Books from Europe for elementary and middle school age children
How Leo learned to be king by Marcus Pfister; translated by J. Alison James. Germany, 1998.
From the creator of the international bestseller "The Rainbow Fish" comes a whimsical yet thought-provoking fable about the abuse of power and the responsibilities of leadership. Only when the other animals in his domain refuse to kowtow to Leo and banish him to the savanna does Leo learn that cooperation and consideration are what being a king is all about.
Rinaldo, the sly fox by Ursel Scheffler; translated by J. Alison James. Germany, 1992.
Rinaldo the fox, tricks everyone but Bruno, the duck detective. This trickster story's light mood and cheerful illustrations will appeal to readers across countries and borders.
Sister Shako and Kolo, the goat: memories of my childhood in Turkey by Vedat Dalokay; translated by Güner Ener. Turkey, 1994.
This story about growing up in a village in Eastern Turkey captures readers' imaginations with regional idioms and traditions.
The princess in the kitchen garden by Annemie and Margriet Heymans; translated by Johanna H. Prins and Johanna W. Prins. The Netherlands, 1993.
As their father becomes more absorbed in his work, Matthew and his sister Hannah come to terms with their mother's death in very unusual ways.
A book of coupons by Susie Morgenstern; translated by Gill Rosner. France, 2001.
Elderly Monsieur Noel, the very unconventional new eighth-grade teacher, gives coupon books for such things as dancing in class and sleeping late, which are bound to get him in trouble with the military discipline of Principal Incarnation Perez.