Tag Archives: friendship

Margriet Ruurs

GLOBAL BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

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Fake news, war, food production… they are all current topics in the adult world. These brand new books give a child information on these current issues.

The Quiet Hunt, written by Jean E. Pendziwol and illustrated by Risa Hugo is an absolutely lovely picture book that reminds us where food comes from. Before supermarkets and shops, our ancestors would hunt. They gathered berries and fruits and knew just what was safe to eat and what was not.

Through sharing knowledge, we still can hunt and gather today as we go into the woods and search the streams. A great poetic story to share before going on a nature walk.

ISBN 978-1-77306-767-4, Groundwood Books

Ribbon Rescue is a brand new picture book by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Shaikara David. Jillian is a Mohawk girl and has a beautiful new ribbon dress, made by her grandmother. But when Jillian leaves home, people rush by en route to a wedding, looking for help . She helps them all and her ribbons come to the rescue: as a shoe lace, as hair ribbons, even to tie up a gift. But when Gillian finally makes it to the church, her dress is a mess. How will she solve her problem? The story wraps up, in typical Musch style, with a satisfying ending.

ISBN 978-1-0397-1384-0, Scholastic Canada

The Sea We Call Home, written by Dominique Demers and illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard, is a whimsical tale of two sweet characters named Little Gnouf and Mirabelle. They have learned about sea creatures from The Big Book of the Sea. Enchanted, they set off in search of the sea. They are amazed by the seaside and soon discover a baby sperm whale, stranded on the beach. With the help of sand crabs and seagulls they set it free and reunite it with its mother. This picture book has a fairytale feel while also giving nonfiction facts about whales. It is beautifully designed with large print.

ISBN 978-1-77278-367-4, Pajama Press

Fake Gnus by Leslie Helakoski is a fun, humorous romp through real and fake facts. Scoop Jackson is a reporter and has to figure out if the information he hears is real or fake. He soon discovers that the pen for the gnus at the zoo is empty. Where are the gnus? Using facts, Scoop is able to separate facts from fiction to determine if the rumours or true or not. Are the gnus climbing the Empire State Building? No! Gnus can run, reaching speeds of up to fifty miles an hour but they cannot climb.  At the end of the hilarious story, readers find statements and need to determine if these are real or fake. Another page helps young readers to question, to look for information and not take anything for granted. A great introduction for young students to doing research and using your brain to distinguish between real information, AI and fake news.

ISBN 978-1-77946-050-9, Groundwood Books

Eleven Out of Ten by Stacey Matson is a wonderful novel for elementary readers to sink their teeth in. Albie and Lake are not just cousins and neighbors, they are also best friends. But when Lake suffers a terrible accident, the two are separate for this first time. 

Albie’s parents are so concerned about Lake and her family that they don’t realize the toll this takes on Albie. Albie struggles with the fact that she is having fun and making new friends while her best friend is in a coma. No matter how often she tells her parents that she wants to see her, she is told that no one is allowed in the ICU and that she can’t go to the hospital. Instead, she has to go to day camp and can’t share any of her experiences with her friend. 

The story is well written and realistic with a satisfying ending. A great novel for young readers to sink their teeth into!

ISBN 978-1-0397-0879-2, Scholastic

Planting Sunshine by Andrée Poulin, illustrated by Enzo, is an unusual, short novel. Written as free verse poetry, with each page being a poem, this is the story of a child puzzled by war. War enters his home on TV. Theo wonders why there is war, why people kill each other, and his parent has no answers. 

His neighbor has lived through a war. She makes the best perogies and suggests that Theo plants sunflowers. But at school Theo’s friends argue and want to play war. War gives Theo nightmares until his dad realizes that Theo needs to talk about his fears. A girl paints white doves in a quiet protest to war. Once Theo can talk about it and finds small ways to protest as well, he feels much better. He knows that he can’t change the world, but doing what you can to prevent war does help.

This is a wonderful book to help students discuss war, to talk about their own fears, to look for answers together and even to find small ways to protest war anywhere.

ISBN 978-1-77946-138-4, Groundwood Books

Margriet Ruurs writes books for children in Canada and visits International Schools around the world. Her next book is called More Than Books, Why The World Needs Libraries (Orca Books).

www.margrietruurs.com

Margriet Ruurs

GLOBAL BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

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In his book The Butterfly Lion, Michael Morgurpo writes, ‘I met the best friends I ever had in books.’  Books can be your best friends and best friends in school are important to all children. Here are some great books about books ánd friendships. A good way to start off a new school year!

Welcome The New Kid/The New Kid Welcome, by Suzanne Slade, illustrated by Nicole Miles, is a story told forward and backward. The text, printed in the center of the book, is used one way from start to end, and then used from end to start in the other half of the book. Interestly, this changes the story of how to welcome a new child in a school. Do you make friends and include him? Or do you feel that it is not necessary to welcome him and leave him alone instead? An interesting story concept that will be fun to read and discuss with students, especially when a new student is coming or at the start of a new school year. ISBN 978-0-593-42632-6, Random House Kids

Yours in Books by Julie Falatko, illustrated by Gabriel AlborozoOwl loves reading but his neighbourhood is noisy and there are too many interruptions. He embarks on a correspondence with B. Squirrel who runs a lovely book shop. Squirrel tries to send Owl helpful books and has many suggestions for Owl to share books with the critters around him. Not only does Owl read to the little ones, he also starts baking and making crafts with them. Through the love of books, each makes new friends and, together, they have a fabulous tea party and Owl ends up reading books to a wider audience. A beautiful picture book to share and have a classroom tea party, this is one of those wonderful books that kids will remember fondly. ISBN 978-1-951836-20-7, Cameron Kids

Books Make Good Pets by John Agard, with illustrations by Momoko Abe, is a fun picturebook to share out loud when introducing new readers to the library. ‘Books make good pets and they don’t need to go to the vet!’ is the repeated sentence in this poetic story. The lovely illustrations compare books to birds or puppies, rodents or lizards. And the books win out every time because they set your imagination soaring. ISBN 978-1-4083-5988-4, Hachette Childrens

Is There A Boy Like Me? by Kern Carter is a wonderful novel for teens, perhaps especially for kids in international schools. London is a teenager. Like many teens, he faces complex friendships in school. He also has a lot of parental pressure on having to be the best in many areas, including in coding class which his father wants him to take but in which he himself is not at all interested. His own passion is drawing, reading and writing but his father believes there is no future in that. London navigates between these obstacles while trying to stay true to himself and his best friend, who happens to be a girl. Teen pressure at school and parental pressure at home don’t make life easy for this fourteen year old but London uses his talents and unleashes both critique and support when he creates web-comics that go viral. Not only does this lead new friendships, it also realizes London’s dream of writing a graphic novel. A fun and interesting read.

ISBN 978-1-4431-9842-4, Scholastic Canada

Book Two in the Nish series by Isabelle Picard is called Northern Lights. Nish in Innu means ‘two’ and is linked to the experience of being an indigenous person as well as to the fact that the two main characters in this novel are twins.

Leon and Eloise and their family have moved south from the Arctic to Quebec. Not only do the twins have to learn French, they have to go to a new school and make new friends. Students in international schools will be able to relate to their story of trying to fit in, make friends and pursue their interests in a new environment. The book uses some sentences and words in Innu and also shows the kids’ connections with old friends via text messages.  ISBN 978-1-0397-0455-8, Scholastic Canada

Margriet Ruurs writes books for children and makes new friends in international schools around the world when she conducts author visits. http://www.margrietruurs.com

Margriet Ruurs

GLOBAL BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

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War, refugees… these are not easy topics to write about for children. But books are powerful tools to share stories of war and to show what it is like to live as refugee. These capable authors and illustrators convey the stories, creating tools for parents and educators to use to show what life can be like – sorrowful but also hopeful. Not only are these books stories of war, they are also stories of friendship, compassion and how we can help one-another.

The Capybaras by Alfredo Soderguit is hands-down the most impressive picture book I have come across in recent months. I could fit this story into the category ‘friendship’, or ‘finding home’ but, even though it is not mentioned anywhere in the story, ‘refugees’ is probably the most applicable label. The chickens were content to live in their cozy coop. They did not intend to share it with anyone. Until the large, unfamiliar capybaras show up. The chickens don’t want to build fences, but neither do they plan to invite them. But… it is hunting season. Reluctantly they agree to let them stay until it’s safe to go home. They do tell their young ones not to mingle. But of course, two of them do. And after the little cabybara saves the little chicks life, do the chickens realize it’s fine to share and benefit from each other. An amazing parallel to humans… ISBN  978-1771647823

A Sky-Blue Bench by Bahram Rahman has beautiful art by Peggy Collins. Dedicated to the children of Afghanistan, this is the story of Aria who lost a leg to a landmine but who knows she can do anything, even carpentry. Finding it too hard to sit on the floor of her classroom, Aria collects wood and learns the skills needed to build herself a bench. A bench so beautiful that all the girls in class want to learn how to build furniture. A heartbreaking and heartwarming story all at once. ISBN 978-1-77278-222-6, Pajama Press

In A Feast For Joseph, by Terry Farish and Od Bonny, illustrated by Ken Daley, Joseph and his mom reminisce about the way food was shared with many others around the campfire in the refugee camp. Now they eat alone in their apartment. But Joseph wants to celebrate and share their food with friends. Will his grandmother come from Africa? Will his neighbours show up if they cook for them? A lovely picture book about food and customs and the simplicity of sharing. ISBN 978-1-77306-438-3, Groundwood Books

What The Kite Saw, written by Anne Laurel Carter, illustrated by Akin Duzakin. After the tanks and the soldiers come and take away the men, a young boy wishes he had wings so he could see where his father was and what was happening beyond his town.He builds a kite, and many other children do too, to send a message of hope into the sky. Inspired by Palestinian children, this is a universal story of war and hope. ISBN 978-1-77306-243-3, Groundwood Books

Stealing Home, J. Torres and David Namisato is a graphic novel for middle grade. Not only tells this book the story of Sandy, love for baseball. It is based on the true story of Japanese internment camps during World War II. After the bombing of Pearl Harbour, the attitude of Sandy’s friends and their family towards his Canadian-Japanese family changes. Suddenly they won’t play baseball with him anymore. Their relatives lose jobs and homes. Eventually Sandy and his family are taken away to live in remote ‘ghost towns’. With nonfiction information in the back, this graphic novel brings renewed awareness to young readers of a dark period in history. ISBN 978-1-5253-0334-0, Kids Can Press

Story Boat by Kyo Maclear, with art by Rashin Kheiriyeh.  When you have no home, when you are walking towards a new place, ‘here’ is a different concept. ‘Here’ is home and ‘here’ changes all the time. A cup, a blanket can mean home. They can also let your imagination roam, help you tell stories, sing songs about ‘home’. A lovely, award winning book that will encourage children to think and write about what ‘here’ means to them. ISBN 978-0-7352-6359-8, Tundra

When My Name Was Keoko, by Linda Sue Parks is the impressive story of war in Korea. I grew up in Europe and have heard and read much about World War II in Europe. But I did not realize how similar this was to life in (South) Korea under Japanese occupation. This book was an eye-opener for me, told in two voices – Keoko and her brother who are both given Japanese names and can no longer speak their own language. A gripping novel and important story that makes a good read for older children, even for adults. ISBN 978-0606247160

Margriet Ruurs is the author of 40 books for children. She conducts author presentations at international schools around the world. www.margrietruurs.com www.globetrottinggrandparents.com

Margriet Ruurs

GLOBAL BOOK REVIEWS

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Friendship. What better topic to discuss in the international classroom? And what better tool to use than great books. Here are some of my favourite titles:

I Got You A Present! by Mike Erskine-Kellie and Susan McLennan, illustrated by Cale Atkinson. Poor duck is having a hard time coming up with a surprise birthday gift for you. He tried so hard to make you happy but knitting socks didn’t work, the ice cream he bought you has melted and he couldn’t find you a dinosaur. But after all of his efforts, he does end up with a special gift, just for you! ISBN 978-1-5253-0009-7, Kids Can Press

Nut & Bolt by Nicole de Cock is the lovely story of a friendship between Bolt, a donkey, and Nut, the mouse. Friends each have to give and take. While it seems that Nut does much more for his friend, because that is what friends do, in the end it turns out that, Bolt too, has a lot to offer.  ISBN 978-1-55455-364-8, Fitzhenry & Whiteside

Hug? by Charlene Chua. Now that the world is not into hugging, this is a fun book to share out loud with very young children. Hugs can make you feel better but problems arise when everyone wants a hug – cats, ducks, even skunks. There are bear hugs and porcupine hugs, even one character who does not want any hugs. A hilarious story told in few words and in pictures.  ISBN 978-1-5253-0206-0, Kids Can Press

This Is A Dog Book, Judith Henderson, illustrated by Julien Chung. Bunny desperately wants to be part of the dog gang, specially if it means being in this book. He goes to all lengths to proof that he, too, is a dog and belong here. The dogs have their doubts and put Bunny to the test but eventually decide that, even if he may not be a dog, Bunny does make a good friend and should stay in the book. ISBN 978-1-5253-0493-4, Kids Can Press

Little Narwhal, All Alone by Tiffany Stone, illustrated by Ashlyn Anstee, reads like a fictional picturebook – about a little narwhal who likes to wander and explore. But in the back matter it is explained that this is based on the true story of a narwhal found about 1000 KMs away from his home in the Arctic. He now has befriended and lives with a pod of young beluga whales, an unusual true story of friendship beyond species. ISBN 978-1-77164-620-8, Greystone Kids

Aaaligator! by Judith Henderson, illustrated by Andrea Stegmaier is the story of an unlikely friendship. The boy loves bird watching but one day he stumbles upon an… aaaligator! After he feeds and helps the aligator, it shows up at his house, lonely. At first the town is against aligators but this one proves itself to be most helpful. A book to share and smile about together. ISBN 978-1-5253-0151-3, Kids Can Press

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy is a unique book. Produced in handwriting with exquisite drawings, the book reminded me of Christopher Robin and Pooh, sharing similar random wisdoms about life, self esteem and friendship. A beautiful story to encourage reading, writing and discussions with older students. This will also make a special gift for any educator.

ISBN 978-0-06-297658-1, Harper Collins

Margriet Ruurs combines her global adventures with favourite books here: www.globetrottingbooklovers.com