"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
A talented performer can certainly play to a crowd, but they may want to lead a quiet life once the show is over. Bear is a performer. He captivates the animals of the forest with his magnificent piano recital. So much so that, when he finishes his final piece, they want MORE—and they’re very vocal … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Bear Is Never Alone
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
Review by Sietse Hagen Note: This review is based on the original Dutch text, De Meisjes: Zeven Sprookjes by Annet Schaap. A translation by Laura Watkinson was published in English by Pushkin Children's Books, under the title Girls. Seven girls, seven fairy tales, seven feminist retellings filled with Dutch culture. De Meisjes is an empowering … Continue reading #IntlYALitMonth Review: Girls
Review by Nina Hotchkis Our Own Little Paradise by Marianne Kaurin has been translated into English from Norwegian by Olivia Laksy and is a refreshing text for middle grade and young YA readers, especially those transitioning between schools. Nora (in the English translation) has recently moved to a new school and is determined to fit … Continue reading #IntlYALitMonth Review: Our Own Little Paradise
Review by Joanna Snellin Masculinity has become a hot topic in recent years, and rightly so. With the internet a breeding ground for incels and misogynists, one can’t help but fear for the future of masculinity and what it’s like for teenagers exploring this rocky terrain. In response to this, there have been, thankfully, some … Continue reading #IntlYALitMonth Review: Mask Off
Review by Kimberly Bayliss Could there be anything more magical than a Christmas mystery novel split into twenty-four advent readable chapters? This book combines my two favourite things – Christmas and mystery – and would make a remarkably fun yuletide read for a middle-grade or younger YA reader who also enjoys a bit of mysterious … Continue reading #IntlYALitMonth Review: The Secret of Helmersbruk Manor
Review by Dainy Bernstein Black people have a long history in Britain, but so many of their stories are unknown to most of us. Alison Hammond, together with Emma Norry, set out to change that in Black in Time, which introduces us to Black Britons from the age of the Romans right up to the … Continue reading #IntlYALitMonth Review: Black in Time
Review by Beth Kemp Dara McAnulty's Diary of a Young Naturalist is beautiful, following the teenage naturalist through a year of his life (aged 13-14) as he and his family move from County Fermanagh to County Down in Northern Ireland. From Spring – as he wakens to the blackbird’s call – through a Summer in … Continue reading #IntlYALitMonth Review: Diary of a Young Naturalist
Review by Dainy Bernstein Most booklovers have sometimes wished they could meet the characters they read about. But for Meggie, who gets to experience book characters coming to life, that wish becomes more of a nightmare than a dream come true. Her father, Mo, accidentally learns that he can bring characters to life when he … Continue reading #IntlYALitMonth Review: Inkheart
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative 