Alamosa Public Library

With national pride and occasional fear, a brother and sister face the increasingly oppressive occupation of Korea by Japan during World War II, which threatens to suppress Korean culture entirely.

Tree-ear, a thirteen-year-old orphan in medieval Korea, lives under a bridge in a potters' village, and longs to learn how to throw the delicate celadon ceramics himself. When Min takes on Tree-ear as his helper, Tree-ear is elated--until he finds obstacles in his path: the backbreaking labor of digging and hauling clay, Min's irascible temper, and his own ignorance. However, Tree-ear is determined to prove himself.

Fifteen-year-old math prodigy Seth Gordon hopes to compete professionally playing Starfare, the world's most popular computer game, but when he gets the chance to move to Korea and train full-time, he may not be ready for the culture shock and leaving his possible girlfriend, Hannah.

A little girl explores the zoo while her parents are searching for her.

A little girl plays with her cat and becomes more social.

"Mina can't wait to share the customs of Seollal with all of her friends at school. She will show her classmates her colorful hanbok, demonstrate how to do sebae, and then everyone will make tasty tteokguk in the cooking room. Yum! Her little brother may even join in on the fun… if he can find a way out of his bad mood." --publisher's website.

"Tree-ear is a 13-year-old orphan living on the streets of 12th-Century Korea. He is content with his life under a bridge with Crane-man until one day, while looking for food, he sees the work of Min, a master potter. He dreams of learning the craft from Min and eventually becomes his apprentice. Although ill-prepared for the hard labor involved, his determination will have rewards Tree-ear never imagined" -- Amazon.com.

"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...