(1) YA At ten years old, Kavi has already experienced her share of trauma and heartbreak. Her father spent a decade at the front lines in the Sri Lankan civil war and returned to their rural home an amputee, only to die of a sudden heart attack. Kavi's mother remarries and becomes pregnant, leaving a still-grieving Kavi certain her mother no longer loves her. When she earns a scholarship to a prestigious school in the capital city, Colombo, Kavi jumps at the opportunity but soon feels ashamed of her poor, rural roots in a school full of wealthy city kids. The novel, set in the late 1990s, is a superb study of the Sri Lankan class system and the lengths to which someone might go to fit in. Convinced she will have to change to make friends with the rich, "cool" girls who have fancy new clothes, cars, and servants, Kavi pretends to be wealthy and creates a web of lies she soon gets caught in, ultimately revealing what really matters. A moving coming-of-age story written in verse about understanding and embracing who you truly are. The war acts as a highly charged political backdrop to Kavi's struggles to accept her family. Back matter provides context on the Sri Lankan civil war; in an author's note, Ponweera reflects on her own experiences growing up during the war.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2023

(2) 4-6 Farook (The Girl Who Stole an Elephant) returns to Serendib, her fictionalized Sri Lankan setting, for an exciting Treasure Island–style tale that pits three young protagonists against two murderous villains. Twelve-year-old twins Razi and Shifa help Zheng, also twelve, who has landed on their beach after escaping a shipwreck. Before his ship sank, Zheng managed to save a treasure map leading to the fabled Dagger of Seredib; but there are two other survivors desperate to get the map by any means necessary. Sea monsters, murderers, hidden treasure, a raging storm, and a fast-paced plot full of twists and turns and clever cliffhangers will pull readers into a tale that is also a moving family story. For example, young fisherman Razi must overcome his grief after a family tragedy left him with a fear of the sea. Short sentences laced with action verbs, short chapters, and specific details of the island setting ensure a lively reading experience.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Kim La Fave. A perilous flash flood threatens a young Sri Lankan girl's life and her village's livelihood. A spare and lyrical text that details Malini's harrowing adventure is accompanied by expressive, brightly colored illustrations with ample open space. Endnotes explain the realities of child labor, poverty, and a dependence on rice as a staple crop in Sri Lanka. A powerful portrait of a child's bravery and perseverance.

Reviewer: Megan Dowd Lambert | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2017

(4) YA Illustrated by Matthew Frame. This unusual book is set during the Sri Lankan civil war (1983–2009). An alienated orphan boy leaves the destroyed Small Village of Fat Hopes with his Kind Uncle Who Never Speaks. They enter Kettle Camp for refugees, run by imperious Aunty. Astute readers may be able to negotiate the satirical text, but most will find the elusive narrative challenging. Surrealistic red, yellow, and orange illustrations are powerful.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) K-3 Do You Really Want to Meet...? series. Illustrated by Daniele Fabbri. In each book, readers accompany an inquisitive child on a journey to observe wild animals in their natural habitat. Bold cartoon illustrations and the second-person text add to the immediacy of the experience. Peppered with facts, warnings, and questions, the texts focus mainly on the dangers of interacting with wild animals rather than on their habitat, diet, and behaviors. Map, reading list, websites. Glos. Review covers these Do You Really Want to Meet...? titles: Cape Buffalo, Kangaroo, Lion, Moose, and Elephant.

Reviewer: Nancy Sheridan

(4) 4-6 Cultures and Costumes: Symbols of Their Period series. Each of these books offers an accessible if wordy introduction to a particular country, highlighting the role of clothing and adornment. Featuring ample white space and numerous color illustrations, the books provide information about the political development, customs, and culture of the regions. Inclusion of more detailed maps would have been helpful. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Cultures and Costumes: Symbols of Their Period titles: The Middle East, China and Japan, and India and Sri Lanka.]

Reviewer: Cindy Lombardo

(4) K-3 Welcome to My Country series. These books all follow the same formula in content and layout--one or two pages per topic with a captioned illustration on each page. Topics include geography, history, and several aspects of the cultures. Coverage is broad but reasonably current; Iraq touches on the end of Saddam Hussein's reign. Map, reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Welcome to My Country titles: Welcome to Afghanistan, Welcome to Sri Lanka, Welcome to Pakistan, Welcome to South Korea, Welcome to Iraq, and Welcome to Malaysia.

Reviewer: Christina Dorr

(4) 4-6 Countries of the World series. Despite the choppy presentation of information, captioned photos and long sidebars should attract students' attention to the countries profiled in these series books. An accessible overview of general topics is followed by a country-specific discussion of people, places, and things, such as Sri Lankan spices, Pakistani carpets, and South Korean pottery. Maps and a reading list are appended. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Countries of the World titles: Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and South Korea.]

Reviewer: Christina Dorr

(3) 4-6 Cultures of the World series. With vivid photographs and smoothly written texts, the books in this series give readers a sense of contemporary life in each country. Appealing to report writers and armchair travellers, the volumes offer more interesting details than most series books. Recipes, timelines, map, fast facts, web resources, and cultural and economic highlights are useful features. Bib., glos., ind. [Review covers these Cultures of the World titles: Nepal, China, Thailand, Philippines, and Sri Lanka.]

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt