Teen Fiction: a Multicultural View:
Teens From Around the World:
Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie [North America] Y
ALEX
Budding cartoonist Junior leaves the reservation for an all-white town school.
Aya series by Marguerite Abouet [graphica] [Africa] Y ABOU
A romantic comedy that follows a group of teen girls growing up on the Ivory Coast in
the 1970s.
Bearwalker by Joseph Bruchac [North America] Y BRUC
Thirteen-year-old Baron, a member of the Mohawk Bear Clan, calls on the wisdom and
strength of his ancestors to help his classmates during a school trip crisis.
Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd [Ireland] Y DOWD
Fergus, 18, becomes embroiled in the Sinn Fein movement in 1980s Ireland.
Bone Dance by Martha Brooks [Canada] Y BRO
Alexandra, 17, inherits a cabin and land in rural Manitoba, but clashes with a previous
owner.
[Canadiana]
The Breadwinner trilogy: The Breadwinner, Parvana’s Journey, Mud City by Deborah
Ellis [Afghanistan] Y ELLI
After her father is arrested, Parvana must disguise herself as a boy so she can work to
help feed her family as the Taliban take over her country.
Camel Rider by Prue Mason [Persian Gulf region] Y MASO
The breakout of war affects two expatriate teens living in a Middle Eastern country.
[Canadiana]
Chanda’s Secrets by Allan Stratton [Southern Africa] Y STRA
Chanda, 16, deals with life and the ravages of AIDS in her family and community.
[Canadiana]
Chanda’s Wars by Allan Stratton [Southern Africa] Y STRA
Events following those in Chanda’s Secrets find Chanda and her siblings facing the
horrors of civil war.
[Canadiana]
Child of Dandelions by Shenaaz Nanji [Uganda] Y NANI
Sabine, 15, and her Indian family are ordered out of their home in Uganda after Idi Amin
takes power.
Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman [India] Y VENK
Vidya, 15, is directly affected by the fallout from Gandhi’s peaceful protests.
[Canadiana]
The Cocalero Novels: I Am Taxi and Sacred Leaf by Deborah Ellis [Bolivia] Y ELLI
Diego, 12, becomes enslaved by cocaine dealers when his parents are falsely accused of
drug smuggling and imprisoned.
Dawn and Dusk by Alice Mead [Iran] Y MEAD
Azad, 13, is forced to flee with his family during the 1980s Iran-Iraq War.
[Canadiana]
Deadly Loyalties by Jennifer Storm YPB STOR
Through the murder of a friend fourteen-year-old Blaise, an Aboriginal teen, enters the
world of street gangs in Winnipeg.
Figs and Fate: stories about growing up in the Arab states today by Elsa Marston Y
MAR
A collection of five stories portraying Arab youth in various locations in the Middle East.
Girl of Kosovo by Alice Mead [Serbia] Y MEA
Zana, an eleven-year-old Albanian girl, experiences the upheaval in her native Kosovo.
Haveli by Suzanne Fisher Staples [Pakistan] YSTAP
Shabanu, the reluctant teenage bride of a wealthy landowner, must cope with the jealousy
of his other wives. This is the sequel to Shabanu, Daughter of the Wind.
[Canadiana]
The Heaven Shop by Deborah Ellis [Malawi, Southeast Africa] Y ELLI
Thirteen-year-old Binti becomes an AIDS orphan when her father, a coffin-maker, dies.
Homeless Bird by Gloria Whelan [India] Y WHE
A Hindu girl, Koly, is only thirteen when she is widowed in her native India.
The House of Djinn by Suzanne Fisher Staples [Pakistan] Y STAP
Shabanu’s daughter, Mumtaz, and nephew, Jameel, both 15, are caught up in the forces
of modernization of Pakistan.
In the Name of God by Paula Jolin [Syria; Middle East] Y JOLI
Nadia, a seventeen-year-old Muslim living in Syria, becomes involved in a violent
revolutionary movement in opposition to the westernization of her society.
[Canadiana]
Innercity Girl Like Me by Sabrina Bernardo [Canada] Y BERN
Maria, 13, is initiated into the Diablos, an innercity Winnipeg street gang.
Keeper of the Night by Kimberly Willis Holt [Guam] Y HOL
Thirteen-year-old Isabel’s grief over the suicide of her mother is tempered by the warmth
of friends and family.
The Keeping Corner by Kashmira Sheth [India] Y SHET
Married at nine, Leela has now become widowed at thirteen and fears her life is over.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini [Afghanistan] YPB HOSS
Friendship, but also betrayal, features in the lives of two boys growing up together in
Kabul.
Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet by Kashmira Sheth [Mumbai, India] Y SHET
Sixteen-year-old Jeeta alternately rebels against and finds comfort in the traditional ways
of her family.
Message in a Bottle by Valerie Zénatti [Israel] YPB ZENA
Seventeen-year-old Israeli schoolgirl, Tal, sends a message in a bottle to Gaza in an
attempt to spark a peace movement.
Moccasin Thunder: American Indian stories for today edited by Lori Marie Carlson
[North America] Y MOC
Ten stories of contemporary Aboriginal youth with a wide range of experiences.
[Canadiana]
Mountain Girl River Girl by Ting-xing Ye [China] YPB YE
Two teenage girls from different areas of rural China, join forces to survive life in an
urban setting.
[Canadiana]
The Night Wanderer: a native gothic novel by Drew Hayden Taylor [Canada] Y TAYL
Tiffany, 16, is disturbed by the creepy individual her father has rented her room to in
their house on the Otter Lake reservation.
On Thin Ice by Jamie Bastedo [Canadian Arctic] YPB BAST
Inuk girl Ashley is affected by social and environmental changes in her northern
community.
Over a Thousand Hills I Walk With You by Hanna Jansen [Rwanda] Y JANS
A fictionalized biography of an eight-year-old girl, the only one of her family to survive
the 1991 Rwanda genocide.
Red Midnight by Ben Mikaelsen [Guatemala] Y MIK
After soldiers kill all his family but a younger sister, Santiago attempts to reach the U.S.
The Shepherd’s Granddaughter by Anne Laurel Carter [Middle East] Y CART
Amani, a Palestinian Arab, is determined to follow in her grandfather’s footsteps as a
shepherd in the disputed West Bank region.
Sold by Patricia McCormick [Nepal, India] Y MCCO
Lakshmi leaves her poor family for a cleaning job in the city only to find she will be
enslaved and forced to work in the sex trade.
Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind by Suzanne Fisher Staples [Pakistan] Y STA
Shabanu lives a nomadic existence in the Cholistan Desert under patriarchal traditions of
her family that she finds hard to accept. There is a sequel called Haveli.
[Canadiana]
Swimming in the Monsoon Sea by Shyam Selvadurai [Sri Lanka] Y SEL
Fourteen-year-old Amrith welcomes a visit from his exciting Canadian cousin.
Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen [North America] Y MIKA
Cole, an Aboriginal teen, agrees to participate in a sentencing circle to avoid jail.
The Trap by John Smelcer [Alaska] Y SMEL
Johnny Least-Weasel races against time to locate his missing grandfather who has
become caught in his own animal trap.
Useful Fools by C. A. Schmidt [Peru] Y SCHM
Teenage Alonso’s life is interrupted when Senderista guerrillas bomb the health clinic
that his mother has established and where they live.
Wanting Mor by Rukhsana Khan [Afghanistan] Y KHAN
In war-torn Afghanistan, Jameela has lost her beloved mother and is further bereft when
her father abandons her.
The Warriors by Joseph Bruchac [North American] Y BRUC
Jake leaves his home on an Iroquois reservation to attend a prestigious boys school and
play lacrosse.
Who Will Tell My Brother? by Marlene Carvell [North America] Y CAR
During attempts to remove offensive mascots from his school, Aboriginal teen Evan
learns about his heritage and his place in the world.
[Canadiana]
Will’s Garden by Lee Maracle [British Columbia] Y MAR
Will comes of age in a Stó:lō community in British Columbia, where he re-examines the
women in his life and considers his future
X-Indian Chronicles: the book of Mausape by Thomas M. Yeahpau [North America] Y
YEAH
A collection of inter-woven stories blending of pop culture and Aboriginal tradition.
Yellow Line by Sylvia Olsen [Canada] YPB OLSE
Aboriginal and white communities are divided by the highway, and in some cases, their
own prejudices.
Modern Day Teen Immigrants:
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang [graphica] [Chinese-American] Y YANG
Alternates three interrelated stories about the problems of young Chinese Americans
trying to participate in the popular culture.
Amiri and Odette: a love story by Walter Dean Myers [graphica] [African-American] Y
MYER
Stunning illustrations complement this moving romantic tale of two inner-city teens.
April and the Dragon Lady by Lensey Namioka [Chinese-American] Y NAMI
April Chen, 16, fights for independence from a strict and manipulative grandmother.
Ask Me No Questions by Marina Tamar Budhos [Bangledeshi-American] Y BUDH
The horror of 911, and the fear and suspicion that follow, is seen through the eyes of
Nadira, 14, and her family who have come to New York City from Bangladesh.
Behind the Mountains by Edwidge Danticat [Haitian-American] Y DAN
Celiane, 13, documents life in Haiti, and after immigrating to the U. S., in a notebook
given her by her teacher.
[Canadian]
Bifocal by Deborah Ellis and Eric Walters [Afghani-Canadian] Y ELLI
Racism divides a school and a community when a Muslim boy is suspected of terrorism.
Bilal’s Bread by Sulayman X [Iraqi-American] Y X
Bilal’s Kurdish family has fled Iraq, but not before the war has a dramatic, and tragic,
impact on them.
Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier [East Indian-American] Y DESA
Seventeen-year-old Dimple finds she is not Indian enough for some, and too much for
others.
Dark Dude by Oscar Hijuelos [Cuban-American] Y HIJU
Rico, a Latino living in the Midwest, is an outsider in every sense of the word.
Does My Head Look Big in This by Randa Abdel-Fattah [Lebanese-Australian] Y
ABDE
Amal wants to fit in at school but also to wear her traditional Muslim head scarf.
First Crossing: stories about teen immigrants edited by Donald R. Gallo Y FIR
Stories of recent immigrants reveal what it is like to face prejudice, language barriers, and
homesickness along with common teenage feelings and needs.
The Fold by An Na [Korean-American] Y NA
High school student Joyce Kim is eager to have cosmetic surgery to make her eyes
appear more “western.”
Fresh Off the Boat by Melissa de la Cruz [Filipino-American] Y DELA
Vincenza, 14, struggles to fit in after leaving her home in the Philippines for an exclusive,
all-girl private school in the U.S.
Game by Walter Dean Myers [African-American] Y MEYE
Drew is counting on basketball to be his ticket to a successful future, because his grades
won’t.
[Canadian]
Good for Nothing by Michel Noël [Quebec, Canada] Y NOE
Nipishish, a Métis teenager of Anishnabe heritage living in Quebec in the early 1960s, is
orphaned and later expelled from residential school before he can begin to find a place to
belong.
A Group of One by Rachna Gilmore [Indo-Canadian] Y GILM
Tara, 15, develops a new awareness of her culture when her Indian grandmother visits.
Help Wanted: stories by Gary Soto [Mexican-American] Y SOT
Ten stories portray some of the struggles and hopes of young Mexican Americans.
Keeping the Night Watch by Hope Anita Smith [African-American] Y SMIT
This novel in verse powerfully portrays the emotions of a boy whose father has left and
since returned.
[Canadiana]
Learning to Fly by Paul Yee [Canadian-Chinese] Y YEE
Jason, a recent immigrant from China, faces small-town racism in his new home in
Canada.
No Laughter Here by Rita Williams-Garcia [Nigerian-American] Y WIL
Akilah, 10, is troubled by the withdrawal of her friend Victoria after the girl returns from
a rite of passage ceremony back in Nigeria.
Off-Color by Janet McDonald [African-American] Y MCDO
Cameron, 15, living with her single-parent mom in Brooklyn, is unsure what to feel when
she discovers her father was black.
145th Street: short stories by Walter Dean Myers [African-American] Y MEYE
Ten stories portray life on a block in Harlem.
Seeing Emily by Joyce Lee Wong [Chinese-American] Y LEEW
Emily, 16, a gifted artist and daughter of immigrants, faces the challenge of reconciling
her American self and her Chinese heritage.
Skunk Girl by Sheba Karim [Pakistani-American] Y KARI
Nina Khan embraces both American and Pakistani cultures in a series of wry
observances.
Someone Like Summer by M. E. Kerr [Columbian-America] Y KERR
Blonde, blue-eyed Annabel and her Columbian migrant worker boyfriend face prejudice
for their biracial romance.
A Step From Heaven by An Na [Korean-American] Y NA
A Korean girl and her family adjust to the unfamiliar culture in America.
Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers [African-American] Y MEYE
Harlem resident Robin is profoundly changed by his stint in Iraq.
Ten Things I Hate About Me by Randa Abdel-Fattah [Lebanese-Australian] Y ABDE
Jamilah calls herself Jamie and dyes her hair blonde to blend in with classmates.
The Tequila Worm by Viola Canales [Mexican-American] Y CANA
Sofia grows up in a close-knit community of Mexican-Americans in Texas.
Throwaway Daughter by Ting-Xing Ye [Chinese-Canadian] Y YE
Dong-Mei, the adopted daughter of an Ontario couple, goes back to visit her homeland to
learn about her past.
Trouble by Gary D. Schmidt [Cambodian-American] Y SCHM
To honour his dead brother, fourteen-year-old Henry sets out to climb a mountain, and
picks up a Cambodian companion along the way.
Voss: how I come to America and am hero, mostly by David Ives [European-American]
Y IVES
A series of letters back home to a friend reveals Voss’ hilarious and pointed observations
of the American way of life.
Wait for Me by An Na [Korean-American] Y NA
Mina, a straight-A student, obedient daughter, and caring sister is torn between fulfilling
her mother’s dreams for her and trying to discover what she really wants from life.
[Canadiana]
What Happened This Summer by Paul Yee [Chinese-Canadian] Y YEE
Teens are caught between their immigrant parents’ traditional ways and modern
Canadian society.
Zack by William Bell [African-Canadian] Y BEL
Biracial Zack takes off from his parent’s home in Ontario to seek his black mother’s
estranged family in the U.S.
North American Teens Living Elsewhere:
Alexandria of Africa by Eric Walters [Canadians in Kenya] Y WALT
When spoiled rich-girl Alexandria is caught breaking the law again, instead of jail time
she is given a term of community service in Kenya working for an international charity.
Escape Under the Forever Sky by Eve Yohalem [Americans in Ethiopia] Y YOHA
Lucy longs to explore Africa instead of being cooped up in the ambassador’s residence,
but after ‘escaping’, she is kidnapped.
Forbidden City by William Bell [Canadians in China] Y BEL
Alex and his CBC cameraman father are in Beijing to cover the Tiananmen Square Crisis
when Alex disappears.
Habibi by Naomi Sihab Nye [Americans in Palestine] Y NYE
Liyanne and her family leave the U.S. and return to the homeland of her father near
Jerusalem.
Monsoon Summer by Mitali Perkins [Americans in India] Y PER
Fifteen-year-old Jazz reluctantly leaves her best friend to spend the summer in India with
her family.
No Condition is Permanent by Cristina Kessler [Americans in Sierra Leone] Y KES
Jodie, 14, has accompanied her anthropologist mother to Africa and is overwhelmed by
culture shock after she befriends a local girl.
One More River by Lynne Reid Banks [Canadians in Israel] Y REI
Lesley, 14, and her family leave the comforts of their home in Canada for a kibbutz in
Israel just prior to the 1967 war.
Non-fiction:
Bite of the Mango by Mariatu Kamara [Sierra Leone]
966.404092 KAMA
Twelve-year-old Mariatu is content in her peaceful village in Sierra Leone until she is
brutalized by rebels and must fend for herself against nearly insurmountable odds.
The Blacker the Berry by Joyce Carol Thomas and Floyd Cooper
J 811.54 THOM [North America]
A lyrical and luminous collection in which the Coretta Scott King honourees celebrate
skin colour in “all the shades of black.”
Come Back to Afghanistan: a California teenager’s story by Said Hyder Akbar
958.1047 AKB [Afghanistan]
An American teenager who spent summers in Afghanistan where his father ruled one of
the provinces gives an account of life in post-Taliban Afghanistan.
First Darling of the Morning: selected memories of an Indian childhood by Thrity
Umrigar [India]
928.16 UMRI
Umrigar grew up in India and was a Parsi girl of a middle-class family attending a
Catholic school in a predominantly Hindu city.
A Long Way Gone: memoirs of a boy soldier by Ishmael Beah [Sierra Leone]
966.404 BEAH
Forced into unspeakable acts as a child soldier in Sierra Leone, Beah has traveled a long
road to regain his humanity.
Nineteen Varieties of Gazelle: poems of the Middle East by Naomi Shihab Nye
811.54 NYE [Middle East]
Nye shares the beauty and richness of her culture through her poetry written in response
to the dark weight of 911.
Persepolis: the story of a childhood by Marjane Satrapi [Iran]
955.054092 SAT
Marjane, daughter of radical Marxists and a descendant of the last emperor of Iran, grew
up in Iran during the time of the Islamic Revolution that saw the overthrow of the
monarchy there.
Snow Falling in Spring: coming of age in China during the Cultural Revolution by
Moying-Marcus Li [China]
951.056092 LI
Li recounts her experiences from ages twelve to twenty growing up during a complex and
dark period in China’s history.
Tasting the Sky: a Palestinian childhood by Ibtisam Barakat
956.952044092 BARA [Middle East]
Barakat recalls the struggle of living in the midst of warfare, her flight to a refugee camp,
and time in an Israeli detainment camp.
Three Cups of Tea: one man’s mission to promote peace – one school at a time by Greg
Mortenson 371.82209549 MORT [Pakistan; Afghanistan]
After being sheltered by the people of a small Pakistani village, nurse Greg Mortenson
vows to return to build a school, spearheading a project that has seen over 50 schools
built in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli children speak by Deborah Ellis [Middle East]
956.04 ELL [Middle East]
Ellis interviews Arab and Jewish children who recount the toll war has taken on their
childhood.
Zlata’s Diary: a child’s life in Sarajevo by Zlata Filipović
949.742 FIL [Sarajevo]
Zlata, a young resident of Sarajevo, chronicled the impact of the Bosnian War on her
daily life between 1991 and 1993.
Video Resources:
Between: living in the hyphen by the National Film Board of Canada DVD 305.800971
BETW
Between interweaves the experiences of a group of Canadians with one parent from a
European background and one from a visible minority. (43 min. 43 sec.)
Bronwen and Yaffa: moving towards tolerance by the National Film Board of Canada
VC 305.8 BRO
Two young activists from Halifax, having both experienced racism, are determined to
make a difference using music as the medium. (27 min.)
Hearts of Hate: the battle for young minds [Special Loan videorecording]
An unflinching look at the powerful influence of racist groups over young people.
(52 min.)
Journey to Justice by the National Film Board of Canada DVD 305.89607 JOUR--jj
Filmmakers showcase African Canadians who went to court to establish equal rights for
blacks in Canada. (47 min.)
Native American Teens: who we are DVD 305.897 NATI—na
Teens from throughout the United States share their stories in this In the Mix special cohosted by award-winning rap artist and film actor Litefoot. (30 min.)
Race is a Four Letter Word by the National Film Board of Canada DVD 305.800971
RACE
Sobaz Benjamin showcases the stories of several Canadians caught up in the struggle for
cultural identity. (55 min.)
Reema There and Back by the National Film Board of Canada DVD 306.87 REEM—rt
With a Canadian mother and an Iraqi father, who wants to get to know his daughter after
a 16-year absence, young Reema is confronted with difficult questions about her identity.
(52 min.)
Western Eyes by the National Film Board of Canada VC 305.8 WES
A documentary that features two Asian-Canadian women who are contemplating eyelid
surgery to blend into western society more easily. (39 min.)
Additions since August, 2009
Learning to Fly by Paul Yee
[Orca Soundings]
YPB YEE
Jason, a recent immigrant from China, makes some bad decisions as he comes to terms
with small-town racism while trying to fit in. c2008
Shadow of the Leopard by Henning Mankell [Mozambique]
Y MANK
Sofia, at the age of 9, lost her legs in a land mine explosion in Mozambique. Now Sofia is
almost 20 and pregnant with her third child. Sofia is devastated to learn that the father of
her children, Armando, is involved with another woman. Sofia ends their relationship but
suffers terribly in the face of Armando's rage. In a heart-rending conclusion Armando's
life unravels, and Sofia must return to her village to raise her children without him. c2007
Guantanamo Boy by Anna Perera [Muslim teenagers]
Y PERE
Khalid is a normal fifteen-year-old. He likes seeing his friends and playing football
down the park. On a family visit to Karachi, Khalid is kidnapped by unknown assailants,
and taken to a place where systematic humiliation, torture and brutality are part of the
daily routine. A prison he is powerless to escape. A living hell called Guantanamo Bay.
c2009
Payback by Rosemary Hayes [Muslim young woman in Pakistan & London] Y HAYE
o/o order 2010
Freefall by Anna Levine [Israel]
Y LEVI
As war between Israel and Lebanon breaks out in 2006 and her compulsory service in the
Israeli army draws near, teenaged Aggie considers joining an elite female combat unit.
c2008
Burn My Heart by Beverley Naidoo [Africa]
Y NAID
Two boys--one white, one black--share an uneasy friendship in Kenya in the 1950s, a
country shaken by a rebellion of Africans against white landowners, but suspicions and
accusations are escalating, and an act of betrayal could change everything. c2009
A Stone in My Hand by Cathryn Clinton
[Middle East]
Y CLIN
Eleven-year-old Malaak and her family are touched by the violence in Gaza between
Jews and Palestinians when first her father disappears and then her older brother is drawn
to the Islamic Jihad. c2002
Creature of the Night by Kate Thompson [Ireland]
Y THOM
Bobby lives a reckless life smoking, drinking, and stealing cars in Dublin. So his mother
moves the family to the country. But Bobby suspects their cottage might not be as quaint
as it seems. And spooky details of the history of their little cottage gradually turn Bobby
into a detective of night creatures real and imagined. c2009