Indonesia: Researching Elusive Subjects

When researching, my first stop is the local library, my second is WorldCat, and my third is the Internet. For this blog, I wanted to gather a list of middle-grade Indonesian historical fiction, but discovered right away that the topic is thin at best. Fortunately, I didn't have to look far to find my first book. 

Check Your Backyard

I already knew of After the Ashes by our own Sara K. Joiner on this blog--which just goes to show that sometimes you don’t need to go over the rainbow to find what you are looking for. After the Ashes is set on Java during the eruption of Krakatau in 1883. 

Next Stop? The library, of course!

My library turned up a handful of educational nonfiction on Indonesia and one middle-grade historical fiction: Judy: Prisoner of War by Laurie Calkhoven, which is set in Southeast Asia prior to and during WWII. This is part of the G.I. Dogs series--history through the eyes of a canine protagonist seems to be a trend. I found this under "Indonesia-History" in the subject search. And that was it. Although there were young adult, middle-grade, and elementary titles in the subject area, there were no more middle-grade historical fiction.

WorldCat

It was time to turn to the world's largest catalog of holdings Worldcat lists over 2 billion items from thousands of libraries around the world. You can narrow your search by language and type: fiction/nonfiction, juvenile, etc. The items are not directly available from WorldCat, but there is a list of where to obtain them. I'm a huge fan of inter-library loan. You can also buy some items from listed vendors.  

One problem with WorldCat is that it lists items but does not vet them. Some titles looked intriguing, but when I searched for reviews, I discovered that they might not be well written or not appropriate for middle-grade. A couple looked intriguing, but reviews noted that they were extremely sad or violent. I don't shy away from such books, but I want to leave that to your discretion. Checking Goodreads for reviews may help you decide. Goodreads, by the way, is another resource for finding books by subject and age.

Another problem with Worldcat is that items published in other countries might be hard to obtain. Here are two that looked good, but you probably need to buy them used:  A Garland of Emeralds, by Laverne Boulgne Van Ryk is a WWII Dutch family experience, which might also be for older teens.Tiger Stone: by Deryn Mansell had good reviews, but was criticized for book-ending the ancient story with modern scenes. 

The Internet

The Internet is a vast and often confusing ocean, but I found some book lists that were helpful such as Children's Books from Southeast Asia

The outstanding title I found here ( and then located in my local library as an e-book--but which was not listed under the subject Indonesia!)  is My Night in the Museum, written and illustrated by Innosanto Nagara. Nagara relates a memoir through the eyes of his 7-year-old self. 

"A beautiful introduction to the history and culture of Indonesia, . . . an engaging, thought-provoking starting point for a discussion of colonialism, political corruption, and artistic resistance."

A Few MoreTips

I found that "Indonesia" as a search subject was far too broad. Indonesia is the 4th most populated country in the world, with over 700 living languages, and is composed of 17,500 islands (although not all of these are inhabited). To narrow the search, I used specific islands, such as Java, Sumatra, and Bali.

Another tip is to search by specific event: volcanic eruption, Krakatau (or Krakatoa), Tsunami--Indonesia or Tsunami--Indian Ocean.

Serendipity

Research is a skill to hone, but sometimes serendipity turns up a jewel. I came across The Bee Tree while researching Cinco Puntos Press. It isn't strictly a historical fiction, but I think it will be. It certainly offers a lovely glimpse into a slice of Indonesia.

Not about Indonesia, but a fun high-
 seas adventure set in the time of
Dutch colonialism.

I first began to research Indonesia for an educational nonfiction I wrote. I was woefully ignorant about this part of the world, but in some ways, I can see why. There just isn't a good body of work available for English speaking children--or perhaps I need to keep looking for it. I'm sure there must be books that can be translated. Perhaps publishers need to acquire foreign rights to books already published to make them more accessible. In the meantime. I hope this list will aid you in opening this part of the world to your middle-grade readers.





This looks lovely. I'm going to put in an

 inter-library loan!



Michele Hathaway is an author and freelance editor. She has an M. A. in Social Anthropology and has worked in libraries in California, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania. She writes middle-grade nonfiction and stories set in culturally diverse, historical periods.

Subscribe to get posts automatically and never miss a post. You can use the Subscribe or Follow by E-Mail buttons to the right, or add http://madaboutmghistory.blogspot.com/to Feedly or another reader.