Realistic Fiction Set in Non-English-Speaking Countries
Ali and the Golden Eagle by Wayne Grover (Saudi Arabia)
Ali, a young shepherd boy, trains an eagle that was given to him by an American friend. When he wins a royal falconry contest, the king becomes interested in him and his village.
Bird Boy by Elizabeth Hill (China)
Chang cannot speak, but he can still communicate with the cormorants that help his family catch fish on the Li River.
The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis (Afghanistan)
When the Taliban arrests her father, Parvana dresses as a boy and ventures into the Kabul marketplace to earn money to buy food for her family.
Breath of the Dragon by Gail Giles (Thailand)
Because her father died committing a crime, Malila must endure the taunts of other children. But even shame can’t destroy her love for her grandmother or for Thailand.
Buster the Sheikh of Hope Street by Bjarne Reuter
The adventures and misadventures of Buster, a Danish boy, come to a climax when he must take over the lead of the school play on opening night.
Colibri by Ann Cameron (Guatemala)
When she was 4, Colibri was kidnapped. For the last 8 years, she has traveled the country with “Uncle” helping him beg.
Color of My Words by Lynn Joseph (Dominican Republic)
Her brother encourages Ana Rose to write about what’s happening in their seaside village. But words can be very powerful; does Ana Rose have the strength to deal with their consequences?
Dawn and Dusk by Alice Mead (Iran)
Because of the Iraq-Iran War 13 year old Azad and his family are forced to leave their home.
Even a Little Is Something: Stories of Nong by Tom Glass (Thailand)
Meet Nong, an 11-year-old living in a village in Thailand with her family. She goes to school, helps with chores, visits the neighbors and even has time to play.
The Friends by Kazumi Yumoto (Japan)
Kiyama and two friends become fascinated by death. When they find an old man, they are determined to watch him until he dies so they can see what happens.
Garbage King by Elizabeth Laird (Ethiopia)
After his mother’s death, Mamo is sold to a farmer to pay her debts.
Girl of Kosovo by Alice Mead (Yugoslavia)
Zana’s father and brothers are killed in a rocket attack by Serb paramilitaries and she is wounded. Imagine her surprise when she wakes up in a Serbian hospital.
A Girl Named Disaster by Nancy Farmer (Mozambique/Zambia)
To escape marriage to a cruel man, Nhamo sets out into the dangerous and beautiful heart of Africa in search of her missing father.
Goodbye, Vietnam by Gloria Whelan (Vietnam)
Mai’s family must escape Vietnam. Will they journey to a refugee camp on rickety boats through pirate-infested waters only to be sent back?
A Hand Full of Stars by Rafik Schami (Syria)
Through his journal, a teenager in Damascus explores his frustration with the government injustices he witnesses. Then he and his friends begin an underground newspaper so they can share their views with others.
Heaven Shop by Deborah Ellis (Malawi)
When Binti and her siblings are orphaned by AIDs, they are split up and despised.
Homeless Bird by Gloria Whelan (India)
At 13, Koly is getting married. But Koly’s new in-laws don’t want her; they only want the money from her dowry so they can take her sick husband to the Ganges River to be cured.
Iqbal: A Novel by Francesco D’Adamo (Pakistan)
Imagine working in a carpet factory everyday instead of attending school. It still happens in many places around the world.
Kiss the Dust by Elizabeth Laird (Iraq)
Thirteen year-old Tara and her family must flee across the border to Iran because of her father’s involvement with the Kurdish resistance movement in Iraq.
The Most Beautiful Place in the World by Ann Cameron (Guatemala)
Juan weathers being deserted by his parents and hard work. He also teaches himself to read and convinces his grandmother to send him to school.
Mud City by Deborah Ellis (Pakistan)
14 year-old Shauzia has escaped the misery of Kabul, only to land in a refuge camp is Pakistan .
No Turning Back, A Novel of South Africa by Beverly Naidoo (South Africa)
Sipho runs away to Johannesburg to escape his abusive stepfather. But 12-year-old black males are no safer on the streets.
Paper Bird by Maretha Maartens (South Africa)
Anyone on the road from the Black township of Phameng to the city of Bloemfontein is a target for violence. And since his father was killed, Adam must travel it in search of work to buy food for his family.
Samir and Yonatan by Daniella Carmi (Israel)
Samir, a Palestinian, is in an Israeli hospital room with four Israeli boys. What could be worse than being trapped with people who hate you and are responsible for the death of your brother?
Secret Letters from 0 – 10 by Susie Morgenstern (France)
Ernest is 10. His life is boring. Everyday is the same until Victoria moves to town. For Victoria it’s love at first sight and she announces they are getting married in thirteen years, eight months and three days. Now Ernest’s life is anything but boring.
Secrets in the Fire by Henning Mankell (Mozambique)
Sofia’s village was destroyed, her father and friends killed by bandits. She travels with her mother and siblings to a distant village surrounded by landmines in this story based on a true event in war-torn Mozambique.
Shabanu, Daughter of the Wind by Suzanne Staples (Pakistan)
11-year-old Shabanu lives with her family in the Cholistan Desert. When she is pledged in marriage to an older man, she must accept the decision or live with the consequences of defying her father’s wishes. (Haveli is the sequel.)
Shark Beneath the Reef by Jean Craighead George (Mexico)
Tomas wants to be a fisherman like his grandfather and uncle and catch a shark. When he joins the family business he learns that the government is trying to force small fishermen out of business.
Shiva’s Fire by Suzanne Fisher Staples (India)
Parvati begins to dance as a toddler in a small village in the South of India. When a master of classical Indian dance invites her to study with him, Parvati thinks her future is settled. Then she meets a boy who turns her world upside down.
Silk Umbrellas by Carolyn Marsden (Thailand)
11 year-old Noi loves helping her grandmother pain t umbrellas, but working at a local factory might bring more money.
Stone in my Hand by Cathryn Clinton (Gaza Strip)
Malaak is 11 when her father disappears and the brother is drawn into the Islamic Jihad.
The Storyteller’s Beads by Jane Kurtz (Ethiopia)
Sahay and Rahel are both fleeing from the fighting in Ethiopia. But one is Jewish and one is Christian. Will they be able to trust each other? Will they be able to survive if they don’t?
Tiger’s Fall by Molly Bang (Mexico)
When Lupe is paralyzed after a fall from a tree, the residents of a center for the disabled help her to recover.
Vero and Philippe by Caroline Hatton (France)
Vero’s life falls apart when she moves from Normandy to Paris and her mother fires her friend and babysitter.
Young Adult Fiction
Go and Come Back by Joan Abelove (Peru)
Grab Hands and Run by Frances Temple (El Salvador)
The Honorable Prison by Lyll Becerra de Jenkins (Latin America)
I Miss You, I Miss You by Peter Pohl (Sweden)
In the Name of God by Paula Jolin (Syria)
Other Side of Truth by Beverly Naidoo (Nigeria)
Smiling for Strangers by Gaye Hicyilmaz (Yugoslavia)
Sold by Patricia McCormick (India)
Taste of Salt by Frances Temple (Haiti)
Zazoo by Richard Mosher (France)
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