The Midnight Palace by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, blog written by Margaret Robbins

Zafron, Carlos Ruiz (2011).  The Midnight Palace. Trans. Lucia Graves New York: Little, Brown and Company.

The Midnight Palace was a 2012 USBBY Outstanding Interational Book and is the second in a series of books that Zafon wrote for young adults, which also includes The Prince of Mist and the Prisoner of Heaven.  Zafon is also the author of the well-known and widely translated adult novel The Shadow of the Wind. He currently divides his time between Barcelona, Spain, and Los Angeles, California. 

The Midnight Palace combines mystery, suspense, drama, and historical fiction to create a compelling story with a fast-paced plot.  The story takes place during the 1930s in India, when England had imperialistic rule, and features two young protagonists, Ben and Sheree, who must escape Calcutta to save their lives.  Mistakes of their father's past have put them in danger, but with help from Ben's loyal band of friends from the orphanage, the two hope to prevail.  

Potential Discussion Questions (using components of Critical Literacy):
1. How do the challenges that the Indian citizens face during the 1920s and 1930s parallel the challenges minorities face in the United States, both in the past and in present times?  What proactive steps can we, as concerned global citizens, take toward change? 
2. How do the children in the novel empower themselves, even though they are oppressed because of their race and because they are young people without parents? 
3. Do you think the book portrays the setting accurately?  Why or why not? 
4. What is the author's background, and why is it interesting when considering the political implications of this book? 
5. Thomas Carter, as the orphanage director, is willing to risk his life for the children.  How can parental figures expand beyond your blood relatives? 
6. Are the relationships between the friends in the book realistic?  Why or why not? 

The Hero of the Little Street (2010) by Gregory Rogers (grades PreK-2)

Plot summary: Action, adventure, and time travel combine in the final book of an award-winning trilogy. Narrowly escaping from a gang of bullies, a boy slips into a grand old gallery--the perfect hiding place, full of mystery and treasures. Suddenly, a painting comes to life and the boy finds himself on an adventure led by a mischievous dog that has lept from the canvas. The two slip into a Vermeer painting and are transported to Little Street, Delft in seventeenth-century Holland, where the boy has to use every ounce of his ingenuity to rescue his new friend from an untimely fate.

The third book in the "Boy, Bear" series, The Hero of Little Street is packed with thrilling escapades from start to finish. Gregory Rogers's cast of much-loved characters come together once again in this triumph of visual storytelling.  (from amazon)

Gregory Rogers is one of Australia's finest children's book illustrators and in 1995 was awarded the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal for Way Home by Libby Hathorn. His first book for Roaring Brook Press,The Boy, The Bear, The Baron, The Bard, was a New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year. He divides his time between Brisbane, Australia and Denver, Colorado.

Reviews:

“Rogers’ deft management of perspective and movement, his clever visual jokes and intertextual allusions, and his careful compositions demonstrate once again his masterful storytelling in the wordless genre.”--BCCB

“A delightful little excursion for busy imaginations.”--Booklist

"A superb, witty book that will appeal both to squirmy, clueless kids and educated art connoisseurs."-Horn Book, starred

“Rogers’s visual narrative is both an aesthetic treat and masterful storytelling.”-School Library Journal, starred

“All's well that ends well, as this frolic does, with a sublime comeuppance for all the bullies, then and now.” -Kirkus

Questions:

1. Will the readers/children be able to identify the places in the books, one street in London and one street in 17th century in Holland? If not, how can we introduce the information to our young readers, before or after the book sharing?

2. What do you think of the theme of the book? What does the author/illustrator want to express? Is it a simple celebration of fun, imagination and fantasy work?

3. How do you think of such a wordless picturebook with lots of information included in one page? What is the age range for the book? What can teachers do with this wordless picturebook?

4. There is an obvious point of shuttling between imagination and reality. How will you design activities around this for children/young readers?

5. What do you think of the author's way of dealing with the topic of bullying?

My Father’s Arms Are a Boat by Stein Erik Lunde and Oyvind Torseter (grades PreK-2)

2014 USBBY Outstanding International Books

Lunde, E. & Torseter, O. (2013) My Father’s Arms Are a Boat. Brooklyn, NY: Enchanted Lion Books.

From Amazon :

It's quieter than it's ever been. Unable to sleep, a young boy climbs into his father's arms. Feeling the warmth and closeness of his father, he begins to ask questions about the birds, the foxes, and whether his mom will ever wake up. They go outside under the starry sky. Loss and love are as present as the white spruces, while the father's clear answers and assurances calm his worried son. Here we feel the cycles of life and life's continuity, even in the face of absence and loss, so strongly and clearly that we know at the end that everything will, somehow, be all right.

 

 

 

 Questions to consider in book clubs or classrooms:

• What effect do the illustrations have on the story?
• What language is used to key the reader that this is a Norwegian story?
• Does “quiet” have the same meaning/connotation in all cultures (In America we have the saying “Silence is Golden”)?
• “Red birds are dead people.” Where does this thinking come from?
• What aspects of the Christian faith could you discuss with this book?

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?

Sophie Scott Goes South by Alison Lester (Grades 3-5)

Lester, Alison (2-13). Sophie Scott Goes South. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin
USBBY Outstanding International Book 2014

Nine-year-old Sophie is going on a month-long voyage to Antarctica, with her dad, the captain of an icebreaker. Sailing the frozen seas round-trip from Australia to Mawson Station in the South Pole, Sophie recounts the adventure of a lifetime in her own words, illustrations, and color photographs. She'll show us icebergs, penguins, seals, and whales! It's a dangerous journey, but Sophie is well prepared for the thrills and chills that await her on top of the world.
Source: https://mapsengine.google.com/map/u/0/edit?mid=zkmHKhf9oIzY.kDe4cprKu0J8

Reviews:
PW Review: http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-544-08895-5
Kirkus Review: http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-544-08895-5
My Book Corner: http://www.mybookcorner.com.au/listings/629-sophie-scott-goes-south.html

Questions to discuss in Book Club or classrooms:

1.       Can this book be regarded as an informational book? What do a subjective personal narrative and information provided in the picturebook reveal to us?

2.       What do we learn about Antarctica?

3.       Would the information that is provided in the picturebook change in case it is told from the person that travels from other geographical locations?

Picture a Tree by Barbara Reid (Grades PreK-2)

Reid, Barbara. (2013). Picture a tree. Park Ridge, IL: Albert Whitman & Company.
USBBY Outstanding International Book 2014

From the publisher: "Picture a tree -- what do YOU see? Picture a tree, from every season, and from every angle. These wonderous beings give shade and shelter. Now look again. Look closer. The possibilities are endless.  In this gorgeous new picture book, Barbara Reid brings her vision, her craft, and her signature Plasticine artwork to the subject of trees. Each page is a celebration, and you will never look at trees in quite the same way again."

Picture a Tree attracted me because of its nature-friendly topic and unusual illustrations.  When I taught Pre-K, my students and I undertook an entire learning unit on trees, and I wish this book had existed back then -- I love the way it encourages children to view trees from different perspectives and appreciate their varied functions and beauty.

Considering this work as an Outstanding International Book, however, leads me to ask the following questions:

• The author's Canadian nationality aside, what makes Picture a Tree an international book?

• Should books chosen for the USBBY OIB list teach us something about a different country/culture, or should their themes and subject matter be universal?

• When choosing an international book for a U.S.-based list, why go to Canada?

Traction Man by Mini Grey (Kindergarten-Grade 2) by Ying Cui

Kindergarten-Grade 2: Traction Man by Mini Grey 

Grey, M. (2005). Traction Man. New York, NY: Random House. (First publish in UK)

USBBY Outstanding International Book 2006, Kindergarten-Grade 2 category

Within the feature of graphic novel and a good deal of visual wit, Mini Grey provided an entertaining story of Traction man, a boy’s courageous action figure, who wore combat boots, scuba gear, space suit, and camouflage to experience a variety of adventures with his pet, a Scrubbing Brush and other objects in the house. Later, the boy’s Granny gave Traction Man a present: a hand-knitted green romper suit and bonnet. Even though equipped with this nerdy-knitted and embarrassing outfit, Traction Man undertook another rescue mission and succeeded once again. (Book Review from School Library Journal)

Possible questions for discussion:

      1.    Since Traction Man includes some elements of comic book such as the combination of narrative, speech, and annotation and the target readers are ranging from kindergarteners to second graders, I'm curious what strategies may help teacher to guide emergent readers to read this book?

      

      2.    How the image of the superhero, Traction Man from UK is different from the common image of superhero in U.S. pop culture?