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Genius Neema is one of those unruly kids who like to experience everything themselves. Good thing his teacher, Ms. Bala, herself does not like the dry teachings in her classroom. That is why Neema and his classmates are often out and about the city, looking for ways to be mischievous. They love going on field trips. Atoosa Salehi, the The author of this new, fun series has tried to capture the true essence of city life for today’s children. She also was inspired by her son’s and his friends’ fun stories from school. The first book of this series, The Littler Collecting Athletes, is the story of that time Neema and his classmates go hiking. This is also an environmental field trip, full of fun and exciting events. There are supposed to collect the litter other people have left in the mountain. However, their teacher sprains her ankle and eventually, nothing goes on as planned. The second book, Going to the Museum, is about the kids’ trip to the museum. They are excited to wander around the labyrinth of history and learn lots of new things. Yet again, Neema’s nosey friend, and the new exchange student who is from Japan, get trapped in a hidden room at the museum. The third book, as you can guess from the title, is about a food festival. Neema and his friends decide to make a Japanese cuisine called Economy Yaki and a series of fun things happen. The fourth and last book of this series will be published in Summer 2020. This series is ideal for children who enjoy reading graphic novels. In all four books, there are ten fun suggestions and activities for kids like Neema, who like reading books, laughing out loud, and learn. Through reading this series, students can create interesting experiences in and out of school. Atoosa Salehi is an award winning, well-known Iranian author, translator, and poet. She is Ofoq Publishers’ editor for children and young adults’ section. She started writing this series when her older son was the same ag as Neema and finished it, when her younger son was about Neema’s age. As a kid, she loved skating and her knees were almost always scarred. She has written and translated over 60 books and won numerous awards, such as Book of the Year. Some of her works have been translated to English, German, and Arabic. She lives with her husband and two sons in Tehran. Naseem Bahari, the series’ illustrator, was born in Tehran (1987). She holds the BA in Graphic Design. Bahari has been working in this field since 2006.
This series is amongst the kind of titles which not only is fit for younger adults, but also the adults can relate to the stories as well as children. A mixture of world renowned fables brilliantly woven into old Persian legends. That the stories are based on humane feelings of love, loss, betrayal, loyalty, honesty, and as such, has added a tremendous superiority to it, for a person no matter how young, will encounter such dilemmas sooner or later. Shams has this rare ability of mingling stories and create a brand new essence, which becomes the reason why his titles are so well received by the readers. In this series, we read of lives of three girls, whose stories may seem repetitive, but the twists and turns they gain, is like no other fable we have read. For instance, we all have heard, read, or even seen the story of Cinderella and her cruel stepmother or The Sleeping Beauty or Rapunzel and the Witch, but combining it with ancient Iranian myths spicing it up with princes and spells would prove a new experience. Book one of this series is called The Girl with the Flower Laughter. Honest parents, an evil witch, a beautiful girl called Golanr (whose laughter produces flowers and her tears, the pearls), a prince, and an aunt hateful as the witch are the characters of the story. Golanr is kept in a tower by the evil witch and has long hair, just like Rapunzel. However how the story unfolds, is not that easy to predict. And that’s perhaps one of the great abilities of the author: It’s never easy to guess the ending and in not too many pages of the book, there’s no single page to be dismissed, for you may just miss a clue to unsolved the mystery that is his story. Book two is about a prince who has fallen in love with an image of the most beautiful girl .In the world, who is in desperate need of saving from the most horrific witch. On his way, he must face the horrendous traps, giants, hags, spells, and all of t nasty tricks you can imagine. It reminds us of the many princes and beautiful girls who have been separated from each other by magic and evil witches and cunning creatures. Along the way, the prince who is utterly in love, is fooled by the disguise of the witch and his path is hindered couple of times. The mingling of Old Iranian love stories and legends such as the Sleeping beauty has added to the fantastical world of Book Two. Despite other stories, the reader cannot guess or predict the happy ending of the story. When there is no hope, the dim light of the truth will shine through: the prince and the girl after much hardship and deceptions of the evil witch, with the help of nymphs and sea creatures, and of course, the girl’s beautiful voice are united once and for all. Book Three, is a mixture of one of the oldest and most famous Iranian fables: the girl with the moon on her brow and her mother who turns into a beautiful cow. Moon and cow are very special and respected in most of the ancient cultures and civilizations in the world. On the other hand, we all know the story of Cinderella, her cruel stepmother and stupid sisters; well, we have all of them in this book (though only one stepsister) and many more daring adventures and puzzles the girl (whose name is Shahrbanoo). A talking cow, a well, the wind, and of course the giant who lives in the well are other characters of the story. The giant who lives inside the well, talks in a funny way: he says the opposite of everything he has in mind. Shahrbanoo is kind to the giant and in return, she has a moon on her brow and a star on her chin. Her stepsister, out of jealousy, does the same thing. However, she is cruel and mean to the giant and in return, her face becomes black and a horn grows on her chin. The rest is a Cinderella story, though it has its differences: Sharbanoo dies and comes back to life and has a son and her stepmother and stepsister are punished and after quite a ride, Shahrbanoo, the well, the giant, and the cow (who turns out to be her mother) and the prince live happily ever after.
This amazing title is about making friends. It depicts the beautiful, humane story of how people tend to feel desperate when they are all alone. The illustrations are vividly drawn and full of interesting details, which will help children’s creativity and imagination, at the same time. It starts with a hungry boy, who wishes for a sandwich maker machine. He starts looking for it and on the way, meets a girl with long, curly, dirty hair, who wishes for a machine to weave her hair into a ponytail. They both encounter a sad little dog by the bus station, who is longing for someone to adopt him. And the group of three, meet a tailless lizard, who wishes the machine could help grow his tale.Their journey is cut short when they find a white house in the middle of an empty road, with a beautiful lawn and a tree and a swing. On the swing, sits a tired scientist. The boy asks about the machine and the scientist, one by one, helps them with their problems: a sandwich for the boy, a comb for the girl, a house for the dog, and a tail for the lizard.He then points out to his dream machine: a machine to move away from the tiredness. The boy, the girl, the dog, and the lizard smile altogether, and said:” maybe there is such a machine... we just never have looked for it...”
The Playful L is the first in a series of illustrated books for children. In this series, many prominent Iranian authors and illustrators have come together to create fun books for children, which are educational and recreational at the same time. Mohammad Reza Shams, who is among very well-known Iranian authors for children in his latest title, has masterfully played with different words that start with L. he intertwines his narrative with frivolous sentences and memorable characters. This is a series for bringing the children into the world of the story, and the adults, into the world of children.
PatashKhoargar is a five-volume mythical-fantasy collection with different and fascinating characters; from demons, fairies, and humans to the long ears that live on trees. This work is based on the stories of Avesta and Bundahishn. Avesta is the Zoroastrian religious text that there is no consensus on the date of its writing, but some consider it the third oldest text in the world. Bundahishn is also about cosmology and the myths of Zoroastrian creation and there are two Indian and Iranian versions of it. With the help of creating a fantasy world, the author has recreated Persian and Zoroastrian myths and at the same time has been able to create a believable world and characters that on the one hand, are reminiscent of the Lord of the Rings and on the other hand, reminiscent of the One Thousand and One Nights with its labyrinthine stories. Each volume of this collection has an independent story, and at the same time, the connection between the contents of the volumes makes the reader eager to follow the collection. PatashKhoargar is the name of a mountainous region in northern Iran, which is mentioned in ancient Iranian inscriptions and tablets. In this series, the PatashKhoargar is the hero who must restore peace and tranquility to the world. Awards and recognition: Winner of the Silver Badge of Flying Turtle (2018) Iran's Top Book of the Year (2017) Winner of the board of appreciation from the 9th Children and young adults Best Book Festival (2018) Selecting the third volume of the collection as the chosen book in recreating ancient works in the White Raven list (2017) Volume One: Epic; prologue Volume two: A Man of Dragon Descent Volume three: On the bases of existence Volume four: From the depths of darkness Volume five: Not yet published Prince PatashKhoargar is a mythical superman, with powers from both sides: Ahoora (the good) and Ahriman (the evil). He’s been missing for so many years. There is only one thing remaining from him; his nickname as Monster Killer. Simultaneously with the invasion of Ahriman and his troops on Earth, humans must face a grave crisis. The just and kind King Manoosh is killed through a conspiracy and Mahdad, his minister’s son gains the power undeservingly. With the greed of obtaining Farah (the ultimate power), he attacks the Farah tower and destroys the holy mountain. Just then, the shimmering ball of power runs away and unites with a boy called Arasti. The little Arasti has lost all his family and village, after the attack of monsters and demons. The Farah starts guiding him to find PatashKhoargar; the only person who can once more unites the seven kingdoms of men and save them from complete annihilation which lies ahead. But beware that this is only the beginning of a breathtaking series.
Mehdi Rajabi has been a well-known author for a decade now. He always says his main passion is to write novels for younger adults. He has won a number of literary prizes so far, such as: Yalda Literary Prize, Isfahan Literary Prize and winner of Best Book for Children and Young Adults. The Ogre Conserve has a twist in it: a good boy who wants to be bad. Tooka is a clever boy, with whole lot of problems at home and at school. His father passed away and his mother is so depressed she doesn’t care about Tooka. In School, there are always some bully boys who want to hurt him. Hi is alone, has no friends, and gets bitten all the time. Someday, he buys a book from an old lady: the biography of a criminal. Some parts of this memoir is dextrously woven in the context of the book. Tooka decides to be a criminal because his current life is very disappointing to him. The old lady sold an Ogre Conserve to Tooka as well. The Ogre is big, bitter, speaks nonsense, like the colour yellow and doesn’t obey Tooka. When Tooka’s finger is broken in a fight at school, he has to stay home and then he’ll get to know the magic of numbers. His mathematics brilliance is flourished and he becomes a well-known math scientist. He no longer wishes to be a criminal, for now he is famous and loved.
The time has come Hamidreza Shahabadi’s second installment of The Gate of the Dead Series. As we expect from the author, this novel too is such an intricately woven network of evens, twists, and surprises. Also, history again plays a pivotal role in this title; and that is what readers love about his works. Pleasant and plausible dialogs along with dramatic setting has made an atmosphere of unprecedented density and intensity for young adults. The author has created a relatable character, called Nader, who is the symbol of modernity and progress. Nader comes to Reza and his companion’s aid and together, they try to dismantle a gang of child kidnappers. Nader, a graduate of astronomy from the Netherlands, Nader has dreams of making and flying a balloon. On the other hand, we have Reza, who has come back to Tehran with the hope of going to Mirza Hassan Rushdieh’s school. Tehran in Qajar period was plagued with Cholera and what Reza witnesses haunts him for the rest of his life. Parallel to this storyline, we go forth a couple of hundreds of years to Majid’s house, who accidentally had found Reza’s scripts. He reads and reads and is obsessed with Reza’s fate and that building they found at the end of book 1. He goes back to the old mansion and a strange Indian man catches his eyes. The rest of the book is the struggle between fantasy and history and the narrow line of what men consider reality or fiction. Farrokh and Noyan Khan, the antagonists, still searching for Reza and Shakoor, who fell into the peculiar pond of the mansion, have expanded their range of bad deeds to new levels and that is why Reza feels responsible to face them and save their captured slaves. The world of dead accepts anyone and let out no one. But when Reza walks his readers into the underground world, we cannot help but recall the ancient Greek mythology of the paid price of coming back to life. The honest confrontation of logical science and superstition, the embodiment of which is Nader, has influenced Shahabadi’s story to be relatable to modern day adolescents, as well as adults. Nader and Reza’s relationship is of paramount value during the course of the story. They face abominable groups of tyrants and criminals and bullies, and with rooted trust and a couple of loyal friends, are able to finish what they started as a single rescue mission. Numerous new characters are introduced in this title, all of whom are representative of different social classes and from historical perspective, can be considered a mirror to what Tehran was like back then. Shakoor came to rescue. He told me to jump into the pond. I went ahead and stood at the edge. Slowly, I put by right foot on the surface and then, my left foot. Now I too was standing on the water. “Hurry up before someone sees us.” Shakoor said… I did what I did the last time. He pulled me down and I opened my eyes and started breathing. We were surrounded by too many men and women and children floating underwater. We were suspended in a bright space. Their hair was wild and their faces seemed white and frightened. Shakkor faced me and said: “Look Reza, I’ll help you escape Noyan’s mansion and in return, you need to do something for me. “ - Do what? - I’ll tell you. First, we need to go a bit further down, where you can see someone. He pulled me down and our surrounding got darker and darker… we floated and everything and everyone was hanging upside down… he then called out: “Rasool, Rasool…” The boy came out; his eyes lightless and colorless, his lips thin and tenuous. Before I could utter a word, Shakoor said: “he arrived two weeks ago and you are going to save his sister up there!”
This is the latest title written by Majid Gheisari. He has been an active voice in Iran’s literary scene for the past three decades. He has won numerous awards and his titles have been translated to other languages to be published in other countries, such as Egypt. He is the master of words and a brilliant storyteller. He can dexterously create narratives with relatable characters in less than a thousand words. Gheisari is one of his people and he knows the pain and sufferings, the joys and hopes that people deal with daily. He writes about people for the people and that is only one reason he is popular and accepted in Iran. The Shore of Tehran tells the tale of ordinary, real women, men, and children even. He talks about the wounds of war, love, hopes, betrayals, and everything that future holds. The Shore of Tehran consists of five short stories about children, war, and the urban elements of life. The social phenomena and psychological effects of conflicts are other repeating themes in this book. He talks about a boy in search of a shore in Tehran, a land-bound metropolitan with no access to free seas. The boy takes his driver to somewhere in the city and here there are: a shore and seagulls and all. We all know that Tehran has no shore, but is it really the case? The elements of suspension and surprise makes this title an unprecedented reading experience from an Iranian short story writer.
My name is Elina. My friends call me Eli. I love going going to the parties, pizzas, and cellphones. But of course, I don’t have my own cellphone so I have to beg my mom to give me hers. I want to tell you two secrets: I hate homework and Fresh-herb Kuku. Isn’t Elina all of us? She is an absolute powerhouse, who seeks adventure and fun and runs away from discipline and homework. Elina has the most imaginative mind around her and with her little brother, Mani, and a few good friends, she wants to make the world a better place. But first things first, she needs to ditch her mom and their nosy neighbour, who is an old lady. Mojgan Kalhor has created a lovely character, who is a sweet girl. All the young readers would love to read her stories and her honest, yet problematic accounts of the mischievous things she does. Moreover, the books are filled with interesting facts about nature, which are presented in the most interesting of ways. Along with Kalhor’s fascinating narrative, we must proudly mention the books’ illustrations. Sarah Tabibzadeh, an internationally acclaimed illustrator, has made Elina alive with her fun and simple drawings. The readers’ minds will explore Elina’s world through fun illustrations. This brand new series is perfect for children who love fun stories, and are beginner readers themselves. Short sentences, simple wording, and hilarious stories are what they really want!
This is the latest title written by the Iranian famous author, Jamshid Khanian. He has been awarded and nominated for many international and national literary prizes. In his new novel, Khanian tells a tale of love, trust, friendship, betrayal, and heartbreak. Through the lenses of three young boys, the reader is flown back in time to experience a familiar sensation: the heart beating faster, the hopes rising higher, the friendships shattering, and a new lesson being learnt. The adolescent love is a mysterious feeling, yet sweet and full of hope. It can give life a new meaning and this novel provides the platform for young readers to experience a universal dilemma: to choose love or to stay loyal to friendship. Jamshid Khanian beautifully engages the young and adult readers through his story of three young boys, a beautiful girl, and her father. The mystery arises when they see her for the first time: a breathtakingly gorgeous girl with golden hair. However, rumor has it she is sick and has come to town from Basra in Iraq for medical treatment. The form and structure of this title is somehow one of a kind: sometimes in form a letter, sometimes a linear narrative. Therefore, it grabs the attention of reader and never lets go until the very end. The good thing is that this is not a letter. So it belongs to no one. I mean I’m not writing it for anyone in particular. No one is going to read it. Even I that write it should never ever read it again. My sister, two years older than me said writing any secret down and giving it to the Earth has one particular condition: the letter should never be read again. And I said fine.
This brilliant encycopedia contains over 1000 articles covering a broad range of topics in astronomy and astrophysics, making it one of the largest reference sources available on the topic in Iran for young readers, although it is widely believe that amateur older readers would also be able to enjoy a great source of this science. Ali Bashar Danesh is known for his precision of research and fluent articulation of hardest of concepts. This detailed book also include an introduction to 130 famous scientists, national and international, along with more than 700 photos and illustrations of astronomical phenomena. * How has the cosmos formed? * How are the stars born and how do they die out? * What is a black hole? * How do you explain the Dark Matter, Anti Matter, and so on? * What is the Apollo Program? These are just a few of the exciting questions to be answered in this magnificent Encyclopedia of Astronomy.
This is the first book in a trilogy, written by Siamak Golshiri, aka the sultan of horror stories for young readers. Those who like this genre also know him for written Iran’s first vampire series for young adults. Imagine this: your sister has gone missing. You desperately seek a way to find and bring her back. Along the way, you reach out to an author who claims to have written his books based on true stories. He would not believe what you think has happened to your sister and decline his help. However, soon he finds out there are other girls who have fallen to the same fate as your sister. And at last, in a fearful night, the author sets foot in a world he would not believe its existence even in his wildest fantasies.
In the second book of the series, Siamak Glshiri takes the adventure and excitement to another level. Now Nima and his friends have entered the mysterious world of extremely strange creatures, unknown dangers, and a possible peril. He needs to reach where King Yunas’ army is progressing to, with the hope of finidng his sister and other lost girls. The Grave King’s soldiers are following their every step and the dangerous and unwelcoming environment of this strange land is not helping their advance. Siamak Golshiri is one of Iran’s most praised and loved YA authors. His titles are hugely popular and young readers devour his books, because he is a true storyteller.
Siamak Golshiri has created yet another masterpiece. The most important factor of importance about this book is its genre (Horror.) The author who has proven he is the master of horror, successfully delivers all the elements of the craft in his stories. On the other hand, the subject matter of the first installation is quite unique and this also adds to its value. The narrative itself seems attractive enough for all readers of the age group. The storyline does not leave the reader on their own for one second and the ebbs and dips of it, creates a promising grip for the future installments of the series. Character development, descriptions, and creation of atmosphere in the narrative are among the strengths of The Grave King: The Lost Girls. The creativity and imagination entangle not only the young readers, but also the curious minds of older readers and this acts as a magnet to draw more readership to the series.
Winner of Book of the Year, 2020 Silver Medalist of The Flying Turtle, 2020 Selected by the International Youth Library for The White Ravens Catalogue, 2019 This is where the world of stories meets history, human feelings, impossible choices, and relatable characters. Hamid Reza Shahabadi has done his magic once more: he entangles human fears with hopes and presents to the reader a rollercoaster of adventures, excitements, twists, and a final huge surprise. In The Well of Darkness, each loose end is tied up so perfectly that all of a sudden, his narrative world makes more sense. Characters finally find their due representation. It has all the elements of a good story, which haunts not only the readers’ minds but also their hearts and for a long time after finishing it, their memory. This is a great example of an Iranian horror story, which is narrated in alternating times. The protagonist is not just one persona; there are at least two. The book picks up what book two left off, however as the author has mentioned, it can be read as an independent historical horror story. we know that Shakour is not the only one who comes to the world of living; Razi is one of those lost souls who cannot find solace anywhere. He is up to something and here is where Reza’s role become bolder. At the present time, the other protagonist needs answers, if he wants to save the life of an innocent man. Hamid Reza Shahabadi has clearly put a lot of effort in creating an everlasting work of literature that is appealing to both Iranian children as well as young avid readers from around the world. The Vertical Graveyard has been published in Egypt too.
“You Are so Brave, Commander” is the proceeding title after “Good Night, Commander”, written by Ahmad Akbarpour and illustrated by Narges Mohammadi. The first title was tremendously successful nationally and internationally, gaining acclaim in international illustration or fiction festivals and catalogs, such as Bratislava and The White Ravens. The narrator in this title, tells the take of a young boy, who has lost his mother, and his father is about to get married for the second time. The boy considers himself an army general, who must defend his household. He and his imaginary soldiers kidnap the bride and the story unfolds. The delicate subject of the book makes a universal reference for adults and children as well. The protagonist is funny and relatable. The beautifully made illustrations add to the richness of the story and they embrace each other in the most touching manner.
This funny illustrated short story for children relates how the famous Mother Goat, whose ringing-bell is tied around one of her feet, becomes terribly worried when she returns home and discovers there is no sign of her beloved little goats. She fears that the cruel wolf has again swollen them up, or maybe they have gone somewhere and are trapped. The writer of this story wants the readers to think and guess for themselves. What has really happened to the three little goats? Whilst using modern characters and plot devices, he describes three different situations, combining them with comedy and humor. In one case, the worried, desperate Mother Goat discovers her goats watching Tom and Jerry cartoons. They are actually so fascinated by the cartoon that they do not even hear their mother’s wild calls. In another case, the dear Mother Goat goes to the local butcher and asks for her little and helpless goats; happily relieved to learn that Mr. Butcher has looked after the three small goats when they were wandering around. So, what do you guess? How can you possibly sleep when there is so much to do?! Children will find themselves creating odd and funny new situations for the Mother Goat and her three absent-minded little ones. The amazing illustrations will encourage children to participate in this great adventure and find themselves too busy. Full English translation is available.
: Rich-Thinking Stories" are all about those tales which has happened many times and we have heard them many times. But now, someone in each of these tales wants to change their destiny. Therefore theirstory has to be altered. In each book of this series, a tale is being told, which the children of this land are acquainted with, but it also resembles to tales from other lands. Each tales alter right at the twist of the narration and thus, the first guess takes shape. For the second guess, the kind of alteration does change. And another alteration in the tale has been devised for the third guess. Each of this tales, in each of the books, are told in three forms, but these are not all what this series proposes. At the conclusion of each, the reader is told that what they had read were just only guesses. What is your presumption? If you don't want this tale to look like the preceding form, how should it be concluded? Besides the charm of a sweet tale and its craftiness mixed with humorous hints, the series is calling its young readers to guess, too. Calling to guess for changing a tale, is the prelude to changing the world
One of the most prolific Iranian authors for young adults has written Surena Trilogy. Moslem Naseri, with an PhD in history knows the realm of ancient mythology and he also knows his way around words and stories. He endeavors to create worlds beyond our world and invites his reader to join him on this adventurous ride through fantasy and imagination. One of the key elements of this series is its entanglement with history and picturesque scenery. Naseri graciously guides his readers through the unknown and help them relate to the characters, follow the flow of the narrative, and let their minds fly in this fantastical land of magic and sacrifice. Surena, the protagonist, must face three different journeys to reach his destination. In book one, this is a journey to get to know himself. In the second one, he seeks his father, and in the third, he returns to the land, faraway from himself and his father, explores different adventures. Surena Trilogy is the fruit of a decade long investigation and studies of Persian’s old mythologies, folk stories, verbal narratives, and traditional storytelling gatherings around Iran. The element of surprise is boldly woven into the fabric of the series. Young readers crave mythical stories and more importantly, book series. The fables and stories, yet Persian in nature, can be relatable to any reader anywhere, for those who love mysterious adventures, unexpected twists, and a touch of magic to brighten their imaginative minds. All three books start with a journey. The author narrates that in order to reach maturity, one must travel a lot and let the flows take control. Surena learns to not judge too quickly and it is a valuable lesson. In the first book, Surena learns about his abilities. In book two, a little bit deeper than the first, he goes to save his father, but must face the truth. He decides on taking revenge from his father and that is when he enters the world of shadows and darkness. The world of darkness polishes his soul and makes him a better person. He then reaches the realm behind the falls and gains the truth and nothing but the truth. In book three, he must face the bubble of death, made by others, and save the time, literally, from disruption.
