Pet, by Akwaeke Emezi DO NOT BE AFRAID. For in Lucille, life is sweet and soft. It has been since the revolution, when the angels disentangled the monsters from society’s fabric and wove it back together, stronger. There are no monsters left. Jam has known this always, as have all the children blossoming in the … Continue reading #IntlYALitMonth: Pet
#IntlYALitMonth: The Girl with the Louding Voice: A Novel
The Girl With the Louding Voice, by Abi Daré In the Nigerian village where fourteen-year-old Adunni lives, girls and women are treated as commodities. The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Daré is the story of Adunni finding her “louding voice,” making herself heard in a world that wants her silence. Since her mother … Continue reading #IntlYALitMonth: The Girl with the Louding Voice: A Novel
#IntlYALitMonth: Purple Hibiscus
Purple Hibiscus Content Warning: domestic violence, religious trauma, mentions of abuse, depictions of abuse, pregnancy loss, state-sanctioned violence. Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a coming-of-age novel that juxtaposes the tumult of adolescence with the tumult of a changing nation. Set in 1980s Nigeria and told from the perspective of teenage protagonist, Kambili, Purple … Continue reading #IntlYALitMonth: Purple Hibiscus
#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Pearl of the Sea
Set in South Africa, Pearl of the Sea* is a beautifully illustrated coming-of-age graphic novel for upper middle grade and YA readers. Pearl, whose mother abandoned the family long before the start of the story, lives with her father, Vernon—a restaurant owner and chef who is sinking deeper and deeper into financial trouble—and her beloved … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Pearl of the Sea
#INTLYALITMONTH: Crooks and Straights by Masha du Toit
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
#INTLYALITMONTH: The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna
Review by Sarah Ducharme The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna Deka is terrified. She is turning 16 and the Ritual of Purity is looming. She's worried that her community will discover what she has suspected about herself for years: she's different. She might even be "Impure," the label given to any girl whose blood runs … Continue reading #INTLYALITMONTH: The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna
#INTLYALITMONTH: Karmzah – the Unleashing by Farida Bedwei
Review by: Nadine Bailey Karmzah: The Unleashing by Farida Bedwei Karmzah is the super-herione whose powers are unleashed when archaeologist Morowa Adjei accidentally drops an ancient Malian artefact. Morowa has cerebral palsy and the medicine man freed from the jar gives her super-powers through her crutches, including the ability to speak and understand any language … Continue reading #INTLYALITMONTH: Karmzah – the Unleashing by Farida Bedwei
#INTLYALITMONTH: Malika, Warrior Queen by Roye Okupe
Review by: James Toney Malika Warrior Queen: Volume 1 by Roye Okupe ISBN: 9781506723082 Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Illustrators: Chima Kalu and Raphael Kazeem Malika: Warrior Queen Volume 1 sets up an interesting story. At first, it seemed like the typical story about monarchies: fights over the throne, betrayal, birthrights, etc. but by the end, … Continue reading #INTLYALITMONTH: Malika, Warrior Queen by Roye Okupe
#INTLYALITMONTH: Spud by John Van de Ruit
Review by: John Kurtenbach Spud by John van de Ruit Spud is perhaps the most successful South African Young Adult title. Written in diary style, the story follows John “Spud” Milton and his adventures at a private school in 1990 South Africa. The book is a bildungsroman of sorts as Spud offers hilarious stories of … Continue reading #INTLYALITMONTH: Spud by John Van de Ruit
#MadagascarLitMonth: Summing Up A Magical Literary Trip
It has been a great pleasure and opportunity for me to be the guest editor for Madagascar Literature Month in December 2021. First of all, it was a pleasure to connect with so many talented Malagasy writers, poets, translators and publishers, to interview them, to read their works and to learn from them about this … Continue reading #MadagascarLitMonth: Summing Up A Magical Literary Trip
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative 