Brainstorm 172: International Reads Pt 3: Australia, New Zealand & Oceania

We're continuing our look at books set in countries and cultures around the world. This week the focus is Australia, New Zealand, and Oceania. I found this section of the world the most challenging to find books set in, especially ones that featured people who lived there and not tourists. (I had to resort to tourists/foreigners a few times. And because of the dearth of books, I also included the unnamed Pacific island locations section.) To see the full parameters I've set for the selection of books in this International Reads series, please visit International Reads Pt 1: Africa. And of course, that’s the place to visit for some books set in African countries too. If you’re looking for some books set in Asian countries, check out the last post International Reads Pt 2: Asia. I'm not including summaries or reviews today in the interest of space. Clicking on the title of the books will take you to either my review of the book or a general summary and other reviews.

AUSTRALIA

Australia Wide: the Journey by Ken Duncan
Genre: Photography, Travel, Adult Nonfiction

The Dolphins of Shark Bay (Scientists in the Field) by Pamela S. Turner, photos by Scott Tuason
Genre: Animal Stories, Science, Middle Grade/Young Adult Nonfiction

Living in…Australia by Chloe Perkins, ill. by Tom Woolley
Genre: Lowe Grade Nonfiction, Picture Book, Leveled Reader

My Grandma Lived in Gooligulch by Graeme Base
Genre: Fantasy Fiction, Animal Stories, Picture Book

The Mystery at the Coral Reef (Greetings from Somewhere, #8) by Harper Paris, ill. by Marcos Calo
Genre: Mystery Fiction, Lower Grade

Pinquo by Colin Thiele
Genre: Animal Stories, Historical Fiction, Middle Grade/Young Adult

FIJI 

Battle for Cannibal Island (Imagination Station, #8) by Marianne Hering & Wayne Thomas Batson, creative direction by Paul McCusker, ill. by David Hohn
Genre: Fantasy Fiction, Time Travel Fiction, Historical Fiction, Religious Fiction, Middle Grade

FRENCH POLYNESIA

The Octopus Scientist: Exploring the Mind of a Mollusk by Sy Montgomery, photos by Keith Ellenbogen
Genre: Animal Stories, Science, Middle Grade/Young Adult Nonfiction

HAWAII

The Girl from Everywhere (The Girl from Everywhere, #1) by Heidi Heilig
Genre: Time Travel Fiction, Fantasy Fiction, Historical Fiction, Young Adult
*Note: Some parts in modern NYC and ancient China

Honey Girl: the Hawaiian Monk Seal by Jeanne Walker Harvey, ill. by Shennen Bersani
Genre: Animal Stories, Science, Lower Grade Nonfiction

Kaiulani: the People’s Princess: Hawaii, 1889 (The Royal Diaries) by Ellen Emerson White
Genre: Biographical Fiction, Historical Fiction, Middle Grade

Soul Surfer: a True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board by Bethany Hamilton with Sheryl Berk and Rick Bundschuh
Genre: Autobiography, Sports, Religious Nonfiction, Young Adult Nonfiction

Tales of Tūtū Nēnē and Nele by Gale Bates, ill. by Yuko Green
Genre: Animal Stories, Picture Book

The Twelve Days of Hula: a Counting Book from Hawai’i by Beth Greenway, ill. by Kristi Petosa-Sigel
Genre: Counting Books, Songs, Foreign Language, Picture Book

MICRONESIA

The Children of Micronesia (World’s Children) by Jules Hermes
Genre: Social Studies, Lower Grade Nonfiction

MIDWAY ISLANDS

The Raft by S.A. Bodeen
Genre: Survival Stories, Contemporary Fiction, Young Adult
*Note: Some parts in open sea/unidentified areas of the Pacific Ocean

NEW CALEDONIA

Crow Smarts: Inside the Brain of the World’s Brightest Bird (Scientists in the Field) by Pamela S. Turner, photos by Andy Comins, ill. by Guido de Felippo
Genre: Animal Stories, Science, Middle Grade/Young Adult Nonfiction

NEW ZEALAND

Elizabeth, Queen of the Seas by Lynne Cox, ill. by Brian Floca
Genre: Animal Stories, Lower Grade Nonfiction

Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot by Sy Montgomery, photos by Nic Bishop
Genre: Animal Stories, Science, Middle Grade/Young Adult Nonfiction

Slinky Malinki, Open the Door (Hairy Maclary, #8) by Lynley Dodd
Genre: Animal Stories, Humorous Fiction, Picture Book

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Quest for the Tree Kangaroo: an Expedition to the Cloud Forest of Papua New Guinea by Sy Montgomery, photos by Nic Bishop
Genre: Animal Stories, Adventure, Travel, Science, Middle Grade/Young Adult Nonfiction

PITCAIRN

Mutiny on the Bounty by William Bligh, Sir John Barrow
Genre: Memoir, Sea Stories, Adult Nonfiction

POLYNESIA

Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry
Genre: Folklore, Sea Stories, Middle Grade

SOLOMON ISLANDS

Florence Young: Mission Accomplished (Christian Heroes: Then & Now, #23) by Janet & Geoff Benge
Genre: Biography, Religious, Middle Grade Nonfiction
*Note: some parts occur in New Zealand and China.

WESTERN SAMOA

Come to My Place: Meet My Island Family: Stories from the Pacific compiled by Esiteri Kamikamica, ill. by Ruth Lull
Genre: Short Stories, Middle Grade Fiction
*Note: some stories set in Fiji, Micronesia, and Papua New Guinea

VARIOUS ISLANDS OF THE PACIFIC (UNIDENTIFIED ISLANDS)

The Coral Island by R.M. Ballantyne
Genre: Survival Stories, Sea Stories, Historical Classic Fiction, Young Adult

Every Storm by Lori Wick
Genre: Romantic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Religious Fiction, Adult
*Note: some parts in Australia

Island series by Gordon Korman
Genre: Survival Stories, Suspense Fiction, Adventure Stories, Middle Grade

Lost in the Pacific, 1942: Not a Drop to Drink (Lost) by Tod Olson
Genre: Biography, Survival Stories, Sea Stories, History, Middle Grade Nonfiction

Brainstorm 171: International Reads Pt 2: Asia

We're continuing our look at books set in countries and cultures around the world. This week the focus is Asia. To see the parameters I've set for the selection of books in this International Reads series, please visit International Reads Pt 1: Africa. I'm not including summaries or reviews today in the interest of space. Clicking on the title of the books will take you to either my review of the book or a general summary and other reviews.

Enjoy your visit to Asia!

AFGHANISTAN

The Breadwinner (Breadwinner, #1) by Deborah Ellis
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Middle Grade
Note: There is also a graphic novel adaptation of this book now.

Extra Credit by Andrew Clements, ill. by Mark Elliott
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Middle Grade

In the Land of Blue Burqas by Kate McCord
Genre: Memoir, Religious Literature, Adult Nonfiction

CAMBODIA

Church Behind the Wire: a Story of Faith in the Killing Fields by Barnabas Mam with Kitti Murray
Genre: Autobiography, Religious Literature, Adult Nonfiction

The Last King of Angkor Wat by Graeme Base
Genre: Folklore, Animal Stories, Picture Book

The Secret of the Sacred Temple: Cambodia (Secret Agent Jack Stalwart, #5) by Elizabeth Singer Hunt
Genre: Suspense Fiction, Adventure Stories, Middle Grade

CHINA

Bronze and Sunflower by Cao Wenxuan, translated by Helen Wang
Genre: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade

Jade Dragon Mountain (Li Du, #1) by Elsa Hart
Genre: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Adult

Living in…China by Chloe Perkins, ill. by Tom Woolley
Genre: Lower Grade Nonfiction, Picture Book, Leveled Reader

Red Butterfly by A.L. Sonnichsen
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Middle Grade

Ruby’s Wish by Shirin Yim Bridges, ill. by Sophie Blackall
Genre: Biographical Fiction, Historical Fiction, Picture Book

Zheng He, the Great Chinese Explorer: a Bilingual Story of Adventure and Discovery by Li Jian, translated by Yijin Wert
Genre: Picture Book Biography

Specific Chinese Culture: Hong Kong

Hong Kong! (Recipe for Adventure, #3) by Giada de Laurentiis, ill. by Francesca Gambatesa
Genre: Fantasy Fiction, Foodie, Lower Grade

INDIA

Gandhi: a Manga Biography by Kazuki Ebine
Genre: Biography, Manga, Young Adult Nonfiction

Living in…India by Chloe Perkins, ill. by Tom Woolley
Genre: Lower Grade Nonfiction, Picture Book, Leveled Reader

Manjhi Moves a Mountain by Nancy Churnin, ill. by Danny Popovici
Genre: Picture Book Biography

A Tiger for Malgudi and The Man-Eater of Malgudi by R.K. Narayan
Genre: Historical Fiction, Indian Classic, Adult Fiction

A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Dance Stories, Young Adult

The Wheels on the Tuk Tuk by Kabir Sehgal & Surishtha Sehgal, ill. by Jess Golden
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Songs, Picture Book

INDONESIA

Eruption!: Volcanoes and the Science of Saving Lives (Scientists in the Field) by Elizabeth Rusch, photos by Tom Uhlman
Genre: Natural Disaster Stories, Science, Middle Grade/Young Adult Nonfiction

Indonesian Children’s Favorite Stories by Joan Suyenaga, ill. by Salim Martowiredjo
Genre: Folklore, Fairytales, Short Story Collections

Indonesia, Etc.: Exploring the Improbable Nation by Elizabeth Pisani
Genre: Travel Stories, Cultural Studies, Adult Nonfiction

JAPAN

Chi’s Sweet Home, Volume 1 by Kanata Konami
Genre: Animal Stories, Contemporary Fiction, Manga, All Ages

Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus
Genre: Historical Fiction, Biographical Fiction, Sea Stories, Adventure Stories, Middle Grade

The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa, translated by Stephen Snyder
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Adult Fiction

My First Book of Japanese Words: an ABC Rhyming Book by Michelle Haney Brown, ill. by Aya Padron
Genre: Lower Grade Nonfiction, ABC Book, Foreign Language, Picture Book

One Leaf Rides the Wind: Counting in a Japanese Garden by Celeste Davidson Mannis, ill. by Susan Kathleen Hartung
Genre: Lower Grade Nonfiction, Counting Books, Poetry, Picture Book

Wabi Sabi by Mark Reibstein, ill. by Ed Young
Genre: Animal Stories, Contemporary Fiction, Poetry, Picture Book

KAZAKHSTAN

How I Learned Geography by Uri Shulevitz
Genre: Picture Book Memoir

Stand on the Sky by Erin Bow
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Animal Stories, Middle Grade

MALAYSIA

Malaysian Children’s Favourite Stories by Kay Lyons, ill. by Martin Loh
Genre: Folklore, Fairytales, Short Story Collections

Sherlock Sam and the Vanished Robot in Penang (Sherlock Sam, #5) by A.J. Low
Genre: Mystery, Contemporary Fiction, Lower Grade/Middle Grade

The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf
Genre: Historical Fiction, Suspense Fiction, Young Adult

MONGOLIA

Gobi: a Little Dog with a Big Heart by Dion Leonard, ill. by Lisa Manuzak
Genre: Biographical Picture Book, Animal Stories, Sports Stories
Note: There are also Middle Grade and Adult versions of this story available.

Saving the Ghost of the Mountain: an Expedition among Snow Leopards in Mongolia (Scientists in the Field) by Sy Montgomery, photos by Nic Bishop
Genre: Animal Stories, Science, Travel Stories, Middle Grade/Young Adult Nonfiction

Yak and Dove by Kyo Maclear, ill. by Esmé Shapiro
Genre: Animal Stories, Leveled Reader, Picture Book

MYANMAR (aka Burma)

Bamboo People by Mitali Perkins
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Suspense Fiction, Middle Grade

The Lady and the Peacock: the Life of Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma by Peter Popham
Genre: Biography, Adult Nonfiction

The River of Lost Footsteps: a Personal History of Burma by Thant Myint-U
Genre: History, Adult Nonfiction

NEPAL

A Dog Named Haku: a Holiday Story from Nepal by Margarita Engle with Amish Karanjit and Nicole Karanjit, ill. by Ruth Jeyaveeran
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Holiday Story, Picture Book

Second Suns: Two Doctors and Their Amazing Quest to Restore Sight and Save Lives by David Oliver Relin
Genre: Medical Stories, Inspirational Stories, Biographies, Adult Nonfiction

NORTH KOREA

Every Falling Star: the True Story of How I Survived and Escaped North Korea by SungJu Lee with Susan Elizabeth McClelland
Genre: Autobiography, Survival Stories, Suspense, Young Adult Nonfiction

In the Shadow of the Sun by Anne Sibley O’Brien
Genre: Suspense Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Middle Grade

A Kim Jong-Il Production: Kidnap, Torture, Murder… Making Movies North Korean Style by Paul Fischer
Genre: Biography, History, Film Studies, Adult Nonfiction

Year of Impossible Goodbyes (Year of Impossible Goodbyes, #1) by Sook Nyul Choi
Genre: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade/Young Adult

PAKISTAN

Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Suspense Fiction, Middle Grade

Free as a Bird: the Story of Malala by Lina Maslo
Genre: Picture Book Biography
Note: There are many other biographies of Malala available, but of most interest is the original adult autobiography by Malala herself and a middle grade adaptation of that.

Let Her Fly: a Father’s Journey and the Fight for Equality by Ziaddin Yousafzai with Louise Carpenter
Genre: Autobiography, Adult Nonfiction

The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani
Genre: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade
*Parts also in India

PHILIPPINES

Filipino Children’s Favorite Stories by Liana Romulo, ill. by Joanne de Leon
Genre: Fairytales, Folklore, Short Story Collections

Project Seahorse (Scientists in the Field) by Pamela S. Turner, photos by Scott Tuason
Genre: Conservation Stories, Nature, Science, Middle Grade/Young Adult Nonfiction

Smaller and Smaller Circles by F.H. Batacan
Genre: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Adult Fiction

SINGAPORE

A Boy Named Harry: the Childhood of Lee Kuan Yew by Patrick Yee
Genre: Picture Book Biography

The Frangipani Tree Mystery (Crown Colony, #1) by Ovidia Yu
Genre: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Adult Fiction

Sherlock Sam and the Missing Heirloom in Katong (Sherlock Sam, #1) by A.J. Low, ill. by Drewscape
Genre: Mystery Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Lower Grade/Middle Grade

Singapore Children’s Favorite Stories by Di Taylor, ill. by L.K. Tay Audouard
Genre: Folklore, Fairytales, Short Story Collection

SOUTH KOREA

The Birth of Korean Cool: How One Nation Is Conquering the World through Pop Culture by Euny Hong
Genre: Pop Culture Studies, Adult Nonfiction

Living in…South Korea by Chloe Perkins, Tom Woolley
Genre: Lower Grade Nonfiction, Picture Book, Leveled Reader

No Kimchi for Me by Aram Kim
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Animal Stories, Foodie, Picture Book

Please Look after Mom by Kyung-Sook Shin, translated by Chi-Young Kim
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Adult Fiction

A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park
Genre: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade

Where’s Halmoni? by Julie Kim
Genre: Folklore, Mystery Fiction, Graphic Novel, Picture Book, Foreign Language

TAIWAN

Dumpling Days (Pacy, #3) by Grace Lin
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Middle Grade

THAILAND

B is for Bangkok by Janet Brown, ill. by Likit Q. Kittisakdinan
Genre: Lower Grade Nonfiction, Tour Books, Picture Book

A Child of the Northeast by Kampoon Boontawee, translated by Susan Fulop Kepner
Genre: Biographical Fiction, Historical Fiction, Adult Fiction

Four Reigns by Kukrit Pramoj, translated by Tulachandra
Genre: Historical Fiction, Adult Fiction

Hush!: a Thai Lullaby by Minfong Ho, ill. by Holly Meade
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Animal Stories, Picture Book

Mela and the Elephant by Dow Phumiruk, ill. by Ziyue Chen
Genre: Animal Stories, Fables, Picture Book

Tua and the Elephant by R.P. Harris, ill. by Taeeun Yoo
Genre: Animal Stories, Contemporary Fiction, Middle Grade

TIBET

The 14th Dalai Lama: a Manga Biography by Tetsu Saiwai
Genre: Biography, Manga, Young Adult Nonfiction

The Noodle Maker of Kalimpong: the Untold Story of My Struggle for Tibet by Gyalo Thundup & Anne F. Thurston
Genre: Autobiography, History, Adult Nonfiction

Running on the Roof of the World by Jess Butterworth
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Survival Stories, Adventure Stories, Middle Grade

VIETNAM

The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui
Genre: Memoir, History, Graphic Novel, Adult Nonfiction

The First Journey by Phùng Nguyên Quang & Huỳnh Kim Liên
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Picture Book

In a Village by the Sea by Muon Van, ill. by April Chu
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Picture Book

Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai
Genre: Historical Fiction, Novel in Verse, Middle Grade

Ten Cents a Pound by Nhung N. Trans-Davies, ill. by Josée Bisaillon
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Picture Book

Where the Wind Leads: a Refugee Family’s Miraculous Story of Loss, Rescue, and Redemption by Vinh Chung with Tim Downs
Genre: Autobiography, History, Adult Nonfiction

The Brainstorm 170: International Reads Pt 1: Africa

We had International Day at our school a few weeks ago which is a celebration of the cultures and countries that are found in our very diverse student body. It got me thinking that I should share books found in various countries of the world and/or that celebrate and explore the various cultures of the world. I started writing down books for countries of the world, and the list quickly started to get massive. So I’m going to break this into several different Brainstorms. Each one will feature books that are primarily set in one region/country/culture (I’m not allowing myself to use books that like Around the World in 80 Days that hop around to multiple countries). I’ll also let region & culture have precedence over country (so Hawaiian culture books will be in the Australia & Oceania post instead of the North American post). When given many options, I’ve also tried to stick with historical or contemporary fiction, folklore, biographies, or nonfiction to provide books that are more authentic portrayals of the country and culture than a scifi or fantasy book set there would be. [Note: I've already gotten a few requests so after I finish this series I'll look at sharing fantasy/scifi books set in each continent in the future.] I’m also limiting myself to a max of 6 books per country (3 for lower grades, 3 for middle grades on up) because some of them have way, WAY too many books to list. And to save space, I’m not sharing reviews or summaries here, but you can click the titles and be taken to my summary/review, or in the cases that I haven’t read the book yet, to another description of the book. Today we’ll look at books set in Africa, then in the coming weeks I’ll devote a Brainstorm to each of the following: Asia, Australia & Oceania, Central America & the Caribbean, Europe & Eurasia, Middle East, North America, South America.

So, without further ado, here are a selection of fiction and nonfiction books for a variety of ages set in Africa

ANGOLA

Sub-Culture: Mbundu

Nzingha, Warrior Queen of Matamba (The Royal Diaries) by Pat McKissack
Genre: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade Fiction

BENIN

It Takes a Village by Jane Cowen-Fletcher
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Picture Book

BURKINA FASO

All Aboard for the Bobo Road by Stephen Davies, ill. by Christopher Corr
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Picture Book

The Water Princess by Susan Verde, ill. by Peter H. Reynolds
Genre: Biographical Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Picture Book

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

Chief of Station, Congo: Fighting the Cold War in a Hot Zone by Larry Devlin
Genre: Memoir, History, Adult Nonfiction

King Leopold’s Ghost by Adam Hochschild
Genre: History, Adult Nonfiction

The Last Rhinos: the Powerful Story of One Man’s Battle to Save a Species by Anthony Lawrence with Graham Spence
Genre: Memoir, Animal Stories, Nature, Adult Nonfiction

Monkey Sunday: a Story from a Congolese Village by Sanna Stanley
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Picture Book

Specific Congolese Culture: Nkundo

Traveling to Tondo: a Tale of the Nkundo of Zaire by Vera Aardema, ill. by Will Hillenbrand
Genre: Folklore, Picture Book

EGYPT

In a Perfect World by Trish Doller
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Young Adult Fiction

The Jewel Fish of Karnak by Graeme Base
Genre: Fantasy Fiction, Mythology, Fable, Picture Book

Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance Fiction, Spy Stories, Young Adult Fiction

Marcy and the Riddle of the Sphinx (Brownstone’s Mythical Collection, #2) by Joe Todd-Stanton
Genre: Fantasy Fiction, Mythology, Graphic Novel, Lower Grade/Middle Grade Fiction

Red Nile: a Biography of the World’s Greatest River by Robert Twigger
Genre: History, Adult Nonfiction

Who Was King Tut? (Who Was/Is…?) by Roberta Edwards, ill. by True Kelley
Genre: Biography, History, Middle Grade Nonfiction

ETHIOPIA

Black Dove, White Raven by Elizabeth Wein
Genre: Historical Fiction, Young Adult Fiction

The Storyteller’s Beads by Jane Kurtz
Genre: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade Fiction

GHANA

Specific Ghanan Culture: Ashanti

Anansi the Spider: a Tale from the Ashanti by Gerald McDermott
Genre: Folklore, Picture Book

IVORY COAST

The Bitter Side of Sweet by Tara Sullivan
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Suspense Fiction, Young Adult Fiction

KENYA

Auma’s Long Run by Eucabeth A. Odhiambo
Genre: Historical Fiction, Young Adult Fiction

Born Free: the Full Story by Joy Adamson
Genre: Animal Biography, Memoir, Nature, Young Adult Nonfiction

Moto and Me: My Year as a Wildcat’s Foster Mom by Suzi Eszterhas
Genre: Animal Biography, Memoir, Nature, Lower Grade/Middle Grade Nonfiction, Picture Book

The Mystery of the Lion’s Tail (Greetings from Somewhere, #5) by Harper Paris, ill. by Marcos Calo
Genre: Mystery, Contemporary Fiction, Lower Grade Fiction

Owen & Mzee: the True Story of a Remarkable Friendship by Isabella Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff, and Paula Kahumbu, photos by Peter Greste
Genre: Lower Grade/Middle Grade Nonfiction, Animal Stories, Picture Book

Rare Earth (Marc Royce, #2) by Davis Bunn
Genre: Suspense Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Religious Fiction, Adult Fiction

LIBERIA

Specific Liberian Culture: Kru

Quest for the Lost Prince: Samuel Morris (Trailblazer Books) by Dave & Neta Jackson, ill. by Julian Jackson
Genre: Biographical Fiction, Historical Fiction, Religious Fiction, Middle Grade Fiction

MADAGASCAR

The Pirate’s Son by Geraldine McCaughrean
Genre: Adventure Stories, Historical Fiction, Sea Stories, Young Adult Fiction

Thea Stilton and the Madagascar Madness (Thea Stilton, #24) by Thea Stilton, translated by Emily Clement
Genre: Adventure Stories, Mystery, Lower/Middle Grade Fiction

MALI

The Hatseller and the Monkeys: a West African Folktale by Baba Wagué Diakité
Genre: Folklore, Picture Book

MAURITANIA

The Children of Mauritania: Days in the Desert and at the River Shore by Lauren Goodsmith
Genre: Biography, Lower Grade Nonfiction, Picture Book

MOROCCO

King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry, ill. by Wesley Dennis
Genre: Animal Stories, Historical Fiction, Middle Grade Fiction
*Parts also in France and England

The Storyteller by Evan Turk
Genre: Folklore, Picture Book

NAMIBIA

Chasing Cheetahs: the Race to Save Africa’s Fastest Cat (Scientists in the Field) by Sy Montgomery, photos by Nic Bishop
Genre: Animal Stories, Biography, Nature, Science, Middle Grade/Young Adult Nonfiction

The Elephant Scientist (Scientist by Caitlin O’Connell & Donna M. Jackson, photos by Caitlin O’Connell & Timothy Rodwell
Genre: Animal Stories, Autobiography, Nature, Science, Middle Grade/Young Adult Nonfiction

NIGERIA

The Distant Talking Drum: Poems from Nigeria by Isaac Olaleye, ill. by Frané Lessac
Genre: Poetry, Lower Grade Nonfiction

Genius: the Con (Genius, #2) by Leopold Gout
Genre: Suspense Fiction, Young Adult Fiction
*Parts also in India

Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky by Elphinstone Dayrell, ill. by Blair Lent
Genre: Folklore, Picture Book

Specific Nigerian Culture: Ibo

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

Genre: Historical Fiction, Adult Fiction

SOUTH AFRICA

The Elephant Whisperer: My Life with the Herd in the African Wild by Lawrence Anthony with Graham Spencer
Genre: Memoir, Animal Stories, Nature, Culture, Science, Adult Nonfiction
*Note: there is also a young reader’s adaptation of this book available

The Great Penguin Rescue: Saving the African Penguins by Sandra Markle
Genre: Disaster & Rescue Stories, Animal Stories, Nature, Middle Grade Nonfiction

Journey to Jo’burg: a South African Story by Beverly Naidoo
Genre: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade Fiction

Living in…South Africa by Chloe Perkins, ill. by Tom Woolley
Genre: Lower Grade Nonfiction, Picture Book, Leveled Reader

Mama Africa!: How Miriam Makeba Spread Hope with Her Song by Kathryne Erskine, ill. by Charly Palmer
Genre: Picture Book Biography

Nelson Mandela (National Geographic Kids Readers. Level 3) by Barbara Kramer
Genre: Biography, Lower Grade Nonfiction

SUDAN

The Red Pencil by Andrea Davis Pinkney, ill. by Shane W. Evans
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Novel in Verse, Middle Grade Fiction

TANZANIA

Untamed: the Wild Life of Jane Goodall by Anita Silvey,
Genre: Biography, Animal Stories, Nature, Science, Middle Grade Nonfiction

TUNISIA

Benny and Omar by Eoin Colfer
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Middle Grade Fiction

ZAMBIA

The Elephant Keeper: Caring for Orphaned Elephants in Zambia by Elizabeth Ruurs, ill. by Pedro Covo
Genre: Memoir, Animal Stories, Nature, Lower Grade/Middle Grade Nonfiction, Picture Books

ZIMBABWE

Do You Know Me by Nancy Farmer, ill. by Shelley Jackson
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Lower Grade Fiction

I Will Always Write Back: How One Letter Changed Two Lives by Caitlin Alifirenka & Martin Ganda with Liz Welch
Genre: Biography, Young Adult Nonfiction
*Parts also in USA

Now Is the Time for Running by Michael Williams
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Sports Stories, Young Adult Fiction
*Parts also in South Africa