“Once upon a time, there was a girl who was called Little Yellow Riding Hood.” “No, red!” “Oh, right!” Little Red Riding Hood. Her mother called her one day and said, “Listen, Little Green Riding Hood…” “No, Red!” “Oh, right! Red. Her mother said: Now go to Aunt Hildegard’s house and take her this potato … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Telling Stories Wrong*
Selected as a 2021 GLLI Translated YA Book Prize honor book, Almond is the story of Soon Yunjae, who as child is diagnosed with alexithymia, or the inability to identify and express one’s feelings. His amygdalae—the almond shaped structures in the brain responsible for interpreting external stimuli as emotional responses— are, as he explains, "unusually … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Almond
War is stealthy and secretive, slithering snake-like through the countryside. War is monstrous: an army of giant insects marching towards their target. This picture book, aimed at readers ages 9-12, packs a powerful punch from the opening pages. Striking illustrations in somber tones and sparse text help guide the reader’s exploration of this complex subject. … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: War
Thanks to the AFCC (Asian Festival of Children's Content) and the Singapore Book Council Singapore Book Council / AFCC (Asian Festival of Children's Content) Book recommendations for children and young adults which support the understanding of the UN 2030 Agenda -- i.e., the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (the SDGs)-- set in 2015, with specific targets and … Continue reading Asian Titles celebrating UN Sustainable Development Goals & Social Emotional Learning
A long, long time ago, planet Earth was born.Planet Earth was very, very hot.Lava gushed out of the ground—Here, there, and everywhere—creating vapor.Since lava is heavy, It flowed down, down, down.And since vapor is light,It floated up, up, up,Turning into clouds in the sky So starts The Three Water Drop Brothers, a charming, surprisingly complete … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Three Water Drop Brothers
Children ask a lot of questions, sometimes to their parents' chagrin. When parents ask me how to deal with their child's seemingly endless questions, I always suggest that they turn it back around on their child: "what do you think?" This buys a parent a few extra moments to gather their thoughts, while also encouraging … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Book of Questions
Chang is a young Vietnamese girl and a wildlife conservationist; Sorya is a bear at the rescue and conservation center where she works. This 120-page middle grade graphic novel is their story. And it’s based on the real-life experiences of author Trang Nguyen, herself a wildlife conservationist, and bears that have been rescued from captivity. … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Saving Sorya: Chang and the Sun Bear
Some titles from #IntlYALitMonth Throughout the month of May, librarians, authors, teachers, and library activists from around the world took turns reviewing #IntlYALit titles that will help us provide our students with more windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors. I'm humbled by the efforts of the reviewers and thrilled with the results of their work. … Continue reading #INTLYALITMONTH: What a month!
Review by: John Kurtenbach Crooks and Straights by Masha du Toit The story at first sounds like the typical struggle between those with magic (Crooks) and those without (Straights). The plot follows young Gia as she learns about the abilities and special qualities of her younger brother, Nico. Cape Town had been a haven for … Continue reading #INTLYALITMONTH: Crooks and Straights by Masha du Toit
Review by Paige Spilles The League of Super Feminists by Mirion Malle Explaining complex ideologies to our younger readers can be a struggle! In her book, The League of Super Feminists, French cartoonist and author Mirion Malle offers a useful, illustrated primer to all things related to feminism. Malle uses lively, conversational language and colorful … Continue reading #INTLYALITMONTH: The League of Super Feminists by Mirion Malle
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative 