READ With words like “zany,” “bizarre,” and “quirky” dotting the reviews that appear on the back cover of the book I chose for Iceland, I knew I was in for some fun. Butterflies in November, by Auđur Ólafsdóttir and translated by Brian FitzGibbon, turned out to be a wild ride. The protagonist, whose name we never know, is … Continue reading The Booktrekker: Iceland
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The Booktrekker: Grenada
READ If you’re old enough to remember Ronald Reagan’s presidency, you’re likely to recall when the United States invaded the Caribbean island country of Grenada. The war lasted only a few days before the U.S. declared victory, and I don’t think I’ve seen anything in the news about Grenada since. With that as my only … Continue reading The Booktrekker: Grenada
The Booktrekker: France
READ The book I read for France, The Heart, by Maylis de Kerangal and translated by Sam Taylor, left me emotionally drained. It chronicles the twenty-four hours following an automobile accident that leaves a young man brain dead, as doctors race through the steps required to remove his organs and transplant them into the bodies of people … Continue reading The Booktrekker: France
#WorldKidLit Weekend: The Story of the Blue Planet
A Roald Dahlian eco-parable for middle grade readers, The Story of the Blue Planet* takes place on a special, beautiful planet strikingly similar to earth and inhabited only by children. These Peter-Pan-esque protagonists never age and come in all shapes and sizes. Some are “even weird like the child you see in the mirror.” They can … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Weekend: The Story of the Blue Planet
The Booktrekker: Ethiopia
READ One of my goals when I started this project was to learn something about different countries through their literature. In some cases, this hasn’t been possible, as the only books translated into English by authors in certain countries aren’t necessarily about those countries. For example, the only English translation of a novel by an Andorran … Continue reading The Booktrekker: Ethiopia
The Booktrekker: Eswatini
Eswatini? Where on earth is that? Well, I’m so glad you asked! Eswatini is a country in the southern part of Africa, and until last year, it was called Swaziland. However, on April 19, 2018, in honor of the country’s fiftieth anniversary of its independence from the United Kingdom, King Mswati III changed its name … Continue reading The Booktrekker: Eswatini
#WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Caiman
What would you do if you found a baby caiman (a type of alligator)? Would you slip it into your shirt pocket? Unlikely as it seems, that’s what Faoro, a jeweler and watchmaker, did many years ago. The Caiman*, a picture book for ages 5-8, is his story—a real one. Faoro loved animals and let them wander … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Caiman
The Booktrekker: Eritrea
READ Eritrea is an East African country situated just above Ethiopia. At one point in the country’s history, it was annexed by Ethiopia, which led to numerous armed conflicts between the Ethiopian army and Eritreans fighting for their country’s independence. Many civilians were forced to flee Eritrea, and they ended up living in refugee camps. … Continue reading The Booktrekker: Eritrea
The Booktrekker: Ecuador
READ Magical realism seems to be a staple of Latin American literature, so I was not surprised to find it in the book I read for Ecuador, Bruna and Her Sisters in the Sleeping City, by Alicia Yánez Cossío and translated by Kenneth J. A. Wishnia. The title character, Bruna, comes from an eccentric family that was … Continue reading The Booktrekker: Ecuador
The Booktrekker: Denmark
READ I love thrillers and suspense novels, but somehow, I managed to miss Peter Høeg’s Smilla’s Sense of Snow, translated by Tiina Nunnally, when it was an international bestseller back in the 1990s. When I was looking for a book to read from Denmark for this project, it seemed like the perfect choice. Smilla Jasperson is … Continue reading The Booktrekker: Denmark
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative 