For the first time in its three-year history, the United States Board on Books for Young People's (USBBY) Outstanding International Books list includes foreign titles coming from publishers with U.S. distributors, as well as those acquired by U.S. publishers. The selection committee read 380 books published in 2007, narrowing down the best of children's literature from other nations to introduce American readers to artists and writers from other countries, help them see the world from other points of view, and provide a perspective or topic that was perhaps missing from children's literature in the United States. Books originally appearing in English represent the majority of the 40 books on the 2008 USBBY Outstanding International Books list, but the compilation also includes titles from France, Iceland, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Korea. Publisher information, reading grade level and brief description are included for each selection.