Of SALT TO THE SEA, the judges said that “not one of us knew about this real-life disaster and it shows how history is skewed towards the victor.” They added: “[The book] has been selected because of the powerful, crafted language, the tight, carefully shaped plot and the range of moods evoked throughout.” Ms. Sepetys told The Guardian: “When I interviewed people during my research, some told me not to bother with the book, that the world had forgotten them. The interest in the novel confirms that through characters and story, historical statistics become human and suddenly we care for those we’ve never met. My work sits on the shoulders of nonfiction, memoir and testimony. If a reader is interested in my novels, it’s my hope that they will feel compelled to research the facts behind the fiction.” The CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals) Carnegie Medal is annually awarded by UK children’s librarians for an outstanding book written in English for children and young people and published in the prior year, Congratulations to Ms. Sepetys as well as her editor and publisher.

Ferdinand is a giant bull with a big heart.  While all of the other bulls run, jump, and butt their heads together in fights, Ferdinand would rather sit and smell the flowers. After being mistaken for a dangerous beast, he is captured and torn from his home. Determined to return to his family, he rallies a misfit team on the ultimate adventure. Set in Spain, Ferdinand proves you can’t judge a bull by its cover. Watch the trailer: During World War II, Adolf Hitler ordered the book burned in Nazi Germany, while Joseph Stalin, the leader of the Soviet Union, granted it privileged status as the only non-communist children’s book allowed in Poland. The preeminent leader of Indian nationalism and civil rights, Mahatma Gandhi once called THE STORY OF FERDINAND his favorite book. In 1938, the book was first adapted by Walt Disney into a short animated film called Ferdinand the Bull that won an Academy Award for Best Short Subject (Cartoons). The upcoming movie, Ferdinand, will be released by 20th Century Fox in theaters nationwide on December 15.