Leaves of the Banyan Tree
APA Citation:
Wendt, A. (1991). Leaves of the Banyan tree. Auckland: Penguin Books.
Annotation:
An epic spanning three generations, Leaves of the Banyan Tree tells the story of a family and community in Western Samoa, exploring on a grand scale such universal themes as greed, corruption, colonialism, exploitation, and revenge. Winner of the 1980 New Zealand Wattie Book of the Year Award, it is considered a classic work of Pacific literature.
Author Information:
he best-known writer from the South Pacific, Albert Wendt was born into a Samoan family. He left Samoa in 1952 to attend a high school in New Zealand as a scholarship student. He later received an M.A. in history from Victoria University in Wellington. After teaching at universities in Fiji and Samoa, Wendt now holds a professorship of Pacific studies at Auckland University. Wendt is the product of two cultures---the Samoan of his childhood and the European of his education.
Awards: 1980 New Zealand Wattie Book of the Year Award
Target Audience: Young Adult
Genre: Literature and Fiction
Interest: Samoan culture, traditions, immigration, family ties,
Little Chamorrita , Did I tell You?
APA Citation:
Annotation:
This is a children's story of love told by a parent to a little girl or little Chamorrita as they are known in the Pacific Islands of the Marianas. This title uses colorful tropical illustrations to communicate the deep love one has for their little Chamorrita. Using a repeating pattern that reads "Little Chamorrita, did I tell you?", little Chamorritas everywhere will be inspired and understand true island-inspired love.
Author Information:
Mary Aflague was born and raised on the Pacific Island of Guam. As a long-time educator in Guam, Virginia, and Colorado, she is fulfilling her life-long dream of writing books. Mary spends her spare time reading, hiking, and traveling. She works with Gerard, husband and co-author and illustrator, and her children to create simple yet fun titles for children to enjoy.
Awards: N/A
Target Audience: PreK- 3rd grade
Genre: Children's Picture Book/ Fiction
Interest: Chamorro culture, traditions, language, images, family expression.
Maui and the Big Fish
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Cutting Toddy in Kiribati
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Selafina
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Annotation:
Nana is coming from Samoa especially for Selafina's birthday. Selafina is so excited and as a special welcome she wants to dance the siva. Can she learn the dance and overcome her own shyness in time for the big day? This is a heart-warming picture book about the bond between generations in a multi-cultural family.
Author Information:
Born and raised in Auckland, Catherine Hannken writes children's books. She attended the University of Auckland and since 1990 has worked as a primary school teacher. Hannken’s first book Selafina was selected as a Notable Book in the Children’s Literature Foundation of New Zealand Awards and was also short-listed in the Picture Book Category of the 2004 New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards.
Awards:
Shortlisted for the New Zealand Post Children's Picture Book of the Year 2004.
Target Audience: PreK- 3rd grade.
Genre: Picture book/ Fiction
Interest: Samoan culture, coming of age, family ties, traditions, emotions.
Where We Once Belonged
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Island of Shattered Dreams
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One Boy, No Water
APA Citation:
Parker, L., & Egbert, C. (n.d.). One boy, no water.
Annotation:
11 year old Alexander Kaonakai Westin--Zader for short--is allergic to water. One drop on his skin sears like white-hot lava. Too bad a lifetime of carrying an umbrella and staying away from the beach isn't the answer, especially when his popular almost twin brother Jay looks destined to become the next Hawaiian surfing sensation
Author Information:
LEHUA PARKER is the award-winning author of the Niuhi Shark Saga trilogy for MG/YA readers, Lauele Town Stories, and other horror and speculative works for adults. Originally from Hawaii and a graduate of The Kamehameha Schools, after a lifetime of travel and adventure, she is currently a business and training consultant, author, editor, public speaker, and soccer mom--not necessarily in that order. Trained in literary criticism and an advocate of indigenous cultural narratives and diversity in literature, she is a frequent speaker at conferences and symposiums. Connect with her at www.LehuaParker.com.
Awards:
American Book award
Target audience: Grades 4-8 ages 9-11
Genre: Juvenile Fiction/ Adventure and Fantasy
Interest: Hawaiian language, culture ,coming of age, magic, and folklore
Moon Mangoes
APA Citation:
Surfer of the Century
APA Citation:
Crowe, E., & Waldrep, R. (2007). Surfer of the century: The life of Duke Kahanamoku. New York: Lee & Low Books.
Annotation:
Growing up in Honolulu with the Pacific Ocean as his backyard, Duke Kahanamoku learned to swim and surf at a young age. By his early twenties, Duke's lightning-fast swimming won him a place on the 1912 United States Olympic team and a gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle race. Over the years Duke struggled with racism and financial troubles, but by the end of his twenty-year Olympic career, he was a six-time medal winner. Although a swimming champion, Duke's passion was surfing. He traveled the world, introducing surfboarding to Australia and the east and west coasts of the United States. Considered the father of modern surfing, Duke spread his love of the ocean and Hawai'i wherever he went. Throughout his life Duke Kahanamoku was beloved for his modesty, sportsmanship, and amazing skill in the water. Today he remains a legendary waterman and an inspiration to all to live life with aloha. aloha: love, kindness, grace, affection, compassion; also traditional Hawaiian greeting or farewell.
Author Information:
Ellie Crowe is an award-winning author of some 24 published books. She was born in South Africa and lives in Honolulu, Hawaii and Santa Barbara, California. Her books on the culture and history of Hawaii include Exploring Lost Hawaii, Places of Power, History, Mystery and Magic, Kamehameha, the Boy who became a Warrior King, recipient of the HVCB Kahili Award for Literary Arts in 2004, and Surfer of the Century, the Life of Duke Kahanamoku, recipient of the Simon Wiesenthal Museum of Tolerance Once Upon a World Award in Children's Literature in 2008. Her first book, The Little Princess Kaiulani, is included in a time capsule in the grounds of the Princess Victoria Kaiulani Elementary School, Honolulu.
Awards:
Simon Wiesenthal Museum of Tolerance Once Upon a World Award in Children's Literature in 2008.
Target Audience: Grade Level Equivalence 5.9, interest level grades 3-7
Genre: Biography/ Nonfiction
Interest: Sports, Hawaiian culture, overcoming diversity, Olympic sports, surfing, history
Mali Under the Night Sky
APA Citation:
Y., & Kouanchao, M. (2010). Mali under the night sky: A Lao story of home. El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos Press.
Annotation:
The true story of Laotian American artist Malichansouk Kouanchao, whose family was forced by civil war to flee Laos when she was five. Before the war began, Mali lived an idyllic life in a community where she felt safe and was much loved. But the coming war caused her family to flee to another country and a life that was less than ideal. What did she carry with her? She carried her memories. And they in turn carried her across the world, sharing where she is from and all that she loves with the people she meets.
Author Information:
Youme Landowne is an energetic and joyful painter, book artist, and activist who thrives in the context of public art. Youme has lived in and learned from the United States, Kenya, Japan, Laos, Haiti, and Cuba. In all of these places, she has worked with communities and individuals to make art that honors personal and cultural wisdom, creating community murals, illustrating tiny books, and teaching poetry in schools.
Awards:
2011 Skipping Stones honor book
Target Audience: Grades 4-8
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
Interest: Laotian history, culture, refugee, immigration, prisoner of war.
Kancil and the Crocodiles
APA Citation:
Day, N. Y., & Teckentrup, B. (1996). Kancil and the crocodiles: A tale from Malaysia. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.
Annotation:
On a hot, sunny day, Kancil the mousedeer and his best frind, Kura-Kura the turtoise, spot a tree full of ripe, juicy fruit that would be the perfect snack to satisfy their thirst. The only problem is, the tree is on the other side of a crocodile-infested river. Can crafty Kancil trick the hungry crocodiles into helping them cross the river? Full color.
Author Information:
Noreha Yussof Day is a published author of children's books. A published credit of Noreha Yussof Day is Kancil and the Crocodiles: A Tale from Malaysia.
Awards: N/A
Target Audience: Children's Literature, PreK-4th
Genre: Folklore
Interest: Malaysian Culture, folklore, moral, values, story telling.
The carpet Boy's Gift
APA Citation:
Shea, P. D., & Morin, L. (2003). The carpet boy's gift. Gardiner, Me.: Tilbury House.
Annotation:
Nadeem and his fellow workers are bonded laborers, children who work day and night to pay off loans their families have accepted from a factory owner. Although Nadeem and his cousin Amina take pride in helping their poor families, they yearn to go to school ant to have time to play. One day a former carpet boy named Iqbal Masih leads a parade in the village. New laws have abolished bonded labor! Iqbal urges Nadeem to fight for freedom and to lead the children to a new school in town. This fictional story honors the legacy of Iqbal Masih, a real boy who escaped from a factory and worked to liberate child workers like Nameem by the thousands. Resources at the end of the story lead to more information about child labor issues and encourage children to support companies that work to make the world a better place for all.
Author Information:
Pegi Deitz Shea, a recipient of the Connecticut Book Award, has written many children's books. She lives in Rockville, Connecticut. Her web site is www.pegideitzshea.com.
Morin is a self-taught illustrator.
Target Audience: Grades 4-8 4.6 reading level equivalence.
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
Interest: grades 3-6, Pakistani culture, child labor, coming of age,
Filipino Celebrations
APA Citation:
Romulo, L., & Dandan-Albano, C. (2011). Filipino celebrations. Tokyo: Tuttle Pub.
Annotation:
Brimming with vivid illustrations and rich cultural background, Filipino Celebrations brings to life the festivals and celebrations of this diverse island nation. Each chapter discusses the history of the holiday; its cultural influences; how certain holidays are celebrated differently in different regions of the Philippines; special customs, foods, key words and phrases associated with the festivals; and more.
Author Information:
She lives in the Philippines but likes to wander the world, and has lived in Thailand, Belgium, and the United States. The pieces she writes for this site give her immense satisfaction, though she has also published half a dozen books for kids.
Awards: N/A
Target Audience: Prek-3rd grade
Genre: Children's Picture Book/ Nonfiction
Interest: Filipino culture, traditions, food, celebrations, language, and history.
Written in the Sky
APA Citation:
Kaopio, M. (2005). Written in the sky. Honolulu: Mutual Pub.
Annotation:
A young abandoned Hawaiian boy, living among the homeless in Ala Moana Park, spends his days observing tourists, swimming in the ocean and rummaging in the trash. At first glance there is nothing special about young Ikauikalani, till you learn he can see the future in the movements of the clouds. Following directions received from his deceased grandmother, Ikau sets off on a journey of self-discovery releasing his past and helping him to understand his own future.
Author Information:
Matthew Kaopio, Jr. was born in Kailua, Hawaii on April 28, 1972. Since childhood, he enjoyed art and drawing. On August 17, 1994 his life was forever changed as result of a swimming accident that left him severly paralyzed as a C-4 quadriplegic. He was 22 years old. Kaopio says he was devastated and depressed, feeling like he would never be able to draw or paint another picture again. But while recovering at the Rehabilititaion Hospital of the Pacific, Kaopio was introducted to mouthpainting by MFPA student member David Kaaihue.
Awards: N/A
Target Audience: Young Adult
Genre: Fiction
Interest: Hawaiian culture, mythology, heritage, customs, loss, overcoming diversity, coming of age.
Minerva Reef
APA Citation:
Ruhen, O. (1964). Minerva Reef. Boston: Little, Brown.
Annotation:
Semi-fictionalised account of the wreck of the Tongan ship Tuiakaepau on Minerva Reef in 1962.
Author Information:
Olaf Ruhen was born in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1911 and served with the RNZAF during the Second World War. In 1947 he moved to Sydney and worked as a journalist for eight years. He became established as a freelance writer during the 1950s, having a number of short stories published in the Saturday evening post. From then until his death in 1989 he published a prolific quantity of documentary and fictional writing, based largely on his extensive travels in Australia, New Guinea and the South Pacific.
Awards: N/A
Target Audience: Young Adult
Genre: Journal, nonfiction
Interest: Sea life, survival, Pacific Island geography,
