Since we are already in the middle of National Reading Group Month, our thoughts have turned to reading suggestions for book groups for young readers. At PaperTigers, we are deeply committed to books on multicultural subjects that bring differing cultures closer together. So of course the books on our little list are novels that we think will accomplish that, while they keep their readers enthralled and provide the nourishment for spirited book group discussions. Almost all of the suggested titles are in paperback editions and all should be available in libraries. Most of them have been reviewed by PaperTigers and one has been chosen by our own online bookclub, The Tiger’s Choice.

1. Beacon Hill Boys by Ken Mochizuki (Written for older readers, this novel explores teenage rebellion, parental expectations, and racial stereotypes with humor and perception. This is a perfect book for boys who are reluctant readers–by the end of the first page they’ll be hooked.)

2. On Thin Ice by Jamie Bastedo (Through entries in Ashley’s diary that she keeps while visiting family in an Inuit village, this book addresses the issue of climate change in Arctic Canada, where the polar bears are coming far too close for comfort.)

3. Woolvs in the Sitee by Margaret Wild (Who are the “woolvs” who terrify Ben and keep him sequestered in a place where he is safe from them? This is a title for older readers that falls into the realm of picture book/graphic novel, and one that will keep them reading.)

4. Kira Kira by Cynthia Kadohata (Winner of the  2005 Newbery Medal, this is a novel that takes a serious look at serious issues, through the lives of an extended Japanese-American family who are struggling in tough times.)

5. Cinnamon Girl: Letters Found Inside a Cereal Box by Juan Felipe Herrera (The tragedy of 9/11 as seen through the eyes and voice of thirteen-year-old Yolanda, whose uncle had “inhaled Twin Towers of dust,” while delivering flowers at the moment that the planes struck.)

6. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne (This is a book group selection for all ages, and when we chose it for our own book group, the discussion was thoughtful and lively–much to think about in this slender little volume.)

And there is our baker’s half-dozen–what suggested titles would you add to this little list? Let us know!

Finding Miracles

Milly Kaufman is the typical American high school girl, pretty, popular, part of a happy family in a small town. So why, when asked to write two truthful details about herself, does she say, “I have this allergy where my hands get red and itchy when my real self’s trying to tell me something,”  “My parents have a box in their bedroom we’ve only opened once. I think of it as The Box,” and why does the appearance of Pablo, a new student from Latin America make her feel so uncomfortable? What is Milly’s secret–the one she has divulged only to her best friend?

Julia Alvarez, long acclaimed as an outstanding novelist for adult readers, turns her focus upon a young adult audience in Finding Miracles with the same skill that has made both In the Time of the Butterflies and How The Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents modern classics. While exploring Milly’s odyssey from the security of the family and community that she knows and loves to the unknown territory of a whole new world, Julia Alvarez creates a character and a novel that extends beyond age categories into the realm of fiction unlimited, while sensitively examining issues of identity and culture.

Please join us this month as we read and discuss Finding Miracles.

We’re happy to report that Aung San Suu Kyi: Fearless Voice of Burma has been re-issued with updated material. Originally published in 1997 by Lerner, this inspiring young adult biography by New Orleans writer Whitney Stewart is available again thanks to the tireless efforts of Professor Robert Fuller, who taught Aung San Suu Kyi at Methodist English High School in Rangoon in the early 1960′s. Dr. Fuller, now a Professor Emeritus at the University of Nebraska, was a resource for Whitney when she was writing her book.

The new edition features a preface by Dr. Sein Win, the Prime Minister of the democratic government of Burma in exile (the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma); an epilogue by Dr. Angelene Naw, biographer of both General Aung San, the father of Burma’s independence, and of Aung San Suu Kyi; and a timeline of events in Burma since 1997 by Dr. Ni Ni Swe, M.D., whose mother was a personal friend of Aung San Suu Kyi’s mother. Twenty new photographs are also included. For more information on the new edition, click here.

For more about Whitney’s interview with Aung San Suu Kyi, click here. For more about Whitney and her books (including her account of being rescued during Hurricane Katrina), check the following blog posts.

And a personal update: Whitney and her family evacuated to Shreveport, Louisiana, before Hurricane Gustav’s arrival earlier this week. They are home again now, having seen much wind and water damage in northern Louisiana en route. A fallen telephone pole missed their house by inches and they are now busy cleaning up fallen trees, “happy and grateful to be home.”

Whitney’s forthcoming children’s books are Marshall: A Nantucket Rescue (Soundprints), Mr. Lincoln’s Gift (Hildene), and Who Was Walt Disney? (Penguin).

For me, The Clay Marble has always seemed a book for all ages, and an important introduction to modern Cambodian history, to Cambodian culture, and to the nightmare years of the Khmer Rouge ascendancy. As Minfong Ho explains in her introduction, she worked with the people she depicts in this novel, she had grown up in Southeast Asia, and she writes about Dara, Jantu, and their families with first-hand knowledge and with love.

The more I read this book, the more struck I am with the way that traditional Cambodian values are described, as well as the destruction to those values that was attempted by the Khmer Rouge. The importance of family, of community, of sharing, of rice planting and harvests are all made stunningly clear in this deceptively simple and powerful story.

Although I’ve read this book often, I’ve never approached it with Marjorie’s fearlessness. She read it aloud over the past month to her two sons, as she explains here.

” Well, we finished reading The Clay Marble about 10 days ago. At the time we were all shocked and upset by the ending and I thought I would leave it a few days before asking the boys what they wanted to say about it. It does mean that their immediate reactions are lost but both of them highlighted Friendship as something that stood out for them. The setting in terms of the war has had more of an impact on Older Brother. Little Brother was much more caught up in the narrative in terms of what was happening to Dara and the other characters. Anyway, here, verbatim, is what they said about it:

Older Brother (nearly 10): “I thought the Clay Marble was very interesting because it was based on things that really happened; and quite horrible at the same time because some people had lost their legs and got infections – things like that. When Jantu died I felt very sad, especially because I thought it was disgusting that she was shot by one of the soldiers that was supposed to be protecting her. She’d been a very good friend in the story.

When Sarun was coming to the Border and for quite a while at the Border, he was always talking about planting crops and building a home for the family but then after a few weeks he was going to join the army at their camp. Then he didn’t want to go home; he didn’t want to plant crops – he wanted to stay there and be a soldier. He wanted to shoot. He thought it made him be a man. He felt like a man, not just a young lad. Why does a rifle, some bullets, some clothing, some fighting – what’s it got to do with being a man? You might die.

Everyone was scared and had to keep moving around. I felt scared for the children who lost their parents.

I thought it was quite funny that Dara believed that the clay marble was really magic, but the extraordinary thing is that when she closed her hand around it, it gave her courage.”

Little Brother (7 and a 1/2): “The Clay Marble makes me think about friendship. Some of the grown-ups were very mean because they were bombing the Border and the refugees and not just the enemy’s soldiers. The fighting made Sarun stop thinking about growing his crops and they had to have more bombings.

It made me very sad when Jantu died. She was gifted and she helped Dara believe in herself. Dara was very brave.”

I think that although Little Brother especially was quite young to be taking in all of the inferences of the story, I don’t think they were too young and they were both completely caught up in it. They were horrified to hear about how close to reality it was. The small map at the beginning was brilliant and we referred back to it many times. We read the introduction afterwards and again, they were struck that there really had been a clay marble.

Yes, I found it emotionally draining. Fortunately I had read ahead so was not having to deal with my own reactions at the same time as the boys’! We read the last few chapters in one sitting the morning after we’d read about Dara finding Jantu and the Baby in the hospital. The boys were both stunned when Jantu was shot. They were indignant and upset, and furious with the way Sarun behaved afterwards – as was I! I think the ending was managed beautifully because, after all, this is a story written with a young audience in mind. Sarun did not lose face but was able to take up his role as head of the family and the story ends with a message of hope – emphasised by the epilogue of Dara “now”, a few years later and a mother herself. A novel for an adult audience wouldn’t get away with being so tidy at the end – but Minfong Ho delivers a riveting story and instills in her young audience the idea of the futility and randomness of war at a level they can absorb, without ever having to state it explicitely: and that is why I think it’s a fine book.”

If you haven’t explored The Clay Marble, please do pick it up–and then share it with others. It, like the best of novels, illuminates the present while explaining the past–and could possibly change the future.

The Brighter Side of the Road: Upbeat and Offbeat Yarn from Home and Abroad, edited by Helen Coughlan and Janet Lawrence (Boolarong Press, 2005) is a “Compendium of stories … a gathering of recollections and reflections of Australians who have ventured out to make a difference – both at home and abroad.” As more and more young people are setting their sights on taking a gap year when they leave school, they (and their parents!) may be looking for reading material to help them make their choices.

There is something here for everyone. A fair share of travel disasters and both uplifting and amusing anecdotes of experiencing different cultures: food in China, for example, or attending a ploughing ceremony in Cambodia. Two sections really stand out – “Making a Difference – Helping Hands”, which contains some inspirational experiences of people working for humanitarian organisations; and “Young Trailbalzers”, experiences of Young people who have stepped outside their normal lives to experience a different culture, whether on their own or as part of an organised group, including Round Square. What comes across very clearly is how all their lives – and the lives of many others – have been changed by their experiences.

As well as being good reading for anyone setting off on their travels, some of these “Upbeat and offbeat yarns” would make great school assembly material… And another good reason for getting hold of the book is that all Profits are shared between War Child Australia, Rotary Polio Plus programme, Save the Children Fund, the Hill Tribe Children’s Village at Mai Suai in Thailand, and “Friends” restaurant in Phnom Penh, which trains street children for hospitality work. Read here for how to order the book…

One young contributor, Justin, who introduces himself as a 17-year-old “indigenous Australian… of the Kamilaroi nation” describes how and why he helped to set up the Croc Festival in Moree, New South Wales for 8-18 year olds. His Trailblazer article ends with these words:

“I challenge you as the reader of this book, regardless of your age, race or gender to get out there, find something you would like to see changed and DO IT!”

With a new school year about to start in my corner of the globe, I’m reminded of the essential work of teachers and librarians in helping our children learn to turn to reading and books to satisfy their curiosity about the world.

Teachers and librarians have been the subject of many children’s books to date, and some time ago Reading Year posted a call out for suggestions of books featuring teachers. Many readers submitted titles, and the result was the delightful “100 Cool Teachers in Children’s Literature” list. And let me tell you: cool is an understatement here. Those teachers, and the list itself, are hands down awesome!

Then, inspired by Reading Year’s feat, The Book Dragon blog spearheaded a quest for the “100 Librarians in Children’s and YA Literature,” and the resulting list was another treasure trove to explore. At the time, PaperTigers also got on the bandwagon by requesting librarian Minjie Chen to put together her own list of favorite books about libraries and librarians.

If you know of titles to add to these fantastic compilations, do send them/us a note. There are probably as many such books out there as there are ways to celebrate teachers and librarians. So let’s count the ways… and the stories! And don’t forget: September is Library Card Sign-Up Month and a great time to remind kids that reading can be electrifying and mind-expanding!

Eleven years ago I made my first visit to Cambodia and fell in love. I was in Phnom Penh, which in 1997 was a city of hope, and the mood of joyous optimism that pervaded its streets was irresistible. The man who was my motorcycle taxi driver during my visit was a man whose smile touched his eyes but did not erase the omnipresent sadness that lived in them. His parents had been killed during the years of Pol Pot when he was just entering his teens, and he refused to accompany me when I entered the grounds of Tuol Sleng, the school that had been turned into a torture chamber, because that is the place that had made him an orphan. He took care of his younger brother as best as he could and they both survived.

He took me to his house in the rural outskirts of the city so I could meet his wife, his two small sons, and his baby daughter. His children all gleamed with the love that he gave them, healthy and happy. At one point during my time with them, my host tapped the side of a large and bulging burlap bag. “Rice,” he said proudly, “We eat it every day.”

When I read and reread The Clay Marble, it brings this memory so strongly to mind that I often find that I am in tears. Minfong Ho evokes the hunger of that dreadful time–for food, for family, for community, for the ability to know that a harvest of rice will soon be reaped, for the safety to sleep in one’s own house with secure and happy children close by.

Obviously I have emotional baggage that I bring with me to this book – would it have the same impact if I had not fallen in love with Cambodia? What about you? Does this book move you or does it feel contrived? Is it an issue in search of a story or does it bring the refugee experience to life? Please let us all know what you think…

The prolific and voluble Australian writer Chris Cheng has published 16 books for children. Five came out in 2007, by 5 different publishers, on topics ranging from Australian historical fiction to unusual pets. Chris writes about the forces of nature and people, in other words, and he’s also a force of nature himself, as his website indicates.

His tips for young writers is chock full of other interesting information, all in a lively kid-friendly voice. And here’s a personal views article Chris wrote for PaperTigers about the Australian environment in children’s books.

The July update of the PaperTigers website focuses on literacy, one of Chris Cheng’s passions. When Australia’s Literacy and Numeracy Week comes up in September, 2008, Chris will be an Ambassador for the fifth year. Seems like the sunburnt country couldn’t have a better bloke on the team!

I grew up in a remote corner of Alaska, without electricity or a telephone, at a time when the Internet would have been considered a maniac’s wild fantasy. Anyone entering our house at night would have found everyone in our family clustered around a couple of gas-fueled lanterns in dead silence, each of us deeply immersed in a book–except for my little brother.

Scarred by an unsuccessful introduction to reading in the first grade, my brother had soon become embarrassed by his lack of skill in a family of bibliovores and was a resolute functional illiterate. The rest of us found this appalling as well as inexplicable and discovering a book that would make my brother a passionate reader became an overriding obsession for us all.

Not too far away there was a tiny library that was our family’s idea of paradise. Even my brother loved it, since it contained picture books and illustrated encyclopedias–and as it turned out, a sizable collection of Tintin books.

We were not a family of comic book readers, but when my brother came home with his first volume of Tintin, poring over the pictures and painfully puzzling out the words, it was a big day for us all. It was the moment that my brother became a reader and Tintin became a household saint.

As a bookseller, I love to find books for the uneasy reader and Tintin is always high on my list of suggestions. A colleague of mine specializes in turning reluctant readers into bookworms and in an upcoming interview she will tell us how she does it. What about you? What titles do you suggest for the uneasy readers of your acquaintance? Let us know!

Fleeing the horror that has turned her home in Cambodia into a battleground filled with death and starvation, twelve-year-old Dara and what is left of her family cross the border into neighboring Thailand and the safety of Nong Chan, a camp for Cambodian refugees. Quickly they become absorbed into the life of “a vast barren field teeming with refugees” which “had the feel of our village during the years of peace before the fighting started.”

This is a place with enough food for all, where Dara’s family joins forces with the family of Jantu, a girl who becomes Dara’s friend. Jantu has the gift of magic hands; she is able to turn clay and leftover scraps into toys and she makes Dara a clay marble that contains the magic and power that are badly needed in these troubled times.

Even more magical and powerful are the bags of rice seeds that are given to the refugees and carry the promise of future crops in their abandoned fields in Cambodia. Dara and Jantu’s families dream of feeding themselves once again in Cambodia, but even in the safety of the refugee camp, war interferes brutally with their plans.

Written by Minfong Ho, who worked as a volunteer in refugee camps along the Thai-Cambodian border in 1980, this book has become a classic since it first appeared in 1991. Dara and Jantu, with their determination and courage, are characters who reach beyond borders and age barriers to show readers what it means to become refugees and how hope can bring people back to their homes. Please join us in reading and discussing The Clay Marble in July.