New Releases by Helen Recorvits

Yoon''s name means "shining wisdom," and when she writes it in Korean, it looks happy. But her father says she must learn to write it in English. In English, all the lines and circles stand alone, which is just how Yoon feels in the United States. An inspiring story about a little girl finding her place in a new country. Full color.

Yoon es nueva en el escuela y de momento tiene pocas amigas. Le encantaría jugar a la comba con las otras niñas y espera que su madre le regale una por su cumpleaños. Pero en vez de una comba, su madre le regala un precioso cuento y una pulsera de jade qu

It is Yoon''s birthday and all she wants is a jump rope so she can play with the other girls in the school yard. Instead, Yoon''s mother gives her a Korean storybook about a silly girl who is tricked by a tiger. Yoon also receives a jade bracelet that once belonged to her grandmother. The next day at school, a girl offers to teach Yoon how to jump rope, but for a price: she wants to borrow the jade bracelet. When Yoon tries to get her bracelet back, the girl swears it belongs to her. Yoon must use the lessons learned in her storybook and her "Shining Wisdom" to retrieve the precious keepsake. In this third book featuring Yoon, lush impressionistic dreamscapes evoke a simple and timeless message: it is possible to trick a tiger. Yoon and the Jade Bracelet is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children''s Book of the Year.

In My Name Is Yoon, Yoon''s parents encouraged her to write her name in English instead of Korean. Now it''s Yoon''s turn to teach her parents about something she''s learned in America. When Yoon''s teacher lends her a book about Santa Claus, Yoon can''t wait to show it to her parents. To Yoon''s disappointment, though, her mother responds, "We are not a Christmas family." As Christmas Eve approaches, Yoon learns more and more about this exciting holiday. But no matter how hard she tries to convince her parents to sing Christmas songs or put up Christmas stockings, they always say no. A determined Yoon soon realizes that she must use her own "Shining Wisdom" to persuade her parents that they can indeed be a Christmas family. Distinctive and glowing pictures with brushstrokes echoing Renoir accompany this charming story that rings true and reaches deep.

Publisher Description

A touching story about heroism Ten-year-old Junior wasn''t even born when his father came home from World War II, but he knows his dad was a war hero. He''d been a pilot, and Junior would like to know more about his wartime experiences, but his dad doesn''t want to talk about the war and gets mad whenever the subject comes up. Plenty of other things make him angry, too, especially Junior''s best friend, Lenny, a polio survivor. Even though Lenny is no longer contagious, Junior''s father doesn''t want his son taking any chances. Junior knows better and he''s not going to let his father ruin his summer or his friendship. His dad comes close to doing both until something happens that shows everyone where heroes hide.

Nous sommes aux Etats-Unis, au tout début des années trente. La famille Malinski, comme des milliers d''autres, est dans la misère. Walter et Wanda se serrent les coudes, malgré leur grande différence d''âge. C''est ensemble qu''ils vont ramasser des morceaux de charbon au bord de la voie ferrée ou mendier des fruits et des légumes avariés à l''épicerie. Walter défend Wanda quand des garçons de son école l''attaquent. Wanda soutient et console Walter chaque fois que leur père s''en prend à lui, c''est-à-dire de plus en plus souvent. De plus en plus violemment, aussi, car Walter ne se laisse pas faire. La mère s''inquiète, elle sent qu''un drame couve. Pas celui qu''elle croit. Ce livre est l''histoire d''un père qui ne sait pas montrer à son fils qu''il l''aime. Et d''une sœur qui se sentira à jamais seule.

"Wanda, an observant and perceptive fifth grader, gives readers a first-hand account of the effects of powerlessness and grinding poverty on everyday life and family."- School Library Journal. "Recorvits makes a poised and confident debut with this bittersweet Depression-era tale of a Polish immigrant family ... Bloom''s softly shaded black-and-white line illustrations, sometimes brooding, sometimes hopeful, punctuate each chapter and contribute to the emotional impact of the tale." - Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

Disliking her name as written in English, Korean-born Yoon, or shining wisdom, refers to herself as cat, bird, and cupcake, as a way to feel more comfortable in her new school and new country.