Lakshmi is a thirteen-year-old girl who lives with her family in a small hut on a mountain in Nepal. Though she is desperately poor, her life is full of simple pleasures, like playing hopscotch with her best friend from school, and having her mother brush her hair by the light of an oil lamp. But when the harsh Himalayan monsoons wash away all that remains of the family's crops, Lakshmi's stepfather says she must leave home and take a job to support her family.
He introduces her to a glamorous stranger who tells her she will find her a job as a maid in the city. Glad to be able to help, Lakshmi journeys to India and arrives at Happiness House full of hope. But she soon learns the unthinkable truth: she has been sold into prostitution.

An old woman named Mumtaz rules the brothel with cruelty and cunning. She tells Lakshmi that she is trapped there until she can pay off her family's debt-then cheats Lakshmi of her meager earnings so that she can never leave.

Lakshmi's life becomes a nightmare from which she cannot escape. Still, she lives by her mother's words--Simply to endure is to triumph--and gradually, she forms friendships with the other girls that enable her to survive in this terrifying new world. Then the day comes when she must make a decision-will she risk everything for a chance to reclaim her life?

Written in spare and evocative vignettes by the co-author of I Am Malala (Young Readers Edition), this powerful novel renders a world that is as unimaginable as it is real, and a girl who not only survives but triumphs.

Minni lives in the poorest part of Mumbai, where access to water is limited to a few hours a day and the communal taps have long lines. Lately, though, even that access is threatened by severe water shortages and thieves who are stealing this precious commodity--an act that Minni accidentally witnesses one night. Meanwhile, in the high-rise building where she just started to work, she discovers that water streams out of every faucet and there's even a rooftop swimming pool. Then one day, Minni encounters the water mafia boss and faces her biggest dilemma yet--should she expose him even if it means risking her job . . . and maybe her life? How did her future get so complicated?

As featured in the Oscar-nominated Hayao Miyazaki film The Boy and the Heron: the coming-of-age novel How Do You Live? is a Japanese classic that became a New York Times bestseller.

After the death of his father, fifteen-year-old Copper must confront inevitable and enormous change, including the aftermath of his own betrayal of his best friend. Between episodes of Copper's emerging story, letters from his uncle share knowledge and offer advice on life's big questions. Like his namesake Copernicus, Copper looks to the stars and uses his discoveries about the heavens, earth, and human nature to answer the question of how he will live.

First published in 1937 in Japan, Genzaburō Yoshino's How Do You Live? has long been an important book for Academy Award-winning animator Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle). Perfect for readers of philosophical fiction like The Alchemist and The Little Prince, How Do You Live? serves as a thought-provoking guide for young readers as they grow up in a world both infinitely large and unimaginably small.

Little Ah-Fu has a big imagination, but he can't imagine being the Oxherd Boy . . . yet.

When the day comes for Ah-Fu to bring the huge family ox home from the woods, he worries that he's not big enough to do the job.

Will fear and self-doubt drive Ah-Fu home empty-handed? Or can he rely on his wits and compassion to become the Oxherd Boy his family expects--and prove to himself that he is, indeed, big enough?

Delightfully paired with exquisite illustrations, this empowering story inspired by traditional Chinese philosophy shows kids big and small how to trust themselves and embrace what they can be.

Magandang umaga! Come along for a day in the Philippines. Ride the unicorn jeepney, stop by the sari sari, and cool off with sweet halo halo. Even learn words in Filipino with pronunciation guides throughout the story.

• Part of the Barefoot Books Our World series
• Written by Filipino author Zewlan Moor and illustrated by Happy Garaje
• Endmatter provides more insights into life in the Philippines

(paperback reissue of ISBN 0-19-274500-X)

Subah bakhair! Come along for a day in Pakistan. Choose a salwar kameez, ride the driverless train, and taste sweet and sour falsa. Even learn words in Urdu with pronunciation guides throughout the story.

• Part of the Barefoot Books Our World series
• Written by Pakistani author Rumaisa Bilal and illustrated by Pakistani Palestinian illustrator Nez Riaz
• Endmatter provides more insights into life in Pakistan

Two mittens. A pair of friends.

The little red left mitten and the little red right mitten enjoy their life as a pair, keeping Little One's hands warm and toasty. But one day Little One loses the right mitten--and it's off on an adventure through the forest! Passed among various woodland creatures, the little right mitten soon becomes tattered--yet it remains cherished, always, by those who find it. Meanwhile, the left mitten can't help but worry about its old pal, even after a new right mitten is knitted. Will these dear friends ever see each other again?

Typhoons are a regular part of Maya's life in the Philippines, but after this storm, she finds something unusual in her backyard--a roof! There's an address written on it, and Maya is determined to return it to its family. She'll need help to make her way through the damage left behind by the typhoon. As she sets out with her tatay, Maya collaborates with a farmer and his carabao, a couple of fishers and their boat, a sapatero, a labandera, a kusinera, and more of her neighbors. Together, they sail around knotted tree roots, hauling, heaving, pushing, and dragging the roof until they find its family--and begin to rebuild their community.

Told by Stephanie Ellen Sy in a cumulative structure that begs to be read aloud, and paired with Daniel Tingcungco's lush and cinematic illustrations, A Roof! is a story about community care that celebrates the Filipino spirit of bayanihan.

Every day, more and more people fleeing war in the north show up at Kyung Tak and her family's house on the southeastern shore of Korea. With nowhere else to go, the Taks' home is these migrants' last chance of refuge before falling into the sea, and the household quickly becomes crowded, hot, and noisy. Then war sirens cry out over Kyung's city too, and her family and their guests take shelter underground. When the sirens stop, Kyung is upset--she wishes everything could go back to the way it was before: before the sirens, before strangers started coming into their home. But after an important talk with her parents, her new friend Sunhee, and Sunhee's father, Kyung realizes something important: We're stronger when we have each other, and the kindness we show one another in the darkest of times is a gift we'll never regret.

***Three starred reviews***
*A poignant tale of light in the darkness--and compassion in times of war.--Kirkus Reviews

Traveling from California to Taiwan for the first time, even with her parents and her Nainai around her, is a lot for a little girl to take in. The plane ride lasts forever, she can't read any of the signs, and she's worried there will be unfamiliar bugs.

But then Nainai becomes her tour guide, and Taiwan transforms. As they huff and puff up Nainai's favorite mountain, stomachs full of bao and juicy sausage, Nainai spins yarns about riding to the movies in pedicabs, eating frozen pineapple, and playing pinball to win snacks. Even the bugs turn out to be more cool than scary.

At the top of the mountain is a surprise: all sorts of people playing and exercising--and they all remember Nainai. The little girl is filled with pride when they can tell just who she is: your granddaughter!

Author Livia Blackburne shares an author's note about the inspiration she drew from childhood visits to Taiwan, her parents' childhoods there, and her own mountain-climbing Nainai. The deep well of lived experience is evident on every page, and is perfectly evoked by Joey Chou's intricate, colorful illustration. Whether it's a reflection of home or a window into somewhere brand-new, kids, grandparents, and everyone in between will love following Nainai to the top of her mountain.

Having explored blossoming fields, a magical mound of tall grass, crystal caves and underground passageways, here Chirri and Chirra explore life in town!

★ Winner of Multicultural Award, 2021 Northern Lights Book Awards

In this fifth book of perhaps the most charming series ever, Chirri and Chirra venture down forest paths and through alleyways into a yarn shop and an old woman's house, where they enjoy hot drinks and soup. When they're done, they find a wonderful surprise hidden in the branches of a tree. Memorable for Doi's luminous appreciation of the natural world as well as her respect for beautiful edibles, this new installment is sure to delight!

Even from Ramen's small shelf in the supermarket, they see spaghetti propaganda everywhere. They want to be celebrated, too. Maybe, Ramen misguidedly thinks, I have to change to be loved like that. I want to be spaghetti! they proclaim to the dismay of the rest of the instant noodle section.

But when Ramen's brought home and placed in a warm bowl of broth alongside new friends like Chashu, Narutomaki, and Nori, they realize they've always been perfect exactly the way they are. Colorfully illustrated by Claudia Lam (@theforestmori), this heartwarming story about identity and community from food writer Kiera Wright-Ruiz (@kierawrr) celebrates the beauty of being yourself --and being recognized for who you are.

Namaste! Let's explore India! Wake to a myna bird's song, dine on dal, count mango trees, and more. Even learn words in Hindi with pronunciation guides throughout the story.

• Part of the Barefoot Books Our World series
• Written by Indian author Meera Sriram and illustrated by Neethi
• Endmatter provides more insights into life in India

A Caldecott Honor Book based on a Japanese folktale and highlighted by Allen Say's beautiful art.

Lazy Taro gets his comeuppance when his wise mother uses his trick to avoid work to her own advantage.

The pictures, handsome in every respect, are done in Japanese style, and complement a well-crafted story. (Booklist; starred review)

Ming Lo's wife is angry. The couple live beside a big mountain which causes them no end of trouble. Shadows fall over their garden. Rocks fall through their roof. And it is always raining. Husband, says Ming Lo's wife, you must move the mountain so that we may enjoy our house in peace. But how can a man as small as Ming Lo move something as large as a mountain? Maybe the village wise man can help. This whimsical literary folktale is set in China.

For one girl, summers used to mean helping Lolo run his sari-sari store, which was always brimming with goods for the neighborhood: shampoo packets for Ate Jane, rice and eggs for Tonton, and a sympathetic ear for anyone who needed it. Sari-sari means a good variety--just look around and you'll see. What help can you give your community? Lolo would say, as he filled his shelves with what people would need.

Now that she's far from the Philippines, she misses Lolo and the friendly faces that surrounded his sari-sari store. But when she remembers her grandfather's words, her heart keeps Lolo close, and she starts to see opportunities for connection and community in her new home.

Nǐ hǎo! Let's spend a day in China! Fly kites in the square, buy sweet lychee at the market and go paddle boating at the lake. Even learn words in Mandarin with pronuncian guides throughout the story.

• Part of the Barefoot Books Our World series
• Written by Chinese author and illustrator Songju Ma Daemicke and Jam Dong
• Endmatter offers a further glimpse into life in China