Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein (Grades 9-12)

Wein, E. (2013). Rose under fire. New York, NY: Disney-Hyperion.

Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein is an USBBY 2014 Outstanding International Book for grades nine through twelve. I think what initially drew me to this novel was the sheer amount of awards it has received. This particular work of Wein's is a recipient of the Schneider Family Book Award, Josette Frank Award, Boston Globe/Horn Book Award, Gold Kite Award Honor, and ABA Indies Choice Award Honor and was shortlisted for the Costa Award for Children. Additionally, it was a finalist for an Audie Award. Obviously, I had to investigate what all the acclaim was about.

Personally, I enjoyed this book. However, before delving in, you need to know what you're getting into. Let me explain with a summary found on the author's web page:

Rose Justice is a young pilot with the Air Transport Auxiliary during the Second World War. On her way back from a semi-secret flight in the waning days of the war, Rose is captured by the Germans and ends up in Ravensbrück, the notorious Nazi women's concentration camp. There, she meets an unforgettable group of women, including a once glamorous and celebrated French detective novelist whose Jewish husband and three young sons have been killed; a resilient young girl who was a human guinea pig for Nazi doctors trying to learn how to treat German war wounds; and a Nachthexen, or Night Witch, a female fighter pilot and military ace for the Soviet air force. These damaged women must bond together to help each other survive.

As one can tell, this book is intense, but Rose Under Fire is so, so beautifully written and features both original poetry by the main character Rose and the incredibly talented Edna St. Vincent Millay. Written as journal entries, readers get a heart-wrenching glimpse into the horrific time period that was World War II. At times, yes, the novel was hard to get through; it hits you hard and makes you contemplate many things, especially humanity and war. However, I would still recommend this book to anyone. This book stays with you for a while after finishing, and I think that feeling is something that readers need to experience sometime.

Although I am a huge fan of this text and that author's entire body of work, there are questions that readers should consider:

• Why are so many books that make the USBBY Outstanding International Book List set in the era of World War II? Does this choice of setting truly represent international children's literature at its best or is it simply a universal theme, a topic that many questions can relate to, as they were involved in the conflict? 
• Other than its setting, how is Rose Under Fire a companion text for Code Name Verity, a 2013 USBBY Outstanding International Book also by Elizabeth Wein?
• Do authors who have previously had a book on the USBBY Outstanding International Book list take precedent when consideration for the upcoming year's list over those who have not?

Coming soon... a post for Code Name Verity!

How to Make a Bird by Martine Murray (Grades 9-12)

Murray, Martine. (2010). How to make a bird. New York, NY: Arthur A. Levine Books.

USBBY Outstanding International Book 2011

The publisher, Arthur A. Levine Books, provides a short yet intriguing synopsis:

It's dawn, on an empty road in the countryside. Empty, except for the girl in the long, red evening gown, standing next to a bicycle, and looking back at the home she's about to leave. Mannie wants to forget the terrible things that have happened here, but there are questions that need to be answered before she can let go. Questions about her elegant but unstable mother; her brother Eddie who's always overshadowed her; and his friend Harry Jacob, who might or might not be Mannie's boyfriend.

Mannie needs to find out what really happened, and her only clue is an unfamiliar address in the city, written on a scrap of paper found in Eddie's room. As Mannie makes her way to town, the mystery of this vulnerable, quirky girl is revealed piece by piece, in a story about growing up and listening to your heart.

Honestly, I first drawn to How to Make a Bird due to its glaringly unique title. I craved to know "how to make a bird" and what "bird" this elusive namesake was referring to. Additionally, I was drawn to a tagline that I found via the publisher after even further investigation. The words simply read, "A journey, a mystery, and a heart ready to heal." In addition to a discombobulated and captivating narrative structure, this phrase concisely and beautifully describes what a young adult reader will find within this book.

However, while reading, several questions arose regarding this novel's status as an USBBY Outstanding International Book. They are as follows:

• When thinking of international texts, should the selection committee for USBBY Outstanding International Books omit titles from English-speaking countries, such as Australia, this book's country of origin? If so, what does the term "international" truly mean to USBBY?
• In regards to landscapes, does a book that is considered "international" have to feature obviously foreign places and scenery? 
• Do books and authors who win various awards in their home country take precedent over new or relatively unknown titles and authors?