the city streets. Follow her past cars riddled with bullet holes, into taxi cabs that travel … Continue reading USBBY Outstanding International Book Pick: I Remember Beirut by Zeina Abirached
In the early 1980s, thousands of Ethiopian Jews fled the civil unrest, famine and religious persecution of their native land in the hopes of being reunited in Yerusalem, their spiritual homeland, with its promises of a better life. Wuditu and her family risk their lives to make this journey, which leads them to a refugee … Continue reading USBBY Outstanding International Book Pick: Cry of the Giraffe by Judie Oron
Wangari Maathai said, “Trees are living symbols of peace and hope.” The trees that she and her Green Belt Movement planted are more than symbols, they are the result of the hard work of the women she enlisted to replant Kenya’s forests, replenish the wildlife, and instill democracy among the people. This simply told story … Continue reading USBBY Outstanding International Book Pick: Wangari Maathai: The Woman Who Planted Millions of Trees by Franck Prévot
A Mexican boy tells of his journey to the U.S. with his family. They must face many dangers to cross the border, only to experience the uncertainty felt by all illegal immigrants. The narrative is accompanied by one long, beautifully vivid illustration reminiscent of pre-Hispanic codices, packaged as an accordion-style foldout frieze. Praise for Migrant … Continue reading USBBY Outstanding International Book Pick: Migrant by Jose Manuel Mateo
Nothing—not even the chance to live—makes Dr. Korczak abandon the children of the Warsaw Ghetto. November 1940. A circus parade walks through the streets of Warsaw, waving a flag and singing. They are 160 Jewish children, forced by the Nazis to leave their beloved orphanage. It’s a sad occasion, but led by Doctor Korczak, their … Continue reading USBBY Outstanding International Book Pick: Mister Doctor by
In this latest addition to his popular Who Built That? series, Didier Cornille presents ten of the most important bridges in the world, from the Brooklyn to the Golden Gate; from the first in cast iron to the longest in concrete; from small footbridges to the tallest in the world. Cornille introduces each engineer or … Continue reading USBBY Outstanding International Book Pick: Who Built That? Bridges by Didier Cornille
It's summer in the big forest and the rabbit children are looking forward to their first Midsummer party. Owl, who knows everything, says Midsummer is a time for dancing, love and magic. What a fun time they will have! Then a terrible storm sweeps through the forest and the woodland animals must find shelter at … Continue reading USBBY Outstanding International Book Pick: The Midsummer Tomte and the Little Rabbits by Ulf Stark
In Don’t Cross the Line, The guard always follows the general’s orders without question. This time, the order is that no one must cross the line. The right-hand page of this book must be kept blank for the general. As the crowd builds up on the border, the guard is under pressure. If no one is … Continue reading USBBY Outstanding International Book Pick: Don’t Cross the Line by Isabel Minhós Martins
Friendship, fear, loneliness — these are things that are universally experienced but difficult to describe. In this arresting poetry collection, Synne Lea explores these concepts and more through the thoughts and experiences of a family. As the family members examine their connections with each other and the world around them, they gain a deeper appreciation … Continue reading USBBY Outstanding International Book Pick: Night Guard by Synne Lea
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative 