Soore Mehr Publishing Co

Soore Mehr Publishing Co.

Visit us Hall5.0/B132 16-20 Oct 2019 Soore Mehr Publishing Co. is one of the Best and huge Publishing group in Iran, and established 1998, we selected 7 years as the best Publisher in Iran and get the prize with cultural ministry Of Iran. we published about 10000 title books up to now, and we publish about 300 new title( 1st edition) every year, we have fiction, Non-fiction, Poem, War story and Memory for Adults. In addition we have a special Department for Children›s and Young Adults that name is «Mehrak Publication», and we have about 1000 books for children›s and young Adult it›s included Poem, Story, comic story, poem story. we register Mehrak publication Brand last year.

Mehrak Puplication Children's Department www.mehrak.ir

Title: The Sculpture's Finger Author: Farhad Hassanzadeh illustrator: Majid Saberinezhad Subject: Fiction (Novel) Year of Publishing: 2018 / 5th Edition No. of Pages: 105/Paperback age group: +14 Size: 12.5 × 19 ISBN: 9789645066848 about book

A Sculpture's Finger is a long story about the adventure of which is related to the pre-revolution era. The main character is Jamil, a young male activist during Pahlavi’s era who opposes and fight against the regime. His father was martyred in 1963. Jamil finds out that his own maternal uncle was involved in arrest and murdering of the father. The past is a vague and ambiguous darkness for Jamil. The truth and the reality is not enough to bring him into the light. A stranger calls on them at night, during curfew and Jamil’s mother introduces him to Jamil as his uncle Ashraf. Everything starts with the presence of this stranger, who used to be a colonel in SAVAK (the intelligence agency of shah›s regime). Through his suspicions, investigations, fears, and hatred he finally discovers that the uncle has been the murderer of his father. This book is a movie-script type of writing. The mentality of the writer is picturesque. While writing, as if he is sitting in a movie director’s seat and setting the movie camera in the proper angle, while applying idiomatic terms, demonstrating the scenes and occurrence, helps the reader to realize his/her mentality to reality. The topic of A Sculpture’s Finger is actually about Jamil’s dilemma and inner quarrel with himself, for revenge. As Uncle Ashraf, on one hand, is a murderer, on the other hand, he is the brother of a mother who has gone through many difficulties. She is so merciful that she is even caring about his own husband›s killer. Such a duality is the meat of the story. A point which describes Jamil with all his characteristic aspects and inner emotions. Where you/he must draw a line between enemy and friend. However, the writer is very well aware of the fact that the dilemma is very difficult when the enemy is your nearest relative. The characters talk in a southern Iranian accent, while their dialogues make the geographic spot more intimate and more tangible. The present book is the story of a cruelty and oppression the remainder of which is nothing but a 169 Sculpture’s Finger made of cement left in children’s hands. At the end of the story pointing the finger to Uncle Ashraf unveiling his face who is a servant of the man whose sculpture has the broken finger (Statue of Shah).

book excerpt

He releases his cold hands and he walks faster. On the way home, he thinks when his mother finds him in those clothes she will complain and will beg him not to follow this risky story (investigation) anymore. Then she picks up the kettle from top of the heater to pour hot water in fingerbowl and mix it with cold water to help Jamil wash up . But what is his mother really doing now under the soft bright light coming through the window and through its blue curtain? Farhad Hassanzadeh (1962-Abadan) About the Author:

Farhad Hassanzadeh, an Iranian well-known author and humorist started his professional career in the field of children and young adults book in 1989. He is the founder of the Iranian Association of writers for children and young adults. Hassanzadeh has pursued writing humor for children earnestly. He deals with concepts that are important for teenagers with focusing to portray their concerns. Due to what he experienced in his own life he tries to show the problems of war, such as migration, for children in his works. Farhad has penned more than one hundred books and most of them released by Iranian great publishers. Some of his books has been translated into other languages and published in various countries. Hassanzadeh has been nominated for the International Astrid Lingren Award (2017) and Hans Christian Andersen Award (2018). He has awarded many literary prizes in Iran and abroad as well such as: -Best Book Award from the Cultural Society of Children›s Publishers -Silver Flying Turtle Award -Children›s Special Book Award -Best Book Award from Shahid Ghanipour Book Festival

The longest ruler in the world is a collection of stories about the 45-day resistance during the war. The stories of this collection which have been published are as follows:

-The longest ruler in the world -Dish of Lamboo (cooked red beets) -Charlie Game -The girl of cakes made of chickpeas -Oxygen -Room Number Five at Mokhtar’s Hostel -Just As a Dry Tree behind the Traffic Light

Stories of this book include social contexts and concepts during the different periods of recent years. Reading each story, the reader sees himself as a part of the picture as if he has entered the frame of the picture of the story. The descriptions of the stories are as follows:

1. “The Longest Ruler in the World” is the story of a little girl who is crossing a very long enormous bridge searching the grandeur of his lost father. 2. “Dish of Lamboo” is a story of the journey and loneliness of teenagers who have been sent away by their family and isolated from the society due to their differences with them. 3. Charlie Bazi (Playing a game of Charlie) is a narration of working children and their love for cinema. In their imagination they think Charlie Chaplin will ease their minds thus will find security and serenity by watching Charlie Chaplin while imagining him. 4. «The girl of chickpeas cake «talks about a friendship and an attachment between the new generation with elderly people (senior citizens) who suffer from Alzheimer disease, who have forgotten everything and are taken care of, away from their families. 5. «Oxygen» talks about elements such as nature, loneliness, fair, fight, resistance perseverance during the war and the resistance of the people of Abadan city. 173 6. «Room Number Five in Mokhtar loading House» is a picture of differences between those who are having a business-like attitude for the historic monuments (traditional ancient monuments and artifacts) and those who are in love with the history and former ancient civilization, and their land. 7. “As a Dry Tree before a Traffic Light” is a really delicate/tender romantic story. It is a Love Story about the relationships between people and when they face did you call the Hard Days and also it is another story about the working children.

book excerpt

The mouth of the fourth fish was still stuck in the fisher›s fishing hook. It is dying in my hand. «He is very strong God damn it.» I said to him., “What›s the matter with you? Do you think you are a big shark or a big whale? I took its mouth/lips off the hook. Then I threw it down on the floor of the boat which was still humid and wet. The fish was still jumping and humping up and down and pounding herself to the floor of the boat/canteen and rubbed himself there. He doesn’t want to give up. He›s very clever and diligence. I start rewinding/spinning the string while getting the fishing hook up. I gazed at the fish and told him: “What are you going to do? When you stop jumping up and down, then you’ll finally die like the other three. Therefore you should go to sleep and relax. I›m not in the mood to tolerate you.” Farhad Hassanzadeh (1962-Abadan) About the Author:

Namaki and his friend Teimoor are performing their play before a crowd of loitering people in the square of the town. They have a chain and keep spinning it for the audience and they break open a padlock with bare hands and then they show a snake which has been tamed. But nobody is really willing to pay a penny/ anything for the games of this show. Namaki’s serpent is Indian and friendly and in very good terms with Namaki. It is an intimate friend and amuses the spectators by playing games. His performance and games are very interesting. However, sometimes it is being naughty and refuses to get along and obey the boss. One day when Namaki and Teimoor are performing on their stage and the people, as usual, are standing around them and staring at them watching them very carefully, nobody puts his hand in his pocket to bring out any money for them. Suddenly city reporters arrive in the square while spoiling their performance, announcing king›s declaration and while yelling, read the news, «Seven burglars and thieves have stolen seven precious pieces of ruby from the King›s palace. They have escaped. Anybody who contributes in arresting these burglars and delivering them to the King will be given three pieces of those precious ruby stones as his prize. Namaki and the snake who wears sunglasses decide to set out for the city to find the burglars. Namaki considers himself to be forty years old. He always says, «I am 40». Although only a teenager he pretends to be forty years old. He thinks he is very clever, intelligent and wise. He proves that he can cope with any obstacles set before him. Therefore, with the help of his snake who is wearing sunglasses he sets out to achieve his goal and starts the mission, He finally identifies the thieves one by one. He arrests them and hands them over to the King. His talking is eloquent and fascinating and he fascinates everybody. Namaki and the snake who’s wearing glasses is a tale of a teenage boy who thinks he›s 40 years old or pretends to be 40 years old and sets out to the city to find the seven burglars of the ruby stones. They go to the village and then to the city (to look for them) and over there get involved with weird adventures which are sometimes funny. The book of Namaki includes 12 chapters. Farhad Hassanzadeh, the writer of this book, is actually rewriting very old folkloric stories. He has succeeded to present them in the new version and he has written them very beautifully. Intelligence, smartness, honesty and justice are 177 concepts which stand out in this book. The literature is based on fiction and imagination and the application of story in another story is a structure applied by the writer in this book. The writer has used a fine irony in writing this book. As in his other books he has a social and critic›s look at the today›s problems making the book more educational for teenagers. The animation of Namaki and the Snake with glasses also has been produced in an animation film.

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The story starts when a father of some children buys a used computer (second- hand PC) for one of his children. They find a very mysterious software program on the computer. This program is related to the crows related to the anti-activities of organized crime (anti-violation and anti-criminal networks. Now children organize a team to identify the criminals. Mansour finds a new program in his computer in which some messages are given to him by crows. In reality, the program defines and assigns some missions to him, based on four principals: goodness, faith, honesty, and righteousness. On this base, he and his friends are set on a mission to reveal the evils (by embarrassing them and making a scandal of their activities) and serve people by spreading goodness. The author›s approach in this book is the genre that has tempted in today's literature. The book is also a kind of critique of social behaviors in urban life. Although this critique is in the form of exciting missions for children, such as finding someone who spends his garbage on the premises every night and contaminates the environment ... «The Crow of Computer» is an elaborate story not overwhelmed the complexity of science or the official critique of social shortcomings, because the author here is only storyteller. He uses a comic with a happy and intrusive way and makes it simple and easy for children to 181 understand their own community›s problems. book excerpt

Mansour angrily pounds on the table yelling: “You stupid! What is a game? These are recorded data on a CD, which I’ve received from the Crows who are liaisons between us and them. He gave it to me. They are real. The boys, startled and quiet, each of them looked at spots in different directions. Mansoor who broke the silence announced: “OK now do you believe it? Tooraj said: “What is our duty? Farhad Hassanzadeh (1962-Abadan) About the Author:

Some of His books: - The statues› Finger(1997) - Bath Symphony(1995) - The Raisin smiles of the Happy Family(2003) - The Seventh Bench by the Lake(2006) - The Scorpions of the Ship Bambak(2009) - This Weblog is Relinquished(2013) 183 - Carrot Milkshake(2015) Title: Masho in Fog Author: Farhad Hassanzadeh Subject: Fiction (Novel) Year of Publishing: 2018 / 5th Edition No. of Pages: 86/Paperback age group: +14 Size: 12.5 × 19 ISBN: 9789645064035 Awards: Nominated in Iran›s Book of the Year Award (1996) Achieving appreciation certificate from The Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults in Iran (1995) Based on this book, a serial was produced and broadcast on Iran›s television.

about book

Mashoo (Mashala) and his friends are looking for a treasure under the oil pipeline in Abadan (Southern province of Khuzestan/Iran).They are looking for a box full of jewelry, which they heard might be concealed by a smuggler. They are looking for it in their childish worlds and dreams, while they do not know the true story. And . . . ‹‹The book Mashoo in Fog» is one of Farhad Hassanzadeh’s successful books (and bestsellers) that has been highly awarded by the readers as well as literary critics in Iran. The fifth edition of this book was published within a few years, and a hundred thousand copies have so far been sold out. This book has been awarded in a literary festival while a movie has been produced base on it. This 185 novel includes 7 chapters. book excerpt

The door opened, and Habib came back out of the room along with his colleague, a tall women wearing glasses with her glossy golden hair woven from behind and thrown over her shoulder. Her white and large face reminded me of my fifth-grade teacher. He threw his short-sleeved pink shirt on her blue jeans. He did not notice us first. He picked up the phone and started greeting. When he saw us, he frowned; raising his eyebrows. He was gazing at us, but his look was not pleasant, especially his look on Sia with his bare feet twisted over each other, which was so excited to see her while inserting a finger in his nose and turning it carelessly… Farhad Hassanzadeh (1962-Abadan) About the Author:

English, Spanish, Indian, Urdu and Russian texts are available. It is winter. Snow covers the whole village. No one can enter the village and there is no way out of the village. Meanwhile, Esma›il’s father gets pneumonia. Something should be done! But there is no doctor in the village. Everyone is sitting around the sick father. The younger brother asks Esma›il, «Brother, what can we do if Dad dies?» Ismail gets up. He needs to visit a doctor in the city and get medicine. But it is winter and the roads are snowy, and it will be the night when he returns and there is the risk of the hungry wolves attacking. Some people try to dissuade Esma›il and suggest, “We pray that your father will be fine.” But Esma›il believes that he should move in addition to pray. He believes he needs to do something. The story “If Dad Dies” is a precious and sophisticated story in which Muhammad Reza Sarshar describes the concept of waiting well and in a fluent and simple language. «If Dad Dies» is the story of waiting, a responsible and hopeful waiting. So far, with the passing of at least three generations, this book continues to be popular among adolescents. The setting of the story is very intimate and its atmosphere is one of the beautiful areas in the northwest of the country. It is very memorable and with attractive nodes and suspensions. It is a technical story that contains all the story elements. This book is one of the rare 189 books that have gone beyond 100,000 reprints. book excerpt

Suddenly, the sound of a lot of barking dogs resonates in the dark plain. Four wolves stood right in front of us. It seemed like the barking dogs had transfixed them. Mashhadi Ghasem shouted, “Guys! Come on behind the fire!” I and Borujali came to the fire and stood beside Mashhadi Ghasem. He was sweating from fear. The knees of all three of us obviously shuddered. We thought everything was over. At the last moments, various thoughts spilled into my brain. How painful it was as if the wolves tore us off and the dad died. Then my mother and my sister and brother would die of grief. Suddenly a hand threw me to the ground, and then I heard Borujali’s voice saying: “Lie down on the ground!” Muhammad Reza Sashar (1953-Kazeroun) About the Author:

Muhammad Reza Sarshar is well-known writer and literary critic, studied industrial engineering. A few of his works got published before the Islamic Revolution, but most of them have been released after the Revolution. Sarshar›s stories have got a religious ambience. However in some of his books, he made his best to introduce outstanding historical and religious figure. Another theme mostly seen in his works is Iran-Iraq war. He is the member and the chairman of Iran Pen Association. Some of his books have been translated and published in other countries.

Some of His books: -Flea in the Oven (2011-Souroush Pubs.), -10 Stories from Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h)(2014-Ghadyani Pubs.), -Look at the Camel (2011), -The Adorable Grandpa (2001-Madrese Pubs.) 191 -Rain or no Rain (1996-Madrese Pubs.) Title: Narges Author: Rahim Makhdoomi Subject: Fiction (Novel) Year of Publishing: 2017 / 7th Edition No. of Pages: 271/Paperback age group: +14 Size: 12 × 20 ISBN: 9789645067630 about book

Everything started from the day Narges and Ismail went to school. The beginning of the school was the beginning of the turbulent days of the educational life of Narges and Isma›il. Meanwhile, Ishmael completes the task of fraternity in Narges› right; he makes his best to let Narges go to school. Ismail, despite his very young age, thinks as a mutual man. Ismail is a teenage boy studying at guidance school and his sister named Narges, at high school. Ismail›s father is a poor but revolutionary man. He sells dry and waste bread. His uncle, who is mullah (clergy man), is also against the Shah›s regime, and has been frequently arrested and tortured by SAVAK (Iranian Intelligences Service in Shah›s arena). According to the new directive, Narges is being expelled from the school due to her Hijab, and this is a main cause that evokes Ismail to be against the regime of Shah. Then the book describes Isma›il›s efforts to bring his sister back to school The book enjoys a simple and eloquent text without using complex terms and statements. The events narrated from the perspective of the first person means by Ismail. The events are somewhat tangible and believable as though they are the author›s memories described beautifully the details and events. The author, in the thirty-four short sections, tried to find out all the events that took place in his community, especially in the eyes of the teenage boy. Each section consists of one of these events. The message in the novel is: to achieve the goals, we 193 should try our best and work together.

Rahim Makhdumi (1966-Varami) About the Author:

Rahim Makhdumi is a teacher and writer who was eager to write when he was about the age of adolescence.His first book was released in the year 1989. His writings are inspired by the life and character of Iranian warriors, those in the Iran-Iraq war, in particular. Makhdumi has penned various books in the field of sacred defense literature including novel, short story and drama.

Some of His books: \-Who will take the trigger, -The Bare foot fight, -Those who pass away, -Dreams and memories, -Runaway teacher, -Everyone works itself Rahim Makhdumi lives in Tehran at present and is engaging to teach 195 and write his new books. Title: Bayghoosh (Owl) Author: Ali Naseri Subject: Fiction (Novel) Year of Publishing: 2014/first edition No. of Pages: 158/Paperback age group: +14 Size: 11.5 × 16.5 ISBN: 9786001756191 Awards: Film right was sold in Iran. The was chosen as the best book in «Lakpost Literary Festival» (Iran-2014) The book was nominated to win the «Shahid Qhanipoor Literary Prize» ( Iran-2014)

about book

Mehrali, a 15-year-old village boy, comes to town for the New Year shopping. Before shopping, he stumbles upon a bird shop that showcases a variety of bird and pigeon species. Among all that, Mehrali favors a weird and lonely bird in a cage hanging from the ceiling at the corner of the store. The birds hop salesman, who sees the curiosity of Mehrali, suggests him to buy the bird, but Mehrali does not know the name of the bird. The salesman, who wants to pull a prank on Mehrali, introduces the bird as the Phoenix; a legendary bird that he had captured at his own garden. The naive Mehrali believes him and gives him his New Year shopping money. Satisfied with the deal, the greedy salesman gives him the bird and the cage. Mehrali happily takes a minibus to return to his village, but the passengers’ treatment of him and his bird surprises him. Everyone is complaining why the driver had taken an ominous baby owl into the vehicle. In his defense of the bird, Mehrali introduces it as the Phoenix, triggering a bitter laugh and his ridicule. When Mehrali gets down the vehicle, it›s tiring goes flat and again the passengers’ perception of the owl’s evilness is affirmed. But Mehrali does not know the meaning of ominous; therefore, he covers the cage 197 with a plastic sheet and hides it in the barn, away from the Bibi and father›s eyes. book excerpt

Mehrali bent over to pick up his bag. Suddenly, something caught his eyes and held them for a moment. The bird is big, larger than a pigeon, in a metal cage, far from the pigeons, at the dark corner of the shop, isolated and alone, with a round flat face, and large red eyes; that gaze glaringly and questioningly into the stunned Mehrali eyes ... Ali Naseri (1971-Mianeh) About the Author:

Ali Naseri is one of Iranian contemporary prominent authors. He writes mainly for young adults. He has penned various books so far and most of them were welcomed by Iranian audiences and literary circles. Among them are:

Some of His books: -The kid who was not born, Madrese Pubs., 2006, -Cloud and Crow, Madrese Pubs., 2006, - Daddy›s Paintings, Elmi-Farhangi Pubs., 2007, -The Winter will Come to End,Kanoon Pubs.,2010 - My Thief Father, 2008

Some of his Awards: -Nominated in «Isfahan Literary Prize»(Iran-2009) 199 -Nominated in «Iran Book of the year Literary Prize»(Iran-2016) Title: Comradeship in the Way of Tank Author: Davood Amiriyan Subject: Fiction (Novel) Year of Publishing: 2018 / 38th Edition No. of Pages: 112/Paperback age group: +14 Size: 16 × 21 ISBN: 9789644717826 Awards: Best book awarded in Holy Defense Year Book Award.(2004) Rights sold to: Lebanon

about book

Ahmad, a teenage boy with poor physique, wants to go to the front anyway. Finally, he becomes the success to go to the front and took part in the first operation. It was dark and it seemed to him an Iraqi attacked him. He was scared and hurt his commander with his rifle. Ahmad says: Our troop was known as screws and pennants group! I was the only healthy person because I was the newcomer and it was the second time that I had come to the front. All of them have been injured and hurt during the war. One had no hand, the other›s foot was artificial, and the third one had gone half its intestines, and the fourth continued to live with a kidney and half the liver. One of the kids, speaking in half the tongue that remained for him said,» «Do not be sorry friends, in the next operation, we will gather one or two dozen spare parts from the dead body›s› of enemies like the eyes and ears, liver and kidney and repair the defective parts of our body. The book containing 48 comic stories for teenagers, written by adapting from the book about the memories of an Iranian fighter during the war between Iran and Iraq. Most stories take on a memoir, despite the fact that the author has tried to give them a fiction story. However, the unique advantage of the main character of the stories is his truthfulness and realism that lies in these narratives. Young and diverse nature of teenagers could be satisfied by reading such special texts 201 and adventures.

Davood Amiriyan (1970-Kerman) About the Author:

Davood Ariyan is the writer who well-known figure in the Iranian children and young adults literature. His main interest of subject is war literature. He published his memories of Iran-Iraq war at the age of twenty. Satire and presence of young active and ambitious youths are characteristics of Amiriyan›s works. A lot of his books have been published in Iran and other countries, for instance in Russia.

Some of His books: -Heaven for you (1980), -Mr. Mayor (2000), -Friend›s don›t say goodbye (2003), -The scarecrow of fiery farm (2003), World cup in Javadiye(2004)-

Amiriyan's books were awarded in different book festivals and prizes such as: -Islamic Republic of Iran Book of the Year, -Holy Defense Book of the Year, 203 -Book of the Season Award. Title: March of the Teardrops Author: Mehdi Mirkiaei Subject: Fiction (Novel) Year of Publishing: 2019 No. of Pages: 111/soft cover age group: +14 Size: 12.5 × 19 ISBN: 978 600327575 about book

The Indians of the Arawak tribe were waiting for the migration of the ducks but sword-wielding strangers showed up. Under Christopher Columbus’s command, they had an assignment by the Spanish kingdom to capture a lot of Indians and take them to Spain for slavery, and also, extract large amounts of gold and jewelry from their land. A thousand and five hundred Indians were captured and thrown into large cages aboard ships, and with huge amounts of gold and jewelry extracted from their mines, they set sail for Spain. In Spain, these Indians were forced to do hard labor and any of them who refused to do so would have his hands cut off. Then, the Spaniards attacked the Aztec tribe. The Indians thought they could give away gifts to prevent them from invading their land. So, they gave them the gold they had gathered. But the Spanish who were intoxicated by seeing so much gold sought gold mines. It was not long after the Spanish arrival to the land when the kings of other European countries decided to plunder the gold mines of the Indian lands. The Indians were suffering a strange and dire fate when . . . The present book contains 22 short and simple stories about the exploitation of Indians by American and European colonists. The author has attempted to retell and narrate some parts of the history of Indian tribal life in the form of a story to inform the adolescent audience about the ancient history of Indians and the atrocities that have been imposed on them by the looters throughout history. The book, besides its educational purpose, has provided short readable stories. Since the author himself is a historian, he has provided credible and 205 documented information using authentic historical references. book excerpt

On his second trip to the Americas in 1496 A.D., Christopher Columbus again invaded the gentle Arawaks and hunted for slaves. A thousand and five hundred Arawak Indians, including men, women, and children; were captured and imprisoned in large cages. Then, five hundred of them were selected and transported to the ship. Of this five hundred, two hundred died during the sea voyage. The rest arrived in Spain and were kept in large cages to be sold. Mehdi Mirkiaei (1973 -Tehran) About the Author:

Mehdi Mirkiaei is a contemporary writer and scholar who is also an academic of Allameh Tabataba’i University. He began his literary career by penning stories for children, but later expanded his activities by attaining an academic certificate in history. In the years after the Islamic Revolution, Mirkiaei’s works gained the attention of many literary critics and award juries and beside the book of the year award, he managed to nab a variety of literary awards including the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults’ book of the year award and the Council for Children’s Books’ book of the year award. Furthermore, two translations of his works have been published in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Some of his Books: -Legend of the Marble Lair (Afsaneye Laneye Marmarin). Tehran: Shabaviz Pubs, 2004 -The Song of the Charred Tree (Avaz-e Derakht-e Sookhteh). Tehran: Taka Pubs, 2010 -Fire and Water (Ab o Atash). Tehran: Amir Kabir Pubs, 2015 207 -Let’s Write a Story (Biaid Dastan Benevisim). Tehran: Talaee Pubs, 2015 Title: A Voyage to the Other Side of the Seas Author: Mehdi Mirkiaei Subject: Fiction (Novel) Year of Publishing: 2019 No. of Pages: 131/soft cover age group: +14 Size: 12.5 × 20 ISBN: 978 600327521 about book

The Europeans thought that a country called Eldorado existed far away, where the mountains were pure gold and all the houses were made of gold and the roads and streets were paved with gold as well. Finding ways to get more gold alongside silk and spice, drove European sailors to the vast oceans. But the tranquil era of the merchants was gradually coming to an end. The Turkic tribes of Asia Minor had formed the powerful Ottoman Empire and dominated all parts of the eastern and southern Mediterranean region. European kings, especially the Portuguese and Spanish kings, were in fierce competition to find new routes to capture other countries’ resources. The Portuguese were going to reach the Far East by going around Africa. After discovering the route to India, they sent their troops to India, and the Spanish went to Latin American lands and also the Indian Territory which was full of gold mines. They met in the Atlantic Ocean and there was heavy fighting between the ships of both sides on the water. The main theme of this book is the competition between European countries, in particular, Spain and Portugal, for access to gold and other resources of unknown and weak countries. What happened in the course of competition between the soldiers of the two kings, their plans to plunder the resources of the deprived people, their use of inhumane methods, mass killing and exploiting the people in resource-rich lands were among the topics that the author tries to convey to his adolescent audience in the form of stories and narratives with a simple language. Given the adolescents’ thirst for knowledge and to learn more 209 about world history, this book has attracted the attention of Iranian audience. book excerpt

When the Spanish Armada reached the shore and all the soldiers and sailors got off the ships, Cortez ordered them to set the ships on fire. Now, his troops had only one way to survive: the destruction of the Aztec Empire. Portugal was the first country to think of new sea routes to the east. This small country on the Atlantic coast always had to use sea routes to connect with other countries and at the time that the idea of reaching the east via new routes had occupied the minds of Europeans, the Portuguese pioneered in this regard. Mehdi Mirkiaei (1973 -Tehran) About the Author:

Some of his Books: -Legend of the Marble Lair (Afsaneye Laneye Marmarin). Tehran: Shabaviz Pubs, 2004 -The Song of the Charred Tree (Avaz-e Derakht-e Sookhteh). Tehran: Taka Pubs, 2010 -Fire and Water (Ab o Atash). Tehran: Amir Kabir Pubs, 2015 211 -Let’s Write a Story (Biaid Dastan Benevisim). Tehran: Talaee Pubs, 2015 Title: Manhunt Author: Mehdi Mirkiaei Subject: Fiction (Novel) Year of Publishing: 2019 No. of Pages: 131/soft cover age group: +14 Size: 12.5 × 21 ISBN: 978 600327552 about book

Slavery was commonplace in the ancient world. The people who were captured in wars or by the bandits attacking convoys, were in some cases put at the service of other human beings to work for free. But when Europeans discovered new lands and continents by sea exploration, slavery was defined anew. The conquered areas had a great deal of resources and their vast plains were suitable for agriculture, but exploitation of all that needed labor. The use of slaves was the best way the Europeans found to supply this huge workforce. The Portuguese who pioneered in maritime exploration began slave trade before the rest of Europe, but soon other nations joined the booming market. Slavery was commonplace in the ancient history of the world, but no country like the European countries in the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries practiced it so extensively. The slave trade in those years became the largest forced migration in human history. The book Manhunt, with a historical outlook on slavery, is going to explain to the audience the causes and reasons for the spread of this inhumane act. The chapters of the book include: Black Fishermen, Captivity in the Desert, Red Slaves, Queen’s Teacher, From Market to Market, Sea Voyage, Slaves Get Insured, The Slavery Stigma, New Life, Business Triangle, I Want to Buy Myself, Pete Diamond, The Lucky Frenchman, Rebellion, Pennant Castle, South Sea Bubble, and 213 England Defends Human Rights. book excerpt

Henry loved African gold, ivory and pepper, but Africa had another appeal for him: slaves. The African tribes were in perpetual war against each other and the victorious tribe enslaved the defeated tribe’s men and women. They were kept or sold depending on case. The knife sharpening stones were given to these soldiers. That morning, the soldiers had breakfast by the river and then sharpened their swords. Then, they tested the swords on the fully naked body and the soft flesh of the Indians. One of them even split an Indian in two with a single blow. They did not hate the Indians and just loved gold and wealth. They needed these natives to work in farm with all their might. Mehdi Mirkiaei (1973 -Tehran) About the Author:

Some of his Books: -Legend of the Marble Lair (Afsaneye Laneye Marmarin). Tehran: Shabaviz Pubs, 2004 -The Song of the Charred Tree (Avaz-e Derakht-e Sookhteh). Tehran: Taka Pubs, 2010 -Fire and Water (Ab o Atash). Tehran: Amir Kabir Pubs, 2015 215 -Let’s Write a Story (Biaid Dastan Benevisim). Tehran: Talaee Pubs, 2015 Title: The Bloody Cross Author: Mehdi Mirkiaei Subject: Fiction (Novel) Year of Publishing: 2019 No. of Pages: 123 /soft cover age group: +14 Size: 12.5 × 22 ISBN: 978 600327567 about book

The popes in Europe had been showing off their power to the kings for hundreds of years, and if a king refused to obey them, he suffered severe penalties like Heinrich IV in Germany. Each of the popes owned vast tracts of land. But as European nations conquered the lands across the oceans, the popes also paid more attention to improving their military and political power. Increasing their power and fighting enemies like the Ottoman Turks and building huge monuments that were signs of the greatness of the popes and the church, were not viable without money, so they had to sell positions at church offices in different countries. They also produced indulgences and sold them to the people to forgive their sins. European kings and princes who feared the power of the pope and the church tried to wrap all their activities, especially conquering new territories, in a religious and Christian veil. The missionaries who went with the conquerors to the new land had another mission besides inviting people to Christianity. They justified the aggressive behavior of the invading soldiers and calmed down the natives so they accept their new misery without objection. The main theme of the book is the instrumental use of the religion by the colonists to plunder and exploit the people. Unfortunately, the collaboration of the powerful church authorities to achieve their own evil ends and at times, to spread the Christian religion, with the kings in European countries who had devised long- term and inhumane plans to loot the resources of the lands of Indian tribes and other deprived lands, are narrated in this book in the form of short and readable anecdotes and stories. The author’s expressive and eloquent style, as well as his knowledge about historical events, has made this book instructive and 217 readable for the young audience. book excerpt

When the first European ships arrived on the new continents, the priests went ashore along with the explorers. They sought to convert the natives to Christianity. For hundreds of years, European kings had to proclaim themselves proponents and followers of popes, the highest religious authority in Europe. So, they had to put up a religious facade to their every decision. When geographical discoveries began, all of those kings claimed they just wanted to spread Christianity. Mehdi Mirkiaei (1973 -Tehran) About the Author:

Some of his Books: -Legend of the Marble Lair (Afsaneye Laneye Marmarin). Tehran: Shabaviz Pubs, 2004 -The Song of the Charred Tree (Avaz-e Derakht-e Sookhteh). Tehran: Taka Pubs, 2010 -Fire and Water (Ab o Atash). Tehran: Amir Kabir Pubs, 2015 219 -Let’s Write a Story (Biaid Dastan Benevisim). Tehran: Talaee Pubs, 2015 Title: Wolves Sleep with their Eyes Open Author: Mehdi Mirkiaei Subject: Fiction (Novel) Year of Publishing: 2019 No. of Pages: 97 /soft cover age group: +14 Size: 12.5 × 20 ISBN: 978 600327545 about book

When Europeans discovered new continents and the legendary wealth of those continents bedazzled them, they began to compete with each other. Portugal and Spain discovered new territories sooner than any other European country, followed by the rest of Europe. First, the king of France, Francois, dreamed of discovering and conquering newer worlds. He first turned to the American continent and made many discoveries in Canada and in large parts of the modern-day USA. In England, Henry VIII sailed his ships along the American coast to the Caribbean Sea in competition with the Spanish. Next, his daughter Elizabeth ordered to harass the Spanish ships. The English were more advanced than others in piracy activities. Following the piracy of the Spanish vessels by the British, war erupted between the two countries, and the British were victorious. The French and the British then joined the Portuguese and fought against Spain. Next, the British invaded India. The focal theme of this book is the competition and conflicts of European countries for the unearthing of new lands, their plans for the expansion of colonies and the looting of property and mines of the people of other countries. The author has presented his content in 27 short stories, each with a separate title. The author’s use of authentic historical sources to retell historical events 221 for adolescents has made this book interesting and readable for its audience. book excerpt

As we walked along the coast in search of new routes, in an area called Tarapaka, we reached a Spaniard sleeping at the beach. Next to the Spanish man were thirteen silver bullions, worth about four thousand Spanish Dukas. We did not wish for to perturb his nap, but we wanted to get him rid of the heavy burden of silver. So we did something to agree to him to carry on his reverie in a better world. Mehdi Mirkiaei (1973 -Tehran) About the Author:

Some of his Books: -Legend of the Marble Lair (Afsaneye Laneye Marmarin). Tehran: Shabaviz Pubs, 2004 -The Song of the Charred Tree (Avaz-e Derakht-e Sookhteh). Tehran: Taka Pubs, 2010 -Fire and Water (Ab o Atash). Tehran: Amir Kabir Pubs, 2015 223 -Let’s Write a Story (Biaid Dastan Benevisim). Tehran: Talaee Pubs, 2015 Title: Award Author: Muhammad Reza Sarshar Subject: Fiction (Novel) Year of Publishing: 2018 / 18th Edition No. of Pages: 32 /soft cover age group: +14 Size: 16.5 × 21 ISBN: 978 9645062748 about book

The book contains three stories, titled The Gold Watch, The Prize and The Friends, that are narrated for late elementary and early guidance school children. The first story of the book (The Gold Watch) is the story of two friends called Saeed and Sadegh, who are best friends besides being classmates as well. One day, Sadegh goes to Saeed’s home to study and Saeed’s gold watch goes missing. From this moment on, Saeed suspects his friend and feels that he has stolen his watch. At the end of the story, it is revealed that the crow that has made a nest on the top a tree in their yard has stolen Saeed’s watch. The second story (The Prize), also the book’s namesake, is about a teenage boy trying to get the top scores in the sixth grade final exam hoping that his father would buy him a bike; but financial troubles do not allow his father to honor his promise and buy a bicycle for his son. At the end of the story, the boy finds out about his father’s situation and writes a letter to inform his father that he has given up the bicycle idea. The last story of the book (The Friends) tells the story of a teenager named Yunes, who emigrates with his family from Shiraz to Tabriz, where he is confronted with a strange and weird atmosphere while attending the school in that city and almost cannot cope with it. Yunes does not know the language of the Tabriz students who speak Turkish and this fact makes him seek friendship with another student named Mehdi, who is incidentally a Shiraz native and speaks Yunes’s language. Mehdi is an undisciplined student and encourages Younes to skip the school for a few days, but the school children bring Yunes back to the classroom and their friendship becomes deeper, and Yunes gets interested in the school and the new friends. The author, throughout the stories of this book, depicts the mental world of adolescents and educational spaces so skillfully that the reader finds himself right in the middle of the book’s adventures and thus, gets along with the 225 characters and events of these stories. book excerpt

By any means, we were trying to make it clear to everyone that we were going to take the final exam. In the street and marketplace, wherever we saw our classmates, we began immediately: - “Hey, Hassan. What should we do about the final exam?” - “Hey, Jamal. What day is the final exam due?” And how we said the word-final exam! As if we were talking about the most important and greatest things in the world. Finally, the exam day arrived. I took a bath the day before. I slept earlier than ever at night. That morning, my mother woke me up earlier than ever. She gave me breakfast and brought me my best clothes to wear and also, doubled my pocket money and said, “It might come in handy.” Then, she prayed and blew in my face and held the Quran over my head and told me to kiss it and pass under it. Then she saw me to the door to the alley. She advised me a lot at the doorway. Then, she handed me over to God and closed the front door while incessantly praying for my success. I was left with a piece of white cardboard to put under my exam paper and a paper clip. While I was awfully anxious, I went to my friend Hassan’s home, and the two of us made our way to the school where the exam was taking place. Right down the alley, we pinned the badge for entering the session to our chests with a safety pin. We wanted everyone to know how important we were. Muhammad Reza Sashar (1953-Kazeroun) About the Author:

Some of His books: -Flea in the Oven (2011-Souroush Pubs.), -10 Stories from Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h)(2014-Ghadyani Pubs.), -Look at the Camel (2011), -The Adorable Grandpa (2001-Madrese Pubs.) 227 -Rain or no Rain (1996-Madrese Pubs.) Title: Asilabad Author: Muhammad Reza Sarshar Subject: Fiction (Novel) Year of Publishing: 2014 / 19th Edition No. of Pages: 48/Paperback age group: +14 Size: 16.5 × 21 ISBN: 978 9645062743 about book

The present book tells the story of a village by the same name, a village near a large and lush river, in a fertile plain with a pleasant climate. It is exemplary among the surrounding villages. Its men plow the ground at the farming season. Its children are happy and playful. Everything is great, ovens and cookers are always working; the desert is full of grass, the herd is sated, all are cheerful, all are happy with their lives because blessings are abundant in the village. There are only two literate men in the village, the village’s mullah and Ali Agha, who is both a teacher and the school principal and based on the experience gained in the town, has many ideas in mind that are created with agreement and collaboration of the mullah. He is going to set up a few workshops in the village and boost agriculture and educate the children and villagers. In the simple and unadulterated life of the villagers, a guy by the name Pilevar shows up. He shouts ‘magic lantern’ and attracts the village kids. As the children become very interested in the, he demands money from them, then gradually encourages the men to watch the magic lantern images too. The village’s women are also mesmerized by the magic lantern. The magic lantern changes all the people, the women fancy earrings and bracelets, the kids demand city toys, and simple clothes lose their appeal for the people; until the gadgets that were used in the city show up in the village and that incident has its aftermath. The contented villagers fall in love with the Western way of life, their course of living and their purpose changes, and blessings leave their lives. However, the villagers are guided by their elders who help them to distinguish right from wrong, and . . . The main purpose of the book is the change in the lifestyle of a village as a result of infiltration by an alien agent and its restoration. The author of thebook has criticized the characteristics of the Western world and has implemented the idea in the form of a readable story to attract the sympathy of the audience.

The moral of the story is as follows: - To achieve independence, one must strive optimistically. - Self-reliance, self-confidence and not to be deceived by the appearance, guarantee the identity of every nation. - One must be more careful to use imported products, especially cultural products. While Asilabad is considered a book for the adolescent age group, but despite its simple language and very small volume, has been welcomed by a variety of adult audiences because of its rich content and critical subject matter, such that it has been reprinted nineteen times since the date of its first publication. 229

Muhammad Reza Sashar (1953-Kazeroun) About the Author:

Some of His books: -Flea in the Oven (2011-Souroush Pubs.), -10 Stories from Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h)(2014-Ghadyani Pubs.), -Look at the Camel (2011), -The Adorable Grandpa (2001-Madrese Pubs.) 231 -Rain or no Rain (1996-Madrese Pubs.) Title: Two Tales of a Photo Author: Ibrahim Hassanbeigi Subject: Fiction (Novel) Year of Publishing: 2018 / 1th Edition No. of Pages: 384 /soft cover age group: +14 Size: 14 × 22 ISBN: 978 600328849 about book

The magic lamp goes to meet Mohammad Reza Shah, the last Iranian king. The king sits at a table reading a few papers. He has not worn the regalia, instead of sports a white short-sleeved shirt. He is sad why his military forces and prime ministers cannot calm the protesting people. He tries to calm the situation by changing the prime ministers and giving people more freedom. He is forced to flee the country with his family. First, he goes to Egypt and his old friend Anwar el-Sadat. Then he goes to other countries to escape the arm of the law and the people. On the other hand, his chronic illness is getting worse every day. In the end, he is forced to take refuge in Panama Island. The king’s ordeal becomes more and more complex. In despair, he waits for even darker days. The Shah finally dies and his body gets buried in Al-Rifa’i Mosque in Egypt. The novel Two Tales of a Photo deals with the final days of Reza Shah’s life in exile and the last days of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s life. The father and son share homelessness and wandering at the end of the reign when none of their friends were willing to help them survive illness and humiliation abroad. The magic lamp is the narrator of the story and in this book, reviews two contemporary Iranian dictators and is going to tell the story of their fall and homelessness for the adolescents. The book is divided into two parts; one is about Reza Shah’s exile to Africa and the other, about the Shah’s flight to Egypt and other countries. Mohammad Reza Shah is said to have suffered a miserable life in his last couple of years. The 233 book has kind of depicted those days. book excerpt

It was a kind of curiosity or else, I do not know. I wanted to go to the Sadabad Palace after thirty-seven years and see what happened to Reza Khan’s son this time and why he was so worried and thought that he had hit the wall and had to pack up and go. But as the events unfolded, this time the departure of the son was unlike his father, that is, the order was not issued from above. It was said that Reza Khan had to submit his throne to his son and go to a distant place. But Mohammad Reza Shah was in big trouble. Perhaps he had to surrender the throne which Reza Khan had taken over via coup d’état and bullying, to the people who were launching a revolution and get lost.

Ibrahim Hassanbeigy (1957/Gorgan-Iran) About the Author:

He is one of the well-known and experienced writers in Iran who has written for children and young adults more than 30 years. He authored more than 50 books and at least 10 of them translated and published in other countries. His travels to all around Iran gave him the opportunity to collect drafts for his later stories. Hassan Beygi’s books are characterized by a simple narrative with theme of Islamic revolution and Iran-Iraq war. He has published 85 novels, adult short story collections and children and young adult books, which some of them are popular and high seller among teenagers and young adults. His novella: «the Rosebud on the Rug» was honored by the Munich National Library in 2000. His books have been translated into languages such as English, Arabic, Turkish, Russian, Chinese, Turkmen and Azeri. Ibrahim Hassan Beygi currently lives in Malaysia, devoting his time to writing.

Some Awards: 1-Honored Diploma for the book «Eternal Roots», 13th Festival of Children Books, Iran, 2009. 2-The book titled as «The Root in Depth» selected as one of the best fiction issued in Iranian revolution and sacred war. 3. The booked titled as «The Rosebud on the Rug» selected as one of the best book in the year 2000. 4-The winner of Iran Book of the Year›s Global Prize, for the Book«Mohammad»,Iran,2013. 5-The Winner of Qhanipoor Literary Festival for the book «Amir Hossein and the enchanted Lamp», Iran, 2014. 6-The winner of Jalal AlAhmad Literary Festival for the Book «The Saint», Iran, 2014.

Books sold their rights: 1- The book «Muhammad» published in Turkey, Mayna Publication, 2010. 2- The book «Muhammad› published in England, Sham & Meh Publications, 2013. 3- The book «Muhammad» published in Lebnan, Dar alhadi Publications, 2013. 4- The book«The Purple Years» published in Georgia, Azad University Publications, 2015. 5- The book«The Rosebud on the Rug» published in Hong Kong, Cotton Tree Publications, 2009.

235 Title: A simple narration of a complicated adventure Author: Ibrahim Hassanbeigi Subject: Fiction (Novel) Year of Publishing: 2018 / 1th Edition No. of Pages: 223 /soft cover age group: +14 Size: 14 × 22 ISBN: 9876000317317 about book

The main character of the novel is a teenage boy named Elias. He loves Sephora, the great Khan’s daughter (Khan is a prominent figure in the big village). The story begins with a murder. Elias’s elder brother is murdered at his wedding night. Unknown men invade the wedding ceremony, kill him and kidnap the bride. Elias as well as the rest of villagers know well that this is the work of Khan›s son who has been long in love with the bride. Elias›s family complains to the police, but the police, under the influence of than Khan, fails to do anything. Elias decides to fight against the Khan and his son. Not only he strives to take revenge but also rescue his sister-in-law from the captivity in the Khan’s residence. But he cannot fight the ruthless regime of the government, so instead he burns down Khan›s cereals warehouse. The incidence is revealed so Elias›s father has no choice to reluctantly send him to Tehran to stay with his uncle. Elias goes to high school in Tehran and begins his political struggle (campaign) against the Shah›s regime with the help of his friends. With the onset of the Revolution, the struggle intensifies and he is arrested, tortured and abused by SAVAK. After his release from prison, helped by his father he returns to the villageAfter the Islamic Revolution due to the persistence of Elias the Khan and his son are arrested and sent to prison to do their time. This novel is written for the teenage age group and describes the events during feudalism era (peasants and masters) in Turkmen-sahra. The purpose of this story is to convey the great and profound sense of justice. In this story, a village teenager whose life is entangled with toils and suffering of a typical villager’s livelihood, although too young achieves great incredible tasks (in his rural climate). The contemporary teenage audience accompanies him through the strange adventures of that era; from the noisy bustling school environment to the prison of SAVAK’s Joint Anti-Sabotage Committee, from Khan›s home to the American Embassy. The story has a simple narrative, but the adventures that the young Elias (who is a teenager) should go through is great, but coping with them for an adolescent is not so easy. But Elias, far from the usual heroism in such stories, loses the ups and downs of life, and to him achieving victory is nothing but a 237 continuation of the path (perseverance). book excerpt

As the schools opened, it seemed that Elias had been released from the cage, could have a fresh breath, to See Saman again and talk about Mr. Khomeini›s new announcements (notifications). But Saman had a little fear. Maybe he thought that Elias’s uncle was behind the advent of SAVAK›s attack on Imam Sadiq Mosque. Saman did not want to go to the mosque or transcribe announcements (annotations). As if he was not willing to talk about politics. By the morning of January tenth (10th), seemingly a typical winter day, (was like all the days). Elias had his breakfast as usual, put on his clothes, Picked up his bag and went to school. The school was as usual; crowded and bustling. But Saman did not feel as usual. Before the school bell rang he met with Elias.

Ibrahim Hassanbeigy (1957/Gorgan-Iran) About the Author:

239 Title: My Son Is Tall Author: Anahita Arvan Subject: Fiction (Novel) Year of Publishing: 2017 / 3th Edition No. of Pages: 86/Paperback age group: +14 Size: 14 × 22 ISBN: 9786001750588 about book

The present book contains eight stories tilted: The Cage, The Apple Tree, The Turquoise Sky, The Scent of Textile Design of the Shirt, Vows and Promises, My Son Is Tall, The Honey Hearted, and When the Pomegranate Cracks Open. The first two stories in the My Son Is Tall collection are the stories of the innocent feelings and fascination of children toward trees and birds. In the first story, The Cage, the author tells the story of a boy named Ghlich, who buried his dead canary under a mulberry tree behind the graveyard. The children’s effort to perform the burial ceremony by the canary’s grave shapes a brilliant chapter of their childish innocence and love. The Ghlich’s emotional affair with his canary continues to the point where his attempt to buy or trap another bird fails. In the story The Apple Tree, the author depicts this childish emotion in the context of a little girl’s relationship with an apple tree that has grown between the wall of their home and their neighbor’s. But the focus of the story is the red apple that grows on the neighbor’s side of the tree and has captured the entire mind and feelings of the heroine, which shapes the conflict between her and the neighbor’s son, Ali. However, both of them ultimately own the red apple, and the generous tree that connects the two houses creates a connecting link between them. The Turquoise Sky is the story of a man whose wife is dead, proposing a teenage girl for marriage. In this story, although the author does not inform us much about the circumstances of the two families and the reasons for this marriage proposal, she artfully and beautifully portrays the innocence and nativity of the girl and her childlike perspective of the situation. Other interesting and readable stories of the book include The Scent of Textile Design of the Shirt, Vows, and Promises, My Son Is Tall, etc. The stories in the book all have a moral and educational dimension. For example, the story My Son Is Tall is about some families who prefer having a son rather than a daughter and sometimes this matter even causes their life to 241 fall apart . . . book excerpt

That curtain was the last curtain. Rostam had rested Sohrab’s head on his knee. Blood had gushed from Sohrab’s side to the ground. The water drops on the willow trees’ branch tips trickled on the Zaghi’s shoulder. Zaghi looked at the horizon, which first turned red like a slapped face and then deep blue. Habib wrapped the piece of cloth around the light bulb, underneath the vine clusters and unscrewed the light bulb to turn it off and said, “I told the Mordshed (stand-up storyteller) to start sooner since the weather looks sick. Finally, this sky spoiled our show.” From Zaghi’s point of view, the horse on the tapestry was neighing and sniffing the soil, the smell of cardamoms-laced tea and the hookah of customers was lurking in the air. Anahita Arvan (1975-Tehran) About the Author:

Anahita Arvan is an Iranian female writer who started her career in the year 2000. Some her successful works include the My Son is Tall fiction series and the novel Let Troy Burn. Other achievements of this author include: top rating at the 8th Biennial Children and Adolescents Press Festival in 2007 in editorial section (jointly with Mohammad Reza Bayrami) - top rating at the 16th International Storytelling Festival in 2012 in rewriting and recreating ancient texts section. - and being acknowledged at the 8th round of Parvin Etesami Prize in 243 2018 with the novel Let Troy Burn. Title: Trail Motorbike Rider Author: Aziz Sohrabi Subject: Fiction (Novel) Year of Publishing: 2019 No. of Pages: 96/Paperback age group: +14 Size: 12.5 × 19 ISBN: 978600328818 about book

Zabih was an adolescent boy in a poor family who loved motorcycles and motorbike riding. He wished to have a gearbox-driven motorbike and veer with it. In their neighborhood, there was a motorcycle shop whose owner was called Aboli. His shop was small and showcased only a few motorbikes inside the shop. He decides to make some money by any means to buy one of the Aboli’s motorcycles. He decides to steal Nanny Kolsom’s silver ewer and sell it, until . . . The novel is about two teenagers, Reza and Zabih, who love trail motorbikes immensely and in the following, exciting events take place in the story. The moral of the novel is that every person must act according to his capacity and do not try to wrongfully achieve his ends. The novel is suspenseful and uses exciting events to make the story attractive and has a moral message for its audience up to its sleeve.

book excerpt

I slipped behind the slide. A few minutes passed. There was a noise. I jumped from my place and looked around slowly. Aboli was struggling between two policemen. I blurted out unwittingly, “You are at the end of the line, and bad friend . . . you deserve it!” Zabih entered the yard and did not hear my voice. I remained silent on the trail motorbike. I did not want to get down of it. I crawled closer and tampered with it a little. I was nearly tempted. If I was going to dig it too much, I would surely have been caught. Then I had to go to Aboli. My father used to say that one should eat his little piece of bread, but do not be indebted to anyone. Which meant Zabih was now indebted to Aboli. Zabih himself always said that one’s pocket must be full of money in order to be comfortable. He said his mother had suffered greatly because of his father’s lack of money. He said he had to become a distinguished person so that Marjan would not have a harsh life like her aunt, that is, Zabih’s 245 mother. Title: Zaghi Author: Muhammad Reza Ariyanfar Subject: fiction (memory) Year of Publishing: 2018 No. of Pages: 336/Paperback age group: +14 Size: 12.5 × 19 ISBN: 97896000327941 about book This book contains a readable story for the adolescent›s age group. The story takes place in Khorramshahr in the aftermath of the Iran - Iraq war. The Zarhassan garden at the Ouija neighborhood was a cursed place for the people of Sheikh Hassan Kut’s locality and they tried not to get near it. The area was protected and people would get arrested if they went there. Some of the kids in the neighborhood decide to go to the Zarhassan garden against all odds and figure out the circumstances over there. The children’s adventure-seeking creates events in the story that while providing a fascinating story, describes the people’s life in Khorramshahr after the war. book excerpt At night, he told Hamid about the Zarhassan’s garden. - “I think Ouija is full of shrapnel pieces, Kaka.” Hamid closed the accounts book. -“When are you going to listen, kid? Have you forgotten Khani? Zarhassan himself doesn’t even go there to pick dates and grapes for years in a row.” He stared at his blue eyes. - “Do you know why?” Like every other time when an argument erupted between the two brothers, Baby praised and greeted god, Mohammad and his descendants and with a rosary in hand, began to chant prayers. The father, who had put aside his crutch and limped, got out of the room. - “What is Hamid’s blunder this time?” - “Nothing, gone to the depths of Zarhassan’s garden.” Nanny slapped her cheeks. - “What a shame. Do you want to be incarcerated in a lunatic asylum like Ms. Roghayeh’s son, Baby?” The fragile silence that changed the warfare and conflict atmosphere of for a moment, broke with the choked voice of Baby. - “Do not do it, Baby. Do not, my dear. Ouija stinks of blood. The smell of the blood of fairies. Do you know how many people have been killed in Ouija? How much they bombed this garden and those defenseless 247 trees, Baby? The creek is still red because of the blood, nanny.” Title: The Stone Throwers of the Blue Cave Author: Davood Qhaffarzadeghan Subject: fiction(novel) Year of Publishing: 2018 /8th Edition No. of Pages: 336/Paperback age group: +14 Size: 14 × 21 ISBN: 9789645067340 Awards: Hounered Diploma in the Children & Young Adults Book Festival in Iran, Awarded in the Souroosh Literary Prize in Iran, Awarded in the Habib Ghanipour Literary Prize in Iran.

about book

The story of this book, written for adolescents age group, takes place in a village called Vind at East Azarbaijan province before the Islamic Revolution. The senior lieutenant Oskoi gathered some of the villagers who were subject to mandatory military service in the stable of the village headman and locks them in so in the morning the outpost’s truck would arrive to take them to the city. On the other hand, a teenage villager named Terlan, along with two other adolescents, Sayyad and Rostam, succeeded in putting the people who were subject to mandatory military service to flight from the village headman’s house and hid them in a cave. The senior lieutenant Oskoi arrives the next morning at the village headman’s house to take the soldiers away and notices all have escaped except one. As a result, he takes several male villagers as hostages to report their runaway soldiers to the outpost. 249 With the help of fleeing troops, Terlan blocks the path of senior lieutenant Oskoi and his soldiers and engage with them. The hostages escape successfully and the senior lieutenant and his soldiers flee via a byway too. In the clash, a friend of Terlan named Reza gets injured and the villagers decide to take him to the clinic for treatment, but . . . The Stone Throwers of the Blue Cave is the story of the runaway soldiers who fled the Pahlavi regime’s barracks in a cave with the same name. The story goes back to the days before the Islamic Revolution, and it is told from the perspective of two rural teenagers and all of the events take place in a short period of time. The book typically illustrates the spontaneous people’s movements at the beginning of the revolution in the years 1976 and 1977. A story that utilizes a simple language but rich vocabulary to build its deep concepts upon its infrastructures. The author has proved his character development and atmosphere creation capability and nowhere in his long story, makes the audience bored with his narration. Based on this fact, The Stone Throwers of the Blue Cave is one of the best adolescents’ novels relating to the Islamic Revolution, a story with brilliant dialogues that relies on the author’s understanding of the characters as well as their native culture and rural traditions. Ghafar Zadegan begins his story with a finely textured prose and a mesmerizing text that in the very first sentences, entices the audience to hear a story with abundant ups and downs, the conflict that lies beneath the calmness of these sentences.

book excerpt

The women’s hubbub was soaring to the sky like the clucking of scared hens. In the blizzard, they had pulled up their scarves up to their eyes and chatted. They came near the trailer truck, stuck out their necks, and saw Reza lying down silently, wrapped in a bloody quilt while his chest quickly moved up and down. The harsh light of the tractor headlights had filled the alley and the snow pounded on the left and the right. Davood Qhaffarzadeghan (1959-Ardebil) About the Author:

Davood Ghafarzadegan has been writing for both adolescent and adult age groups for over two decades. He published his first work in the press in 1980. In the field of writing, he has collaborated with School publications, Art Circle, Foundation for the Preservation of Works and Publication of the Holy Defense Values. His other assignments include the responsible authority of Child and Adolescent Courier Office of Islamic Propaganda Organization’s Art Circle, storytelling expert at the Center for the Study of Works, a member of the jury at the first and second Holy Defense Book Selection Festival, and so on. He is one of the most influential writers in the field of children and adolescent’s literature in Iran.

Achievements: The golden medal of the Great Festival of Children & Adolescent’s Literature Selected Individuals (Society of Children & Adolescent Authors) as one of the best authors in two decades. The war novel Fortunetelling by Blood by this author has been translated and published in the USA.

Some of His books: Who Is Stronger? , Soore Mehr Pubs,2016 The Crows Die Too, Soore Mehr Pubs,2015 The Blue Crow, Soore Mehr Pubs,2014 The Bombing Nights, Soore Mehr Pubs,1991 251 Fortunetelling by Blood, Soore Mehr Pubs,2011 Title: The Long Night Author: Abdulrahman Onagh Subject: fiction(Short Story) Year of Publishing: 2019 /1th Edition No. of Pages: 108//Paperback age group: +14 Size: 12.5 × 19 ISBN: 97896000305246 about book

The present book contains five short stories with the following titles: The Long Night, Goldy Bay, At the Train Station, Yale Yagh, and The Last Hunt. The place and atmosphere of the events of the stories are at the Turkmen settlements in Iran and the time goes back to just after the revolution and during the war. In The Long Night story, agent Gholami disagrees with his commander at Bandar Torkaman and does not approve of his commandership and management. Unlike the commander, he argues that violent fishermen should be dealt with severely. But the new commander says that such treatment would not work. As in the case of the former commander who killed many fishermen, the brutal treatment did not work either. He said those fishermen had no choice and their duty was to secure the area for a normal life, not to trap and ambush them and then harass them. Agent Gholami liked the brutal treatment and somehow benefited from such behavior, so he was not satisfied with the commander’s explanation 253 until . . . book excerpt

The commander turned his gaze to the window and began to think. From the moment he met Haji Morad’s father, he realized that even those Turkmen loved their country. Haji Morad’s father had gone to the front like his own father. He had lost a leg in the war just like the commander’s father. Also, none had received any points from the Veterans Foundation. He had kissed Haji Morad father’s prosthetic limb several times. Unlike agent Gholami, he was certain that teenagers like Haji Morad could never kill an agent. Abdulrahman Onagh (1959-GonbadKavous) About the Author:

Onagh continued his studies up to the bachelor’s degree at Teacher Training University, in the fields of religion and Arabic language. At first, he began teaching in the schools of Gomishan County, and later at Gonbad Kavus. He began fiction writing in 1983. His first story, Yelmik, was published in Keyhan journal for children. That story encouraged him to take fiction writing seriously. Later on, he collaborated with other prestigious magazines of the country, including Soroush for adolescents, Woman and the Day, Rain, Hello Kids, etc. which resulted in more than a hundred short stories, some of which he compiled as books. He has also been a storytelling lecturer at the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults for twenty years. He is also a member of the Pen Society and the country’s Association of Child & Adolescent Authors.

Some of His books: -The Secret of Xavier Jozheh,1998 -The Call of the Desert,Soore Mehr Pubs,2012 -Deep into The Dark Nights,Amoot Pubs.,2015 -Sortik,Ghadyani Pubs.2010 255 -Turkmen Tales,Ghadyani Pubs.,1988 Title: We Are Children of Iran Author: Davoud Amiriyan Subject: Fiction (short story) Year of Publishing: 2018 / 27th Edition No. of Pages: 192/Paperback age group: +14 Size: 14 × 21 ISBN: 9789645083632 Awards: Awarded in the Holy Defence Book Festival in Iran about book this book narrates the story and a satirical set of memories of a number of Basij (secret police) adolescents and young adults during the revolution and the war who went through training and elementary courses to go to the frontline and the battlefield. Most of these adolescents and young adults were children who had committed many misdemeanors due to their young age, some had run away from home and almost all had tampered with their birth certificates so they could go to war, and the book’s author, Davoud Amirian was among them. Davoud Amirian has written and created this story in a humorous and engaging language. The humor in this story is pure and true satire that is far from irony, mockery, sarcasm or anything else, and this is the highlight of the storytelling style of Davoud Amirian, a sign of his high intelligence and capacity. The author’s use of humor, time and place coordinates and speech, and conversation, makes even the most bitter and sad stories attractive and readable, and the important characteristic of this work is the same advantage that with the use of humor has made the rigid, violent and uncomfortable atmosphere of war very sweet and interesting for the adolescents and young adults. The book’s namesake is the memoir and fascinating life period of a Basij (secret police) teenager who had been trained at Hamzah Seyyed Al-Shohada 21st Garrison during the Iran-Iraq War. The present book is a narrative humor fiction collection, which is presented in sixty story sequences. The book begins with the introduction of the author and slowly approaches the author’s humorous story scenes. The content of the stories is a satire about the war and the frontline, which means along with the war, blood and the smell of gunpowder, there were funny scenes as well that reduced the excessive heat of the war and the numb coldness of unawareness except targeting the enemy from the trench. Amirian, with his sense of humor, has captured these moments very well and they are still 257 charming while years have passed since the end of the war. Soldiers pulling each other’s legs, untimely jokes the commanders told the fighters, nostalgia and annoyances are the main theme of Amirian’s satire. The book is a satirical memoir of the days and periods that the author has spent as a soldier at war zones. The book has won awards at various festivals or competitions, including top rating in memoir section at the 5th Festival of Choosing the Best Book of Holy Defense (2000) Honorary Diploma, top-rated in writing and appreciation section at the First Resistance Literature. book excerpt

The next morning, Bani Jamali spoiled the fun. After the morning ceremony, he said that the garrison buildings were full and we were scheduled to go to Hamzeh 21 garrison. They had granted nine days off until April, 19.” All faces showed fear and sadness. Worst of all, Rahim and Hojat were pissed off. As we headed towards the exit, Rahim said, “If we had any luck, they would have called us lucky devil.” I laughed a lot but Hojat and Rahim just had the shadow of a smile on their faces. We walked together up to the Slaughterhouse Square. There, Rahim said that their home is in Esfandiari three-way and said goodbye and left. I, Hojat and Reza went to Javadiyeh on foot. When I got home, my mother rushed to me with red and moist eyes. She hugged me passionately. She looked me up and down and asked in a hurried manner whether I was injured. My younger sister, Ameneh, hugged me happily and said, “You came from the front, thank god.” I was furious and said, “No, my dear lady. They granted nine days off.” My older sister, Fatemeh, said, “Okay, come eat the farewell soup that we cooked for you before it gets cold.” We all laughed. During eating the soup, Ameneh began the small talk, “You do not know how much I and Leila Azimi cried at the school yesterday. One of Leila’s brothers was martyred and their Khalil is at the front. Honestly, I was a little jealous of Leila. Since everyone respects her as a martyr’s sister. You know bro, if you become a martyr, I act snobby like Leila and become a martyr’s sister!” Davood Amiriyan (1970-Kerman) About the Author:

Some of His books: -Heaven for you (1980), -Mr. Mayor (2000), -Friend›s don›t say goodbye (2003), -The scarecrow of fiery farm (2003), World cup in Javadiye(2004)-

Amiriyan's books were awarded in different book festivals and prizes such as: -Islamic Republic of Iran Book of the Year, -Holy Defense Book of the Year, 259 -Book of the Season Award.