A Single Shard
(Korea) In this Newbery Medal-winning book set in 12th century Korea, Tree-ear, a 13-year-old orphan, lives under a bridge in Ch’ulp’o, a potters' village famed for delicate celadon ware. He has become fascinated with the potter’s craft; he wants nothing more than to watch master potter Min at work, and he dreams of making a pot of his own someday. When Min takes Tree-ear on as his helper, Tree-ear is elated — until he finds obstacles in his path: the backbreaking labor of digging and hauling clay, Min’s irascible temper, and his own ignorance. But Tree-ear is determined to prove himself — even if it means taking a long, solitary journey on foot to present Min’s work in the hope of a royal commission . . . even if it means arriving at the royal court with nothing to show but a single celadon shard. (Amazon.com) Lexile: 920 The Master Puppeteer
(Japan) A thirteen-year-old boy describes the poverty and discontent of 18th century Osaka and the world of puppeteers in which he lives. (Sholastic.com) Lexile: 860 The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn
(Japan) While attempting to solve the mystery of a stolen jewel, Seikei, a merchant's son who longs to be a samurai, joins a group of kabuki actors in 18th-century Japan. (Sholastic.com) Lexile: 740 Forbidden City
(Japan) Thrilled when his cameraman father invites him along on an assignment in China, seventeen-year-old Alex Jackson does not suspect that they will become part of the great historical events sweeping China in the spring of 1989. (Sholastic.com) Lexile: 870 |
Caravan to Tibet
In the last years of the nineteenth century, a caravan of traders sets off from the high hills of Kumaon, India. The men are going to make the forbidding journey to Tibet, traversing dangerous passes and braving blinding snowstorms, in order to carry on their traditional trade in the Tibetan markets. Among them is fourteen-year-old Debu's father. Many days later, when the caravan returns, Debu is heartbroken to learn that his father was lost in one of the treacherous passes. Somehow he cannot believe it, and when a Tibetan trader turns up in the local market wearing an amulet remarkably similar to his father's, he is convinced that his father is alive, somewhere in Tibet. (Goodreads.com) A Samurai Never Fears Death
(Japan) For Seikei, the adopted son of the famous samurai Judge Ooka with a knack for solving mysteries, a trip home to see his real family isn?t cause to celebrate. His brother has become mixed up with local criminals who use the family's tea shop as a front for a smuggling operation. His sister, meanwhile, has fallen in love with an apprentice to a puppet master who stands accused of murder. Somehow, Seikei senses the two are connected. His loyalties divided between his new family and his old, Seikei must find the real killer before it is too late. Set against the eerie backdrop of the old Japanese puppet theaters, where life-sized marionettes were controlled by black-cloaked men, Edgar Award-winners Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler render their most satisfying mystery to date. (Sholastic.com) Lexile: 800 Goodbye Vietnam
Thirteen-year-old Mai and her family embark on a dangerous sea voyage from Vietnam to Hong Kong to escape the unpredictable and often brutal Vietnamese government. (Sholastic.com) Lexile: 810 |
The Iron Ring
Driven by his sense of "dharma," or honor, young King Tamar sets off on a perilous journey, with a significance greater than he can imagine, during which he meets talking animals, villainous and noble kings, demons, and the love of his life. (Sholastic.com) Lexile: 680 The Clay Marble
(Cambodia) Fleeing war-torn Cambodia in 1980, Dara, her mother, and her older brother find sanctuary in a refugee settlement on the Thailand border, but when fighting erupts, Dara finds herself separated from everyone and everything she loves. (Goodreads.com) Lexile: 860 Rice Without Rain
(Thailand) After social rebels convince the headman of a small village in northern Thailand to resist the land rent, his 17-year-old daughter, Jinda, finds herself caught up in the student uprising in Bangkok. (Sholastic.com) Lexile: 840 Chinese Cinderella and the Secret Dragon Society
The future belongs to you. Should anyone insult you, tell yourself this: I am a child of destiny who will unite East and West and change the world. Born into a family of wealth and privilege in 1940s Shanghai, Chinese Cinderella (CC) is sheltered from the harsh brutalities of the Japanese invasion in China. But after enduring abuse at the hands of her cruel stepmother, CC seeks refuge at a martial-arts school and joins a secret dragon society. There, under the guidance of Grandma Wu, she trains with a trio of orphaned acrobats and is introduced to the exciting world of espionage as a part of the Chinese Resistance movement. And when CC and her new comrades take on a daring mission to rescue a crew of American airmen, they prove that true bravery knows no age barrier. "Chinese Cinderella and the Secret Dragon Society "is a compelling blend of martial-arts adventure and historical fiction. With honesty and compassion, New York Times best-selling author Adeline Yen Mah has written a triumphant novel reminding us that children can overcome tragic circumstances and create their destiny. (Sholastic.com) Lexile: 850 |
Text and Photo Sources: 1. Goodreads.com; 2. Sholastic.com; 3. Amazon.com; 4. Simonandschuster.com;