Articles

WorldKidLit Wednesday: Colorful Mondays: A Bookmobile Spreads Hope in Honduras

Posted on by Klem-Marí Cajigas

Forthcoming later this month from Eerdman's Books for Young Readers, Colorful Mondays: A Bookmobile Spreads Hope in Honduras is a vibrant and uplifting picture book based on the real-life work of Asociación Compartir, a nonprofit dedicated to education and community development. Supported by JustWorld International, Asociación Compartir in particular provides bookmobile service (hence the book's … Continue reading WorldKidLit Wednesday: Colorful Mondays: A Bookmobile Spreads Hope in Honduras

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Wounded Falcons

Posted on by Planet Picture Book

The person we present to the world and who we truly are can often be very different from one another. Sometimes, it takes a special catalyst for one’s authentic nature to be revealed. Wounded Falcons, by renowned picture book creators Jairo Buitrago and Rafael Yockteng, explores this idea through the character of Adrián. A young … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Wounded Falcons

End of the road!

Posted on by jessenana

Last week, in my capacity as learning support teacher, I taught a lesson to the whole grade 4 cohort about my book project. Why you might ask. The Grade 4s are looking at why we read. I presented my project and blog then set them on their own discovery task, linked here. Thanks to the … Continue reading End of the road!

Spain 🇪🇸: Tell me Who I am by Julia Navarro, tr. by James Womack

Posted on by jessenana

In a Nutshell: Dime Quién Soy or Tell Me Who I am in English, is the story of Amelia Garagoya, the great-grandmother of the narrator. The narrator is a journalist, who lacks any ambition and is asked by his aunt to go and research the life of his great-grandmother and write a book on her life. The book … Continue reading Spain 🇪🇸: Tell me Who I am by Julia Navarro, tr. by James Womack

Holland 🇳🇱: The Tree and The Vine by Dola de Jong, tr. by Kristen Gehrman

Posted on by jessenana

In a Nutshell: First published in Dutch in 1954, The Tree and The Vine was regarded as groundbreaking and controversial. I read about this book, along with Nine Moons thanks to the wonderful online magazine, Words without Borders. Set in Amsterdam in 1938, the novel explores the tumultuous relationship between two very different women. In the shadow of the Nazi … Continue reading Holland 🇳🇱: The Tree and The Vine by Dola de Jong, tr. by Kristen Gehrman

Sudan 🇸🇩: Thirteen Months of Sunrise by Rania Mamoun, tr. Elizabeth Jaquette

Posted on by jessenana

In a Nutshell: Thirteen Months of Sunrise depicts the lives of ordinary people living in contemporary Sudan. It is a slim collection of 10 short stories. My personal favourite was the first and the story that gives the collection its title. Themes: Isolation, urban living, human experience, love. A Quote: “Perhaps the abaya I was wearing … Continue reading Sudan 🇸🇩: Thirteen Months of Sunrise by Rania Mamoun, tr. Elizabeth Jaquette

Czech Republic 🇨🇿 : Europe Must be for the 99 Per Cent by Apolena Rychliková, tr. by Julia Sherwood, in Europa 28: Writing by Women on the Future of Europe, edited by Sophie Hughes and Sarah Cleave

Posted on by jessenana

An Overview: Europa 28 is a brilliant anthology of essays, short stories and play excerpts from women writers, artists, scientists, entrepeneurs and dreamers. In this anthology, one woman  from each of the EU states, including the UK, shares their vision for the future of Europe, hence the title Europa 28. Who would have thought a book on … Continue reading Czech Republic 🇨🇿 : Europe Must be for the 99 Per Cent by Apolena Rychliková, tr. by Julia Sherwood, in Europa 28: Writing by Women on the Future of Europe, edited by Sophie Hughes and Sarah Cleave

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea 🇰🇵: Three Days in That Autumn by Pak Wanseo, tr. Ryu Sukhee

Posted on by jessenana

In a Nutshell: This is a slightly upsetting yet beautiful and insightful read with a positive ending. Three Days in That Autumn is a 87 page novella that I raced through. This novella tells the story of a gynaecologist, we meet her as she approaches the final three days of her working life before retiring. She … Continue reading Democratic People’s Republic of Korea 🇰🇵: Three Days in That Autumn by Pak Wanseo, tr. Ryu Sukhee

Germany 🇩🇪: Go Went Gone by Jenny Erpenbeck, tr. Susan Bernofsky

Posted on by jessenana

In a Nutshell: This book tells the story of Richard, a widow and a recently retired university professor. He lives in Berlin and one day, on his way home, he finds a new community on Oranienplatz- among the African asylum seekers who have set up a tent city there. Richard is hesitant at first but … Continue reading Germany 🇩🇪: Go Went Gone by Jenny Erpenbeck, tr. Susan Bernofsky

#WorldKidLitWednesday: Amma’s Sari

Posted on by Karthika G

With its pages encased in generous swirls of gentle blue and pink, this is a book that tells Shreya—a second-generation migrant's story. At home, she delights in her mother's touch, and sees her sari fan out like a "magic carpet" around her mother. Shreya comes across as confident, safe, and snug in contentment, within the … Continue reading #WorldKidLitWednesday: Amma’s Sari