Kids need not leave home to embark on exciting travels to far away lands and experience the vibrant cultures of communities around the globe. In Jasmine Skies by Sita Brahmachari, 14-year-old Mira journeys to India to meet her extended family and uncover some long-hidden secrets, while the protagonist in Deborah Ellis’s latest novel—a girl reincarnated as a street cat—lives amid tension, violence, but also small glimmers of hope, on Israel’s West Bank. Readers will be transported to the rich, natural landscape of Palo Verde, Costa Rica in Edwin Fontanez’s magical The Illuminated Forest. Readers who crave emotionally-packed, character-driven stories will confront the harsh reality of orphanages as well as the unique flavor of city life in Kazakhstan in Cynthia Kadohata’s Half a World Away.

Brahmachari, Sita. Jasmine Skies. 336p. Albert Whitman. Sept. 2014. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780807537824.

Gr 6-9 –Fourteen-year-old Mira Levenson, born and raised in England, is about to meet her mother’s family in India and experience a country very different from the one in which she grew up. She will stay with her mum’s first cousin, Anjali, who has a daughter about the same age. The family lives in Kolkata (Calcutta), where Anjali runs a refuge for homeless children. Though the cousins have chatted via Facebook and Skype, the protagonist wonders if they’ll get on well in person. Mira’s narration successfully introduces the beauty and difficulties of Kolkata, offers glimpses of contemporary life in the subcontinent, and highlights the tension between the traditional and modern. Readers will likely recognize Mira’s own conflicting emotions about love, religion, and loyalty. She struggles with her love for Jide, her best friend in London, and her developing feelings for 16-year-old Janu, a former street orphan who now works at the refuge. Mira also wonders why her mother and Anjali have kept their families apart. The girl’s dreams and reality collide before she returns to London in a fast-paced, satisfying conclusion. Mira was first introduced in Mira in the Present (Albert Whitman, 2013), but Jasmine Skies can stand alone and provides an evocative look of living and loving two cultures.–Maria B. Salvadore, formerly at District of Columbia Public Library

Ellis, Deborah. The Cat at the Wall. 144p. House of Anansi/Groundwood. Sept. 2014. Tr $16.95. ISBN 9781554984916.

Gr 5 Up –Clare was a girl from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. At 13, she dies and finds herself transformed into a cat, living in Bethlehem, Israel. As a girl, she always wanted to be the center of attention, so being an ignored stray seems cruel. She follows two Israeli soldiers into a seemingly empty house on the West Bank. As the situation escalates with the discovery of a young Palestinian boy, Clare reflects on her actions during her last year of life as a human. Set on Israel’s West Bank, the harsh reality of the story is tempered by the first-person narration of a cat who understands all languages. Ellis is neutral; she doesn’t take sides, nor does she attempt to explain the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Instead, the miscommunication and actions of the individual characters are examined. The characters’ complexities are slowly revealed, adding layers to the story. Readers are plunged into the narrative, in the same way Clare must face her new feline life. The narrative alternates between the present on the West Bank and flashbacks to Clare’s life as a human. The pacing is appropriately measured, and the setting is vividly described—concisely but evocatively conveying tension, unease, and instability. Although slightly homiletical, the moral of personal responsibility is wrapped in a touching, unforgettable story. It is an excellent choice for book clubs and classroom use, and will easily evoke discussion.–Amy Seto Musser, Denver Public Library

Fontánez, Edwin. The Illuminated Forest. illus. by Edwin Fontánez. 336p. Exit Studio. 2014. pap. $18. ISBN 9780983189169.

Gr 6-9 –Fontánez weaves a tale of loss, anger and hope through the stories of a young boy, a stray cat, an evil and abusive man, a ghost, and the plants and animals of the tropical island. After the death of his beloved young mother, Minerva, 12-year-old Mateo reluctantly returns to his grandparents’ rural Palo Verde home to grieve. Feeling abandoned, angry, and sad, Mateo shuts out family and friends, trying to make sense of his loss. Meanwhile, a once-beloved stray cat that was abandoned wanders into Mateo’s yard, looking for safety and rest, but is afraid to trust after enduring abuse and living in the wilderness. Minerva’s ghost wanders the Forest, unsure of where she came from and why she is there, watching over the cat and Mateo, but unable to intervene. All of the characters are connected in some way, and several story lines take place in one chapter, jumping between characters and from past to present. Mateo and his friend Sergio have many dramatically dangerous adventures, from which they recover quite extraordinarily. Black-and-white drawings, some covering full pages, give the feeling of a journal in which the author is recording thoughts and impressions. Mateo’s story and the descriptions of Palo Verde’s lush and simple community are quite memorable; the addition of a magic crystal, ghost, and anthropomorphized plants and animals who communicate thoughts and emotions with each other may overly complicate the plot for young readers.–MaryAnn Karre, West Middle School, Binghamton, NY

Kadohata, Cynthia. Half a World Away. 240p. ebook available. S. & S./Atheneum. Sept. 2014. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781481418065. LC 2013031627.

Gr 4-6 –Twelve-year-old Jaden Kincaid is fascinated by electricity, admiring its powerful constancy and connectedness to everything. Electricity is one of the many things Jaden didn’t know about when he was adopted from a Romanian orphanage four years earlier. More importantly, it serves as an emotional salve against the deep-rooted pain the tween feels from having been abandoned at age four by his birth mother. But Jaden doesn’t feel connected to Penni and Steve, his adoptive parents. He lashes out by hoarding food, stealing, and lying to those around him. With his parents preparing to adopt a baby from Kazakhstan, Jaden feels confused and worries that he is being replaced. While the Kincaids busy themselves with the adoption, Jaden bonds with Dimash, a special needs toddler with whom he feels an instant kinship. Kadohata writes compellingly about the convoluted issues surrounding overseas adoption, including profound psychological and physical traumas suffered by children who are abandoned and neglected in orphanages of developing countries. Jaden is a multidimensional character who will likely frustrate readers but also draw their sympathy. Though it has strong characterization, the story suffers from issues that strain credibility; for instance, Jaden’s parents don’t see anything wrong with adopting another child when they already have a son with so many psychological issues. The pat conclusion feels like a letdown given the narrative’s complex arc. Despite these slight flaws, Kadohata’s candid exploration of adoption and attachment disorder is a timely choice that fills a gap in middle grade literature.–Lalitha Nataraj, Escondido Public Library, CA