Asia Culture

Through compelling reminiscences of his grandfather's life in the United States and Japan, Allen Say poignantly recounts his family's journey to America. The feelings of being torn by a love for two different countries are sensitively narrated by B.D.Wong.

From her childhood in China to the moment she won her first National Book Award, literary icon Katherine Paterson shares the personal stories that inspired her children's books. Told with her trademark humor and heart, Paterson's tales reveal details about her life from her childhood with missionary parents, to living as a single woman in Japan, to raising four children in suburban Maryland with her minister husband.

Weeping Under This Same Moon is based on a true story of two teenage girls from different cultures, whose paths intertwine, dramatically altering the course of their lives. In this testament to the power of love and the spirit of volunteerism, Mei and Hannah come together in celebration of culture and language, food and friendship, and the ultimate rescue of both young women from their own despair.

Since the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 by a United Nations mandate, the Middle East has been a flashpoint of conflict between the world's only Jewish state and the Palestinians, who lost their land because of the UN partition. This ready-reference volume explores the culture, geography, economy, and government of the state of Israel.

Un chico se despierta en el medio del bosque. No tiene idea de quién es o cómo llegó allí. Con la ayuda de varias personas y animales, así como de una espada con poderes especiales, este ronin encuentra el camino a través de múltiples aventuras. Cuando una aldea necesita de su protección, debe aprender a pelear con honor por los campesinos a los que tiene que salvar, y por él mismo.

Ronin conoce a un viejo amigo y comienza el entrenamiento con su sensei, con el que aprende que nada es imposible. Sus aventuras continúan y se encuentra a sí mismo defendiendo a los débiles y usando su poder para el bien. Ronin aprende más de sí mismo y, posiblemente, de dónde vino.

Ronin enfrenta un desafío complicado y aprende que a veces, aun en los enemigos, hay más de lo que el ojo deja ver. Al ir conociendo su pasado, a su padre y su espada, surgen más preguntas. En su última aventura, Ronin está cerca de entender quién es y cómo puede ayudar a aquellos que más le importan.

Ronin continúa su viaje al Meifumadô. En el camino, es atacado por enemigos que son más malignos que nada de lo que haya encontrado hasta el momento. Cuando más amigos lo acompañan, es forzado a tomar decisiones difíciles y sobrellevar los obstáculos más complicados.

Double Luck is filled with examples of how the human spirit can triumph over adversity. In the Chinese language, the word crisis is written with two symbols: one meaning "danger" and the other meaning "opportunity". Although Chi Fa's childhood was filled with crisis, he always looked for opportunity. His successful triumph over crisis after crisis is an inspiration for all who seek hope in the face of great challenges.

Join the How to Catch kids as they try to catch a notorious dragon by setting trap after trap during the Spring Festival, also known as the Chinese New Year!

How much do you know about Japan? Whether you’re planning a visit or are just fascinated by Japanese culture, you’ll enjoy learning all about the country famous for kitten cafes, Samurai and the Sky Tree. In this fascinating audiobook, narrator Charles King talks us through over 100 amazing facts, from interesting information about the country’s climate and geography to famous figures from history. For anyone wanting to find out more about Japan, a modern country yet one steeped in history and tradition, this is the perfect book.

After years of harsh monsoon seasons, a forest on the river island of Majuli is in danger of being slowly washed away. Jadav is determined to save the forest he loves. This is the true story of how one young boy dedicated his life to creating and cultivating an expansive forest that continues to grow to this day. In a world impacted by climate change, Jadav Payeng’s inspirational story shows how one person’s contributions can make a difference in helping to save our environment.

Pablo is homesick. He's only 12 years old, but he's lived in more countries than he can count. After his parents divorced, he and his mother have moved from place to place for years, never settling anywhere long enough to call it home. And along the way, Pablo has collected more and more fears: of dirt, of germs, and most of all, of the ocean. Now they're living in the Philippines, and his mother, a zoologist who works at a local wildlife refuge, is too busy saving animals to notice that Pablo might need saving, too.

Dayeon wants to be a haenyeo just like Grandma. The haenyeo dive off the coast of Jeju Island to pluck treasures from the sea - generations of Korean women have done so for centuries. To Dayeon, the haenyeo are as strong and graceful as mermaids. To give her strength, Dayeon eats Grandma's abalone porridge. She practices holding her breath while they do the dishes. And when Grandma suits up for her next dive, Dayeon grabs her suit, flippers, and goggles. Tina Cho's The Ocean Calls is a classic in the making.

Samira thinks of her life as before and after: before the burning and violence in Burma (now Myanmar), when she and her best friend would play in the fields, and after, when her family was forced to flee. There's before the uncertain journey to Bangladesh by river, and after, when the river swallowed her nana and nani whole. And now, months after rebuilding a life in Bangladesh with her mama, baba, and brother, Khaled, there's before Samira saw the surfer girls, and after, when she decides she'll become one.

In 221 BCE, the Qin state conquered its neighbours and created the first unified Chinese empire in history. So began the imperial era, where dynasties claiming divine assent ruled for more than 2000 years. Borders shifted, and emperors struggled to exert control over every region of their territories. Elites held that they were inheritors of a rich, pre-imperial culture, while their society produced world-changing inventions such as the compass, printing, gunpowder and the gun. Imperial China itself was altered as it came into contact with others through trade, exploration and war.

Have you ever been to Vietnam? It’s a beautiful country of rice fields, paddies, and technology. Open this book to realize how different the Vietnamese culture is from yours. The purpose of this book is to strengthen your understanding and respect not only of the study of geography, but of the differences in belief systems between countries, too. Grab a copy today!

In 1995, at the age of 23, Michael Meyer joined the Peace Corps and, after rejecting offers to go to seven other countries, was sent to a tiny town in Sichuan. Knowing nothing about China, or even how to use chopsticks, Meyer wrote Chinese words up and down his arms so he could hold conversations, and, per a Communist dean's orders, jumped into teaching his students about the Enlightenment, the stock market, and Beatles lyrics. Soon he realized his Chinese counterparts were just as bewildered by China's changes as he was.

While Pang-Mei Natasha Chang was a Chinese Studies major at Harvard University, she stumbled across the name of her 83-year-old great aunt Chang Yu-i in a history book. Over the next several years, Pang-Mei spent long afternoons drawing forth her aunt's story. Born in Shanghai to a well-to-do family, Chang Yu-i lived a life of defiance, continually breaking class and culture barriers.

Growing up in rural China during Mao's Cultural Revolution, Da Chen was part Horatio Alger, part Holden Caulfeld, befriending both a gang of young thugs, as well as an elegant, older Chinese woman who teaches him English - and opens the door to a new life. Chen's remarkable story of triumph is filled with the universal qualities that distinguish the very best memoirs as it masterfully recounts the concerns of childhood that transcend both time and place.