Outstanding International Books 2011
Ghosts of Gribblesea Pier
Grades 3-5 Abela, Deborah. Ghosts of Gribblesea Pier. Farrar Straus Giroux. (Australia) Aurelie Bonhoffen, who has grown up in the circus, discovers a remarkable family secret on her twelfth birthday…
When Apples Grew Noses
Grades 3-5 Andrews, Jan. When Apples Grew Noses and White Horses Flew: Tales of Ti-Jean. Illus. by Dušan Petričić. Groundwood. (Canada) collection of stories that feature Ti-Jean, Quebec’s tr…
The Rabbit Girl
Grades 3-5 Arrigan, Mary. The Rabbit Girl. Frances Lincoln. (UK) What is the secret of Mallie’s picture? The mystery unfolds as evacuees Tony and Alice escape the terrors of London’s Blitz…
The Ogre of Oglefort
Grades 3-5: Ibbotson, Eva. The Ogre of Oglefort. Illus. by Lisa K. Weber. Dutton. (UK) Ivo, an orphan boy, teams up with the Hag of Dribble and a troll called Ulf to rescue a princess from the Ogre…
A Stranger at Home
Grades 3-5 Jordan-Fenton, Christy & Margaret Pokiak-Fenton. A Stranger at Home: A True Story. Illus. by Liz Amini-Holmes. Annick. (Canada) Sequel to: Fatty legs. A memoir in which the author…
A Stampede of Stories About Ananse
Grades 3-5 Kojo, KP. The Parade: A Stampede of Stories About Ananse, The Trickster Spider. Illus. by Karen Lilje. Frances Lincoln. (UK/set in Ghana) A collection of six illustrated stories set in Ghana…
Aesop’s Fables
Grades 3-5 Naidoo, Beverley. Aesop’s Fables. Illus. by Piet Grobler. Frances Lincoln. (UK/set in southern Africa) An illustrated collection of sixteen of Aesop’s fables, portrayed in an African setting…
This Child, Every Child: A Book About the World’s Children
Grades 3-5 Smith, David J. This Child, Every Child: A Book About the World’s Children. Illus. by Shelagh Armstrong. Kids Can. (Canada) A groundbreaking book of statistics and stories that compare…
The Garden of Empress Cassia
Grades 3-5 Wang, Gabrielle. The Garden of Empress Cassia. Illus. by author. Kane Miller. (Australia) Mimi, a Chinese girl living in Australia, is given a box of pastels by her teacher…
Beatrice’s Dream: A Story of Kibera Slum.
Grades 3-5 Williams, Karen Lynn. Beatrice’s Dream: A Story of Kibera Slum. Illus. by Wendy Stone. Frances Lincoln. (UK/set in Kenya) Beatrice, a thirteen-year-old orphan, describes her life in…
Aftershock
Grades 6-8 Ashley, Bernard. Aftershock. Frances Lincoln. (UK) Makis, having quickly adjusted to life in London where he and his mother Sophia have moved after his father’s death…
Queen of Hearts
Grades 6-8 Brooks, Martha. Queen of Hearts. Farrar Straus Giroux. (Canada) Shortly after her first kiss but before her sixteenth birthday in December, 1941, Marie Claire and her younger brother and…
Soldier Bear
Grades 6-8 Dumon Tak, Bibi. Soldier Bear. Illus. by Philip Hopman. Tr. by Laura Watkinson. Eerdmans. (Netherlands/set in Iran & Italy) An orphaned Syrian brown bear cub is adopted by Polish soldier…
Beyond Bullets
Grades 6-8: Gerszak, Rafal & Dawn Hunter. Beyond Bullets: A Photo Journal of Afghanistan. Annick. (Canada) Shares journal entries and photographs that document everyday life in Afghanistan, taken by …
The Midnight Zoo
Grades 6-8: Hartnett, Sonja. The Midnight Zoo. Illus. by Andrea Offermann. Candlewick. (Australia/set in eastern Europe) Twelve-year-old Andrej, nine-year-old Tomas, and their baby sister Wilma flee…
Wild Wings
Grades 6-8: Lewis, Gill. Wild Wings. Illus. by Yuta Onoda. Atheneum. (UK) A boy from Scotland and a girl from West Africa join together to save a migrating Osprey and end up saving each other.
The Elephant in the Garden
Grades 6-8: Morpurgo, Michael. An Elephant in the Garden. Feiwel & Friends. (UK/set in Germany) Lizzie and Karl’s mother, Mutti, working at a local zoo in Dresden, Germany, during World War II while…
A Season of Secrets
Grades 6-8: Nicholls, Sally. Season of Secrets. Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic. (UK) Sent by their father to live in the country with their grandparents after the sudden death of their mother, Molly’…