Read Around the World

One of the greatest things about books is that they let us visit other places and experience other cultures without ever leaving the house. Read Around the World is a project that lets you explore great multicultural books and learn a few things about the people and places featured in the books.

Africa
	Journey to Jo'Burg Author: Beverly Naidoo Where it will take you: South Africa in the 1980's. Thirteen-year-old Naledi and nine-year-old Trio make a brave journey from their village to the city of Johannesburg to find their sister Mma. Along the way, they face police raids and racism from the Apartheid government.
	A Girl Named Disaster Author: Nancy Farmer Where it will take you: Zimbabwe in the 1980's. This is the story of a year in the life of an African girl named Nhamo, which is the Shona word for "disaster." She flees her village and goes on an amazing journey that teaches her strength, survival and courage.

Antarctica
	Trial by Ice Author: K.M. Kostyal Where it will take you: Antarctica in 1914 This is a biography of the amazing story of Sir Ernest Shackleton, who led an expedition to Antarctica in 1914. Their ship was destroyed by ice and the men were forced to camp on the ice for 5 months, eating seals, trying to stay warm, and waiting for rescue.

Asia
	Iqbal Author: Francesco D'Adamo Where it will take you: Pakistan in the 1980's. This book is based on a true story about a young Pakistani boy named Iqbal. He was a slave in a carpet factory, but he escaped and went on to help free other children from similar child labor conditions.
	The Breadwinner Author: Deborah Ellis Where it will take you: Afghanistan in the late 1990s. Parvana is a young girl living in Kabul, Afghanistan during the Taliban's rule. After her father is taken away for the crime of having a foreign education, she must dress up like a boy and go to work to provide for her family.
	Fallen Angels Author: Walter Dean Myers Where it will take you: Vietnam during the Vietnam War This is a harshly realistic story of a platoon of young soldiers trying to survive and make sense of the Vietnam War. Richie and his friends quickly realize that war isn't all glory and adventure like they thought and they must rely on each other to survive it.
	Bound Author: Donna Jo Napoli Where it will take you: China during the 17th century This is a Cinderella story that takes place in seventeenth century China during the Ming Dynasty. It's the story of Xing Xing who is left in the custody of her evil stepmother after her father dies.
	Chinese Cinderella Author: Adeline Yen Mah Where it will take you: China during World War II This is the true story about a girl called Wu Mei who is neglected by her family. They believe she is bad luck because the family's mother died while giving birth to her. She struggles to survive this mistreatment and desperately seeks her family love.
	The Samurai's Tale Author: Erik Christian Haugaard Where it will take you: Japan in the 16th century Murakami is the son of a samurai who is killed by enemy soldiers. He escapes death but ends up as a servant to an enemy warrior who is trying to become shogun.
	Silk Umbrellas Author: Carolyn Marsden Where it will take you: Thailand in the present day Eleven-year-old Noi wants to be an artist so she studies her grandmother who paints beautiful designs on silk umbrellas and sells them in the village market.
	Diary of Ma Yan: the Struggles and Hopes of a Chinese Schoolgirl Author: Ma Yan Where it will take you:Rural China in the present time This is the real diary of a 14-year-old schoolgirl named Ma Yan, who lived with her family in a rural Chinese village. It tells the story of her survival in a harsh land and her hopes of getting an education to escape her difficult life.
	Homeless Bird Author: Gloria Whelan Where it will take you: India in the present day. Koly is a young Indian girl who becomes a widow after her husband from an arranged marriage, dies. In a society that does not encourage independent women, she must get by with only her talent for reading and embroidery.

Australia and Oceana
	Stowaway Author: Karen Hesse Where it will take you: French Polynesia, Tahiti and the South Seas in the late 1700's. In 1768, eleven-year-old Nicholas Young stows away on the H.M.S. Endeavor and ends up spending three years sailing the South Seas with Captain James Cook.
	Guitar Highway Rose Author: Brigid Lowry Where it will take you: Australia in the present day This is a story about two Australian teenagers on a journey to become free of their parents. It is a witty novel of first love, adventure on the road, and being fifteen.

Central and Latin America
	Colibrí Author: Ann Cameron Where it will take you: Guatemala in the present day Colibri is a twelve-year-old Mayan girl who is kidnapped at a very young age by a dishonest man who forces her to beg and lie in order to earn money.
	Before we were Free Author: Julia Alvarez Where it will take you: Dominican Republic in the 1960s Anita has always enjoyed freedom while growing up in the Dominican Republic. But when the government is overthrown, her family is terrorized and instead of worrying about boys and school, she must deal with assassination plots and secret police.
	Esperanza Rising Author: Pam Muňoz Ryan Where it will take you: Mexico and California during the Great Depression Esperanza is a young girl living in privilege on a Mexican ranch. A family tragedy turns her life upside-down and she finds herself a poor servant girl forced to move to California to work in the fields.
	Cuba 15 Author: Nancy Osa Where it will take you: Cuba and the United States in the present day Violet is half-Cuban and half-Polish but just wants to feel American. As she reluctantly approaches her Quinceanera (15th birthday), she begins to learn the importance of family and tradition.

Europe
	Maus Author: Art Spiegelman Where it will take you: Poland during World War II This awesome graphic novel tells the true story of the author's father who lived in Poland during the Holocaust. His father is struggling to keep his family together while trying to escape capture from the Nazi secret police.
	Daniel Half-Human and the Good Nazi Author: David Chotjewitz Where it will take you: Germany before and during World War II Daniel is a young German boy who is growing up during the rise of the Nazi party in Germany. He takes part in Nazi activities until he learns that he is half-Jewish, and, in his eyes, only half-human.
	Letters from Rifka Author: Karen Hesse Where it will take you: Ukraine and Eastern Europe in 1919 This book is a collection of letters written by a young Jewish girl named Rifka who lives in the Ukraine. Her family is already living in America and she is desperately trying to get to them, but must get through countless obstacles first.

Middle East
	Samir and Yonatan Author: Daniella Carmi Where it will take you: Israel and the West Bank in the present time. Samir is sent to an Israeli hospital after damaging his knee in a bicycle accident. Because of the ongoing violence between the Israelis and Palestinians, he is fearful of entering the enemy territory of the Israeli hospital.
	Forgotten Fire Author: Adam Bagdasarian Where will it take you: Armenia and Turkey in 1915 15-year-old Vahan watches as his Armenian family is brutally murdered by Turkish soldiers during the Armenian Holocaust. He spends the next few years on the run, evading capture and trying to survive in tragic circumstances.
	19 Varieties of Gazelle Author: Naomi Shihab Nye Where it will take you: Many countries in the Middle East. This is a collection of poems that tell stories about people from different countries in the Middle East. There are poems about peace, family, September 11th, and what it means to be Arab-American.

South America
	Secret of the Andes Author: Ann Nolan Clark Where it will take you: The Andes Mountains of Peru in the 20th century This is the story of an Incan boy named Cusi who lives in the high mountains of Peru with an old llama herder. Unknown to Cusi, he is of royal blood and learns about the unique culture of his ancestors.