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BEST OF 2011

Wild Coast

John Gimlette

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FOR THE HOLIDAYS

To the Arctic

Florian Schultz

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OUR FAVORITES

Arctic Dreams

Barry Lopez

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GLOBES

The Pioneer

Replogle

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JAPAN

For Kids

Asian Children's Favorite Stories

Asian Children's Favorite Stories


by Patrick Yee | Liana Romulo | Joan Suyenaga | Kay Lyons | Marian Davies Toth | David Conger

  • LITERATURE
  • 2006
  • HARD COVER
  • 112 PAGES
  • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)

Subtitled "A treasury of folktales from China, Japan, Korea, India, The Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia," this is a wonderful collection of 13 traditional stories. (ASA56, $31.95)

Buddha Stories

Buddha Stories


by Demi

  • RELIGION
  • 1997
  • HARD COVER
  • 32 PAGES
  • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)

Intended for ages 4 to 8, this book tells 10 of the author's favorite "jakatas," or moral tales of the Buddha. She has sumptuously illustrated the volume in gold printed on deep, dark blue (in the tradition of an ancient Buddhist text). (ASA16, $23.99)

Erika-san


by Allen Say

  • LITERATURE
  • 2009
  • HARD COVER
  • 32 PAGES
  • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)

Caldecott Medalist Allen Say creates a beautiful story about an American girl who seeks adventure in Japan and discovers more than she could have imagined. (JPN344, $17.00)

Grass Sandals, The Travels of Basho

Grass Sandals, The Travels of Basho


by Dawnine Spivak | Demi

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 40 PAGES
  • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)

A beautiful picture book based on the travel journals of the haiku poet Basho. The story communicates the simplicity of Basho's life and much of the ethos of daily life in old Japan. (JPN97, $18.99)

Japanese Children's Favorite Stories


by Florence Sakade | Yoshio Kurosaki

  • LITERATURE
  • 1990
  • HARD COVER
  • 120 PAGES
  • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)

A refreshing, enchanting collection of traditional Japanese children's stories complemented by lavish illustrations. (JPN77, $16.95)

Life in Old Japan Coloring Book

Life in Old Japan Coloring Book


by John Green

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 48 PAGES
  • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)

This book's more than 40 illustrations, based largely on antique prints, feature Samurai warriors, a Shinto shrine and a tea ceremony. With fascinating facts about Japanese culture. (JPN341, $4.99)

One Leaf Rides the Wind


by Celeste Mannis | Susan Kathleen Hartung

  • LITERATURE
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 32 PAGES
  • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)

A Japanese girl explores a garden in this collection of beautiful haiku, with additional information included explaining the meanings of various elements in the poems. Simple illustrations capture the atmosphere of the garden and poetry. (JPN250, $6.99)

Yuki and the One Thousand Carriers


by Gloria Whelan

  • LITERATURE
  • 2008
  • HARD COVER
  • 32 PAGES
  • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)

Whelan shows a young girl on the road between Tokyo and Kyoto for ages 6 to 9 in lush illustrations and captivating Haiku. (JPN425, $17.95)

Buddha

Buddha


by Demi

  • RELIGION
  • 1996
  • HARD COVER
  • 48 PAGES
  • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)

Beautiful, intricately detailed, full-color illustrations make this life of the Buddha an excellent choice for children. Intended for children age 7-10. (ASA17, $21.99)

Children's Illustrated Japanese Dictionary

Children's Illustrated Japanese Dictionary


by Hippocrene

  • LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 94 PAGES
  • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)

500 words central to a child's everyday life teach even the youngest readers Japanese. (JPN123, $11.95)

Commodore Perry in the Land of the Shogun


by Rhoda Blumberg

  • HISTORY
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 144 PAGES
  • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)

A nonfiction account of Matthew Perry's pivotal expedition to 1850s Japan. (JPN98, $9.99)

Heart of a Samurai

Heart of a Samurai


by Margi Preus

  • LITERATURE
  • 2010
  • HARD COVER
  • 320 PAGES
  • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)

Based on the true story of 14-year-old Manjiro Nakahama in the 1840s, this rollicking adventure on the high seas for ages 10 and up follows the young boy from his rescue for whalers to his time as the first Japanese person in the U.S. to his return home. (JPN416, $15.95)

Japanese Traditions: Rice Cakes, Cherry Blossoms and Matsuri


by Willamarie Moore | Setsu Broderick

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2010
  • HARD COVER
  • 48 PAGES
  • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)

Coauthor and illustrator Broderick draws from her childhood spent in Japan to create this bright and charming depiction of year of festivities. (JPN385, $17.00)

One Day in Japan with Hokusai


by Christopher Wynne | Julia Altmann

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2001
  • HARD COVER
  • 30 PAGES
  • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)

Hokusai, an old man when this story unfolds, tells his grandkids about his life as an artist. (JPN103, $14.95)

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes


by Eleanor Coerr

  • LITERATURE
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 80 PAGES
  • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)

A powerful tale, based on a true story, of a young Japanese track star confronting her own mortality. (JPN271, $5.99)

Shipwrecked! The True Adventures of a Japanese Boy

Shipwrecked! The True Adventures of a Japanese Boy


by Rhoda Blumberg

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 80 PAGES
  • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)

The fascinating life story of Manjiro, a boy from Nakahama who was rescued from death by an American whaling crew and in 1843 became the first Japanese person to enter the United States. (JPN104, $8.99)

The Big Wave

The Big Wave


by Pearl Buck

  • LITERATURE
  • 1986
  • PAPER
  • 57 PAGES
  • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)

Pearl S. Buck's children's classic, in which a Japanese boy escapes a tidal wave that destroys the rest of his village. Ages 9-12. (JPN96, $4.99)

The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn

The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn


by Dorothy Hoobler

  • MYSTERY
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)

A mystery set in Tokugawa-period Japan, in which a teenage boy investigates a robbery and learns much about the ways of samurai. The authors include lots of detail about the historical period, and the mystery is quite gripping. Geared for ages 9-12. (JPN184, $6.99)

The Old Man Mad About Drawing, A Tale of Hokusai

The Old Man Mad About Drawing, A Tale of Hokusai


by Francois Place

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2004
  • HARD COVER
  • 108 PAGES
  • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)

Exuberant watercolors decorate and illuminate every page in this lovely tale of young orphan Tojiro and his apprenticeship to the master engraver -- a vibrant introduction to the art and daily life of late 19th-century Japan. (JPN134, $19.95)

The Perfect Sword


by Scott Goto

  • LITERATURE
  • 2008
  • 48 PAGES
  • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)

This tale of a swordsmith and his apprentice includes an author's note about the history of Japanese samurai swords and a glossary of Japanese terms. (JPN335, $15.95)

You Wouldn't Want to Be a Samurai!

You Wouldn't Want to Be a Samurai!


by Fiona MacDonald

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 32 PAGES
  • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12)

The hilarious illustrations and light-hearted tone, helpful hints and glossary in this popular series for ages 7-10 will entice even reluctant readers. (JPN381, $9.95)

A Samurai Never Fears Death


by Dorothy Hoobler | Thomas Hoobler

  • MYSTERY
  • 2007
  • HARD COVER
  • 176 PAGES
  • YOUNG ADULTS

A historical mystery for young adults, featuring Seikei, a young samurai who investigates murders in the world of 18th-century puppet masters. (JPN272, $14.99)

Across the Nightingale Floor


by Lian Hearn

  • LITERATURE
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 320 PAGES
  • YOUNG ADULTS

Part one in the epic Otori series of adventure novels for young adults, set among the battles and warriors of feudal Japan. (JPN275, $15.00)

Now and Zen

Now and Zen


by Linda Gerber

  • LITERATURE
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 224 PAGES
  • YOUNG ADULTS

In the seventh book in the Students Across the Seven Seas series, Nori studies in Japan to rediscover her Japanese heritage, but winds up posing as a local to impress a cute German student. (JPN205, $7.99)

The Demon in the Teahouse


by Dorothy Hoobler

  • MYSTERY
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 192 PAGES
  • YOUNG ADULTS

Samurai's apprentice Seikei must uncover the mystery behind the murders of local geishas and a series of suspicious fires in this historical mystery for young adults. (JPN274, $6.99)

The Ink-Keeper's Apprentice

The Ink-Keeper's Apprentice


by Allen Say

  • LITERATURE
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 160 PAGES
  • YOUNG ADULTS

Living on his own in postwar Japan, a determined young boy from an aristocratic family apprentices himself to one of Japan's foremost cartoonists, in an autobiographical novel by the Caldecott Medalist of Grandfather's Journey. (JPN212, $7.99)

The Master Puppeteer

The Master Puppeteer


by Katherine Paterson

  • LITERATURE
  • 1989
  • PAPER
  • 192 PAGES
  • YOUNG ADULTS

Set in samurai-era Osaka, this National Book Award-winning novel tells the story of a young apprentice puppetmaker and his hero, a bandit who steals rice from the rich to feed the poor. The book is jammed with adventure, danger, and details about 18th century Japan and Japanese theatre. (JPN183, $5.99)

The Sword That Cut the Burning Grass, A Samurai Mystery


by Dorothy Hoobler

  • MYSTERY
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 224 PAGES
  • YOUNG ADULTS

The Hoobler's teenage hero, 18th-century samurai's apprentice Seikei, is sent on a mission to find the missing emperor in this exciting historical mystery. (JPN273, $6.99)

Japanese Tales

Japanese Tales


by Royall Tyler

  • LITERATURE
  • 1989
  • PAPER
  • 340 PAGES
  • FAMILY

A fine collection of Japanese tales throughout the ages. (JPN95, $19.00)

The Tale of Genji, Scenes from the World's First Novel


by Murasaki Shikibu | Masayuki Miyata | H. Mack Horton

  • LITERATURE
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 240 PAGES
  • FAMILY

Written in the 11th century by a lady of the Japanese court, the story of romantic hero Prince Genji is widely considered to be world literature's first novel. With beautiful illustrations by Masayuki Miyata. (JPN210, $35.00)

The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter


by Yasunari Kawabata | Masayuki Miyata | Donald Keene

  • LITERATURE
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 180 PAGES
  • FAMILY

A classic Japanese fairy tale about love between humans and spirits, here retold by Kawabata and accompanied by stunning illustrations. (JPN207, $35.00)

 

Longitude provides recommended reading for travelers in partnership with the leading tour operators and travel programs for hundreds of destinations worldwide. We've got the classic, new and hard-to-find books and maps to help you get the most out of your adventures.