Bibliography of Various Translated Greek Children's Books and Foreign (English-language for the time being) Children's Books about Modern 20th Century Greece

Aliki "Marianthe's Story"

Baer, J. "Worlds Apart"

Bawden, N. "Rebel on a Rock" and "The Real Plato Jones"

Bishop, C.H. "A Present from Petros"

Blackstock,J. "Wings for Nikias : A Story of the Greece of Today". Illustrated by Rafaello Busoni.

Bliss, C.D. "Electra and the Charlotte Russe"

Boleman-Herring, E. "The Other Side of the Road"

Buckley, P. "Greek Island Boy"

Bunting, E. "I Have an Olive Tree"

Corbett, Scott "The Cave above Delphi"

Cone, M. "The Green, Green Sea of Greece"

Delton, J. "Angel Spreads Her Wings"

Drewery, M. "A Candle for St. Georgios"

Duran, C. "Kindling"

Durrell, G. "Toby the Tortoise"

Fenton, E. "The Morning of the Gods", "The Refugee Summer" and "An Island for a Pelican"

Forman, James D. "Ring the Judas Bell" and "The Skies of Crete"

Galloway, P. "Snake Dreamer"

Gramatkie, H. "Nikos and the Sea God"

Harrison, B. "Theo"

This is an exquisite book released in 1999 by Clarion Books (New York). I highly recommend it as the Greek flavour of the people, folkloric elements, history and countryside are realistically and faithfully portrayed:

"When the Nazis post an edict announcing that all orphans are to be rounded up and sent to Germany, Theo and his older brother leave Athens and travel across the bleak countryside to join the war resistance in a small village. After a tragic turn of events, Theo is left alone except for the resistance fighters, Patir Alex and his wife, who are assisting Jewish families flee Greece. Theo's only companion before the war is his shadow puppet, Karagiozis, a beloved and heroic character in Greek puppet theater. Theo performs with Karagiozis, acting out scenes of Nazi defeat and retelling stories about the history of Greece, all the while struggling to discover the meaning of heroism so that he might become a hero himself."

For more information on Karagiozis, the traditional hero of the Greek Puppet theater, you may follow the link to Panos Kapetanidis' Greek Shadow Puppet Theatre Web-Site.

Jordan, K. "Island of Secrets"

Kaspar, V. "Always ask for a Transfer"

Keene, C. "Greek Odyssey" (The Nancy Drew Files) Keene, C. "Islands of Intrigue" (A Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys Mystery)

L'Engle, M. "A House like a Lotus"

Leonard, C. "Strange Waters"

Mosher, E.D. and Wenzel, L.M. "Olympics 2004? Ask Yia Yia and Pa Pou"

Nankivell,J. M. "Again Christophilos". Illustrated by Panos Ghikas.

Oppenheim, S.L. "Yanni Rubbish"

Petrovits-Androutsopoulou, L. "Seven Red Threads" (Published in an American reader in 1986 by Modern Curriculum Press)

Prevelakis, P. (Trans. Abbot, R.) "Sun of Death"

Rosen, B. "Andi's War", "Other Side of the Mountain", and "A Swallow in Winter"

Savery,Constance "Welcome, Santza". Illustrated by Helen Torrey.

Shaffer, R. "The Lost Ones"

Snedeker, C. "Lysis Goes to the Play"

Talley, L. "Plato's Journey"

Tooze, R. "Nikos and the Pink Pelican"

Trivizas, E. "The Three Little Wolves"

This book which was published simultaneously both in the United Kingdom and in Greece in 1993, had paradoxically remained in the author's desk for 15 years due to the unwillingness of publishers to change the role of the wolf from bad to good in this book of role reversal. The book, with illustrations by the superb Helen Oxenbury has today been read by millions of children all over the world and has been translated into 15 languages. The last translaton was into Japanese and is aimed at children from 5 years and over. (Greek Newspaper "Kathimerini" Sunday 18th July 1999, "Erevnites" Children's Supplement p.3).

Whitney, P. A. "The Mystery of the Hidden Hand".

Wuorio, Eva-Lis, Illustrated by Edward Ardizzone "Kali and the Golden Mirror".

Zei, A. "Petros' War", "The Sound of the Dragon's Feet", "Wildcat Under Glass", and "Achille's Fiancee"

I would here like to suggest another web-site "Greek Legacy": www.greeklegacy.com which I think may be of interest to you as it has a list of a number of different books about Greece as well as Greek Americans. I would like to bring your attention to the fact that much quality "Greek Literature" is also found in the Greek Diaspora, i.e. the U.S.A., Australia, Canada, Germany, etc.

A further web-site which I would like to add here mentions various other children's books about Greece (most of them are about classical Greece, however that does not mean they are not interesting). The web site URL is:

The above books may be either be found through the now indispensible on-line bookstores Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc., or (for those of you who prefer the "independent", friendly, and personal touch of a bookshop) I highly recommend Kalamos Books. June Samaras searches for the books and has many of the above listed books in stock herself. Kalamos Books operates internationally and can be contacted at:

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