Every Falling Star, the first book to portray contemporary North Korea to a young audience, is Sungju Lee’s intense memoir about being forced at age 12 to live on the streets and fend for himself.“Presents North Korea as a horrifying real-life dystopia. The book, the first of its kind aimed at young adults, is a first-person account of what it is like to be born and raised in a terrifying environment.” —The Guardian Dedicating his book to those he left behind in North Korea, Sungju Lee writes, “North Korea is indeed a Hermit Kingdom; a true-to-life dystopian nation. It’s against this backdrop that my story takes place.” To survive, Sungju creates a gang and lives by thieving, fighting, begging, and stealing rides on cargo trains. Sungju richly recreates his scabrous story, depicting what it was like for a boy alone to create a new family with his gang, “his brothers,” to daily be hungry and to fear arrest, imprisonment, and even execution. The book starts with a brief, never-before-told history of modern North Korea that puts Sungju’s personal story into context. Then he and coauthor Susan Elizabeth McClelland describe the four years of danger and desperation he endured after being abandoned by his parents. You may not believe the things that he was forced to endure at such a young age. You may not want to believe the horrors of the modern state of North Korea. But this true story of survival and determination allows young readers to learn about another culture where the freedoms they take for granted do not exist. Read more

Publishers Weekly Best Book * ALA Best Book for Young Adults * ALA Notable Children's Book * ALA Booklist Editors' ChoiceIn the tradition of The Diary of Anne Frank and I Am Malala, this is the incredible true story of one girl’s courage and determination during one of the most terrifying eras of the twentieth century. This edition includes a detailed glossary, pronunciation guide, discussion questions, and a Q&A with the author. It's 1966, and twelve-year-old Ji-li Jiang has everything a girl could want: brains, popularity, and a bright future in Communist China. But it's also the year that China's leader, Mao Ze-dong, launches the Cultural Revolution—and Ji-li's world begins to fall apart.Over the next few years, people who were once her friends and neighbors turn on her and her family, forcing them to live in constant terror of arrest. And when Ji-li's father is finally imprisoned, she faces the most difficult dilemma of her life.Written in an accessible and engaging style, this page-turning, honest, and deeply personal autobiography will appeal to readers of all ages. Read more

A samurai fights for honor and survival in a real-life Game of Thrones.Stirring narrative nonfiction recounts the rise of Minamoto Yoshitsune from seemingly doomed infant to immortal warrior-hero (and one of the most famous samurai in Japanese history). Acclaimed author Pamela S. Turner delivers all the drama, romance, and tragedy of the original story--with delightfully dry wit and a healthy dose of modern perspective. Gorgeous ink paintings by celebrated graphic-novelist Gareth Hinds complete this irresistible package. Read more

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A comprehensive overview of one of the most controversial wars in America's history written by masterful children's historian and Newbery Medalist Russell Freedman. With prose that is clear, concise, and enthralling, Russell Freedman presents a detailed overview of the Vietnam war.  Beginning with the rise of communism in Vietnam and detailing the increase of American involvement, Freedman then explains why, twenty years later, an exit was so difficult. In addition to explaining the complex beginnings of the conflict through the catastrophic damage the war caused, Freedman concludes with a hopeful epilogue on modern Vietnam.  This is a definitive resource for young history readers as well as anyone who wants a concise and authoritative understanding of the Vietnam War, exploring both the American and Vietnamese perspectives.  Freedman chronicles the history leading up to the war and the unfolding events in Vietnam and in the US as increasing numbers of young men were sent into the jungles to fight. Coverage includes the French war in Vietnam, the rise of Ho Chi Minh, the fall of President Diem, the Tonkin Gulf, the Tet Offensive, the My Lai massacre, the bombing of Cambodia, and the fall of Saigon, as well as the US anti-war movement. The book includes nearly 100 historic photographs and illustrations, as well as candid photographs showcasing the state of Vietnam today.  A glossary, source notes, bibliography and index are included. A Junior Library Guild Selection Read more

The inspirational story of the Japanese national campaign to build the Children's Peace Statue honoring Sadako and hundreds of other children who died as a result of the bombing of Hiroshima.Ten years after the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Sadako Sasaki died as a result of atomic bomb disease. Sadako's determination to fold one thousand paper cranes and her courageous struggle with her illness inspired her classmates. After her death, they started a national campaign to build the Children's Peace Statue to remember Sadako and the many other children who were victims of the Hiroshima bombing. On top of the statue is a girl holding a large crane in her outstretched arms. Today in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, this statue of Sadako is beautifully decorated with thousands of paper cranes given by people throughout the world. Read more

A memoir in paintings and words by internationally acclaimed illustrator, author, and teacher James McMullan. A Booklist Top 10 Biography for Youth“It is this dreamlike quality of my memories that I wanted to capture in some way in the paintings that accompany the text--to suggest in the images that the events occurred a long time ago in a simpler yet more exotic world, and that the players in that world, including me, are at a distance.” Artist James McMullan’s work has appeared in the pages of virtually every American magazine, on the posters for more than seventy Lincoln Center theater productions, and in bestselling picture books. Now, in a unique memoir comprising more than fifty short essays and illustrations, the artist explores how his early childhood in China and wartime journeys with his mother influenced his whole life, especially his painting and illustration. James McMullan was born in Tsingtao, North China, in 1934, the grandson of missionaries who settled there. As a little boy, Jim took for granted a privileged life of household servants, rickshaw rides, and picnics on the shore—until World War II erupted and life changed drastically. Jim’s father, a British citizen fluent in several Chinese dialects, joined the Allied forces. For the next several years, Jim and his mother moved from one place to another—Shanghai, San Francisco, Vancouver, Darjeeling—first escaping Japanese occupation then trying to find security, with no clear destination except the unpredictable end of the war. For Jim, those ever-changing years took on the quality of a dream, sometimes a nightmare, a feeling that persists in the stunning full-page, full-color paintings that along with their accompanying text tell the story of Leaving China. Read more

Publishers Weekly Best Book * ALA Best Book for Young Adults * ALA Notable Children's Book * ALA Booklist Editors' ChoiceMoving, honest, and deeply personal, Red Scarf Girl is the incredible true story of one girl’s courage and determination during one of the most terrifying eras of the twentieth century. It's 1966, and twelve-year-old Ji-li Jiang has everything a girl could want: brains, popularity, and a bright future in Communist China. But it's also the year that China's leader, Mao Ze-dong, launches the Cultural Revolution—and Ji-li's world begins to fall apart. Over the next few years, people who were once her friends and neighbors turn on her and her family, forcing them to live in constant terror of arrest. And when Ji-li's father is finally imprisoned, she faces the most difficult dilemma of her life.Written in an accessible and engaging style, this page-turning autobiography will appeal to readers of all ages, and it includes a detailed glossary and a pronunciation guide. Read more

Number Four will have a difficult life. These are the words that were uttered upon Ting-xing Ye's birth. Soon this prophecy would prove only too true. . . . Here is the real-life story about the fourth child in a family torn apart by China's Cultural Revolution. After the death of both of her parents, Ting-xing and her siblings endured brutal Red Guard attacks on their schools and even in their home. At the age of sixteen, Ting-xing is exiled to a prison farm far from the world she knows.How she struggled through years of constant terror while keeping her spirit intact is at the heart of My Name Is Number 4. Haunting and inspiring, Ting-xing Ye's personal account of this horri?c period in history is one that no reader will soon forget. Read more

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After his imprisonment in Green Island, Kun-lin struggles to pick up where he left off ten years earlier. He reconnects with his childhood crush Kimiko and finds work as an editor, jumping from publisher to publisher until finally settling at an advertising company. But when manhua publishing becomes victim to censorship, and many of his friends lose their jobs, Kun-lin takes matters into his own hands. He starts a children’s magazine, Prince, for a group of unemployed artists and his old inmates who cannot find work anywhere else. Kun-lin’s life finally seems to be looking up... but how long will this last? Forty years later, Kun-lin serves as a volunteer at the White Terror Memorial Park, promoting human rights education. There, he meets Yu Pei-yun, a young college professor who provides him with an opportunity to reminisce on his past and how he picked himself up after grappling with bankruptcy and depression. With the end of martial law, Kun-lin and other former New-Lifers felt compelled to mobilize to rehabilitate fellow White Terror victims, forcing him to face his past head-on. While navigating his changing homeland, he must conciliate all parts of himself––the victim and the savior, the patriot and the rebel, a father to the future generation and a son to the old Taiwan––before he can bury the ghosts of his past. Read more

FREEMAN BOOK AWARD WINNER An incredible true story in graphic novel form that lays bare the tortured and triumphant history of Taiwan, an island claimed and fought over by many countries, through the life story of a man who lived through its most turbulent times.Part One: Taiwan, 1930s. Tsai Kun-lin, an ordinary boy born in Qingshui, recounts a carefree childhood despite the Japanese occupation: growing up happily with the company of nursery rhymes and picture books on Qingshui Street. As war emerges Tsai's memories shift to military parades, air raids, and watching others face conscription into the army. It seems no one can escape. After the war, the book-loving teenager tries hard to learn Mandarin and believes he is finally stepping towards a comfortable future; but little does he know, a dark cloud awaits him ahead.Part Two: Taiwan, 1950s. In his second year at Taichung First Senior High School, Tsai is arrested simply for joining a book club and subsequently tortured, deprived of civil rights, and sent to Green Island for "reformation." Lasting until his release in September 1960, Tsai, a victim of the White Terror era, spends ten years of his youth in prison on an unjust charge. But he is ready to embrace freedom.Experience parts one and two of the tour-de-force graphic novel series that took Taiwan by storm – parts three and four coming May 2024. P R A I S E ★ “The stupendous achievements here are many: a synergistic literary success; a historic record of twentieth-century Taiwan; the remarkable account of a boy’s life; and a triumph of translation.”—Booklist (starred) “A story of persistence, both hopeful and chilling, and a powerful vision of the personal implications of Taiwan’s mid-century history.”—School Library Journal “Stunning.”—Kirkus   Read more

Embark on a 🌟 dazzling journey through the heart of Pakistan with our book "Pakistan's Heritage A-Z." 📚 Each page is a vibrant celebration of the country's rich traditions, from the architectural marvels 🕌 and majestic Himalayas 🏔️ to the colorful threads of Zardozi embroidery. 🧵 Savor the flavors of Pakistani cuisine with a cup of steaming chai ☕ and sweet, juicy mangoes 🥭, and feel the rhythm of the Dhol 🥁 in your heart.This book is not just a reading experience; it's a cultural odyssey that offers a window into the soul of Pakistan. 🇵🇰 From the whispers of history flowing like a river from an open book 📖 to the sky-high aspirations symbolized by soaring jets ✈️, every element is depicted with depth and meticulous detail. Adorn your collection with the beauty of Pakistan and share the gift of knowledge and understanding. 🎁 Perfect for curious minds, culture enthusiasts, and anyone who treasures the richness of our world. 🌍 Don't miss out on this tapestry of tradition and modernity. Get your copy of "Pakistan's Heritage A-Z" today! 🛒 Read more

📚 Discover the Treasure of Wisdom by Miyamoto Musashi: The Complete Version of The Book of Five Rings + Path of Growth for Today's Man! (New Version March 2023) 📚Enter the fascinating and wisdom-filled world of the legendary Miyamoto Musashi, the greatest Japanese swordsman of all time and a master of spiritual life. With his new version of "The Book of Five Rings," Musashi not only shares the secrets of the sword art but also offers a path of personal growth for the modern man.🗡️ The Hidden Treasure of Wisdom: Besides being a practical guide on the art of the sword, this book is a true treasure of wisdom, gifted by a warrior who spent a lifetime immersed in battle and reflection. Through the Five Rings, Musashi will lead you toward the fusion of human and divine, the noblest state of happiness that an individual can aspire to.⚖️ Healing the Eternal Conflict: Musashi deeply understood the eternal conflict between body and soul, offering a key to understanding and resolving it to live fully. Through reading this book, you can finally understand and overcome your inner challenges, finding harmony and happiness in your existence.🚀 Exclusive Benefits: With this text, you will gain access to a path of personal growth that will take you beyond the limits of your mind and spirit. You will discover the great forces within you and learn to activate them to reach your full potential.Don't miss the opportunity to enrich your life with Musashi's ancient wisdom and embark on a journey toward your personal fulfillment. But it doesn't end there; only in this book will you find exclusive and practical content.WHAT WILL YOU FIND EXCLUSIVELY FOR YOU?📚 Discover the Book that Can Transform Your Life! 📚If you're seeking ancient wisdom, ethical value, and guidance for a more authentic life, you've found the perfect book. Exclusively and only in these words, precious teachings await you that will awaken the samurai within you, bringing balance, serenity, and happiness into your daily life. You will find only here:🎌 A 30-Day Path to Becoming a True Western Samurai: Embrace the honor, discipline, and courage of this ancient tradition, following a path of personal growth that will lead you to your utmost expression.🌟 The Secret of Happiness for Samurai: Discover the powerful secret that has guided generations of samurai toward a life of self-realization and inner joy. Through altruistic gestures and the practice of unconditional goodness, learn to illuminate your path and that of others.🔱 The Supreme Good for a Samurai: Explore the concept of supreme virtue according to the principles of the samurai and discover how to integrate it into your daily life to create a better world for yourself and others.🌓 The Light and Shadow Side for a Samurai: Delve into the duality of the human soul and learn to navigate between the bright and dark sides of your nature. By choosing the path of light, you can transform the world around you and create a lasting positive impact.Don't miss the opportunity to immerse yourself in this extraordinary experience of growth and transformation. Buy the book today and begin your journey toward a life of authenticity, wisdom, and nobility of spirit.🛒 Buy Now and Take the First Step Toward Your Transformation! Gift or treat yourself to the wisdom of the samurai and become a true Western samurai! Read more

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A Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People 2017 Glamorous American singer Claire Phillips opened a nightclub in manila, using the earnings to secretly feed starving American POWs. She also began working as a spy, chatting up Japanese military men and passing their secrets along to local guerrilla resistance fighters. Australian Army nurse Vivian Bullwinkel, stationed in Singapore, then shipwrecked in the the Dutch East Indies, became the sole survivor of a horrible massacre by Japanese soliders. She hid for days, tending to a seriously wounded British soldier while wounded herself. Humanitarian Elizabeth Choy lived the rest of her life hating war, though not her tormentors, after enduring six months of starvation and torture by the Japanese military police.  In these pages, readers will meet these and other courageous women and girls who risked their lives through their involvement in the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II. Fifteen suspense-filled stories unfold across China, Japan, Malaya, Singapore, the Dutch East Indies, and the Philippines, providing an inspiring reminder of womens' and girls' refusal to sit on the sidelines around the world and throughout history.  These women—whose stories span 1932 to 1945, the last year of the war—served in dangerous roles as spies, medics, journalists, resisters, and saboteurs. Seven of them were captured and imprisoned by the Japanese, enduring brutal conditions. Author Kathryn J. Atwood provides appropriate context and framing for teens 14 and up to grapple with these harsh realities of war. Discussion questions and a guide for further study assist readers and educators in learning about this important and often neglected period of history.  Read more