#WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Big Tournament

Take a cooking competition in graphic novel format and mix in zany illustrations, alien species and an intergalactic empire. Blend in a reluctant, kindhearted female heroine, top it all off with eco-, exoplanetary, and class politics, and you get The Big Tournament, the first book in the fabulous upper middle grade/YA sci-fi series, Magda: Intergalactic … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Big Tournament

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Snowglobe

A 2025 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize Honor Book and the first fabulous volume in a sci-fi duology, Snowglobe is set in a post-apocalyptic, post-climate-change world. Life for the lower class is cold and brutal. Most labor daily to create electricity via giant human-powered hamster wheels, except for the lucky few who live in … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Snowglobe

#TaiwanKidLitMonth: Taiwan Travelogue – A Culinary Journey Through History

If there's one thing that captures the heart and soul of Taiwanese culture, it's the food—and believe me, this is a book that serves it up in style! As a self-confessed food lover (as you might have learned from the bio at the end of each post!), I’ve been eagerly waiting to share this post … Continue reading #TaiwanKidLitMonth: Taiwan Travelogue – A Culinary Journey Through History

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Smash the Patriarchy

"Up for smashing the patriarchy?" "Yes!""Yeah!""But... What is the patriarchy, exactly?" So goes the opening dialogue in Smash the Patriarchy, a fabulous graphic novel for upper YA readers. The much-deserving winner of this year’s GLLI Translated YA Book Prize, it describes and defines terms such as “the male gaze,” “slut-shaming,” and, yes, “the patriarchy” with … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Smash the Patriarchy

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Bodyguard Unit: Edith Garrud, Women’s Suffrage, and Jujitsu

The Bodyguard Unit: Edith Garrud, Women’s Suffrage, and Jujitsu is the engagingly told story of a lesser-known figure from an important part of 20th century history, Edith Garrud. A 2024 GLLI Translated YA Book Prize Honor Book, this superb nonfiction graphic novel connects the dots between women’s suffrage, their personal freedom, and their ability to … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Bodyguard Unit: Edith Garrud, Women’s Suffrage, and Jujitsu

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: An Interview with Author and Translator Lyn Miller-Lachmann

Lyn Miller-Lachmann is a multiply published author whose books include Torch, Moonwalking, Gringolandia, and Rogue, among many. She also is the translator (primarily from Portuguese and also Spanish into English) of a number of books for young readers, including Three Balls of Wool, Lines, Squiggles, Letters, Words, and Pardalita, a 2024 Mildred L. Batchelder Honor Book … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: An Interview with Author and Translator Lyn Miller-Lachmann

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Fire from the Sky

two boys kissing, with a mauve wash, against a background of blue patterns, with the title in orange and white

Fire from the Sky is the beautifully evocative story of Ánte, a young Sámi reindeer herder. Ánte loves his land and herding reindeer; he wants to follow in his father’s footsteps. But as the book begins, he has just realized he is attracted to his long-time good friend, Erik, who has a girlfriend but also … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Fire from the Sky

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Ironhead, or, Once a Young Lady

1808. The Napoleonic wars. In Ghent, a draft for the Emperor’s army is looming and the respectable Hoste family is in financial trouble.  From the very first sentence, Ironhead, or, Once a Young Lady is the engaging story of the two oldest Hoste siblings, 18-year-old Constance ("Stance") and her entitled 14-year-old brother Pieter (Piers), whom … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Ironhead, or, Once a Young Lady

#ZimbabweLitMonth: Time to Say Goodbye

Time truly flies when you are having fun! Can't believe today is my last day on the job! Once I got the hang of WordPress, I truly enjoyed the experience of curating ZW Literature. My country has a vast archive of literature and a huge and growing database of writers. If you are curious to … Continue reading #ZimbabweLitMonth: Time to Say Goodbye

#ZimbabweLitMonth: Glory (2022)

Political satire is an important genre in Zimbabwe where writers can't often express themselves without impunity. Glory, published by Chatto (2022) is the second novel by award-winning novelist, Noviolet Bulawayo. The book was shortlisted for the Booker Prize (2022) and is inspired by George Orwell's "Animal Farm." In Glory, the story rides on the senile … Continue reading #ZimbabweLitMonth: Glory (2022)