Review by Lyn Miller-Lachmann Having escaped his narrow-minded and isolated village in Palestine, Saeed moves to the city, marries, opens a bookstore, then returns with his pregnant wife. She gives birth to twin girls – Shams and Qamar – but the family is exiled to the village outskirts, accused of bringing a curse. Although they … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Wondrous Journeys in Strange Lands
Review by Nina Hotchkis Our Own Little Paradise by Marianne Kaurin has been translated into English from Norwegian by Olivia Laksy and is a refreshing text for middle grade and young YA readers, especially those transitioning between schools. Nora (in the English translation) has recently moved to a new school and is determined to fit … Continue reading #IntlYALitMonth Review: Our Own Little Paradise
The International Journal of Young Adult Literature (IJYAL) aims to foster new scholarship and critical dialogue about young adult literature from around the world. As we celebrate the final weekend of #IntlYALitMonth, it’s the perfect time to share this open-access academic journal that I (Dr Emily Corbett, Co-General Editor) have the pleasure of editing alongside … Continue reading #IntlYALitMonth Spotlight: The International Journal of Young Adult Literature (IJYAL)
Review by Joanna Snellin Masculinity has become a hot topic in recent years, and rightly so. With the internet a breeding ground for incels and misogynists, one can’t help but fear for the future of masculinity and what it’s like for teenagers exploring this rocky terrain. In response to this, there have been, thankfully, some … Continue reading #IntlYALitMonth Review: Mask Off
Review by Helen Jones Please be advised that this review refers to discrimination and sexual assault. Ducks, an autobiographical graphic novel by Kate Beaton, starts off with a simple, coming-of-age premise. Fresh out of university, twenty-one-year-old Katie heads off from her home on a quiet, windswept island off the coast of Nova Scotia to travel … Continue reading #IntlYALitMonth Review: Ducks
Review by Kimberly Bayliss Could there be anything more magical than a Christmas mystery novel split into twenty-four advent readable chapters? This book combines my two favourite things – Christmas and mystery – and would make a remarkably fun yuletide read for a middle-grade or younger YA reader who also enjoys a bit of mysterious … Continue reading #IntlYALitMonth Review: The Secret of Helmersbruk Manor
Review by Dainy Bernstein Black people have a long history in Britain, but so many of their stories are unknown to most of us. Alison Hammond, together with Emma Norry, set out to change that in Black in Time, which introduces us to Black Britons from the age of the Romans right up to the … Continue reading #IntlYALitMonth Review: Black in Time
Review by Karla Edwards Death at the Voyager Hotel is a whodunit novel by Kwei Jones-Quartey set in the bustling city of Accra, West Africa. The book provides a rich and intricate portrayal of life and culture in Accra and is full of suspense and fascinating characters. Jones-Quartey's novels offer insight into various aspects of … Continue reading #IntlYALitMonth Review: Death at the Voyager Hotel
Relatable characters, conversational storytelling, and the madcap humor that everyday situations may sometimes lead to—these are the core elements of a story that Khyrunnisa tends to pull out from her writer's hat. Baby and Dubdub is no different. It tells the tale of a boy named Rohan, who wants a pet dog more than anything … Continue reading #WORLDKIDLIT WEDNESDAY: Baby and Dubdub
Review by Beth Kemp Dara McAnulty's Diary of a Young Naturalist is beautiful, following the teenage naturalist through a year of his life (aged 13-14) as he and his family move from County Fermanagh to County Down in Northern Ireland. From Spring – as he wakens to the blackbird’s call – through a Summer in … Continue reading #IntlYALitMonth Review: Diary of a Young Naturalist
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative 