Catherine's War There’s certainly no shortage of WWII stories available for younger readers, especially stories focusing on the devastating impact and consequences of the Holocaust. And at first blush, Catherine’s War seems like just another entry to the cannon of middle grade Holocaust fiction. But the graphic novel, adapted by Claire Fauvel from Julia Billet’s … Continue reading #IntlYALitMonth: Catherine’s War
#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Dagfrid, Viking Girl
Dagfrid is not your stereotypical Viking girl. She’d rather wear her hair in two long braids than rolled into buns on either side of her head. She chooses to dress in pants instead of the super long dress that other girls wear. And she’s absolutely not into fish. In Dagfrid, Viking Girl: No More Ear … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Dagfrid, Viking Girl
#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Beethoven: A Stand for Freedom
From the Beatles’ “Roll Over Beethoven” to Schroeder in “Peanuts,” Ludwig van Beethoven has become a cultural icon. Beethoven cuts an appealing figure for teens. He was a talented musician who lost his hearing at the height of his fame; a romantic guy who loved a mysterious, unnamed woman but never married her; and a … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Beethoven: A Stand for Freedom
#WorldKidLit Wednesday: A Swallow in Winter
This book was an impulse buy at my local bookshop in December last year. I was stocking up on Christmas presents and the beautiful cover by Thomas Campi caught my eye. When I noticed that the book was written by award-winning French author Timothée de Fombelle, I didn’t hesitate. A Swallow in Winter is a … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: A Swallow in Winter
#INTLYALITMONTH: The End of Eddy by Edouard Louis
Review by Jack Gantos The End of Eddy by Edouard Louis The End of Eddy is the semi-autobiographical story of a young gay man’s life in an impoverished and dysfunctional rural French family. Both the family and his social environment - in school and in the town - do not attempt to understand him, and … Continue reading #INTLYALITMONTH: The End of Eddy by Edouard Louis
#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Mister Fairy
Think every fairy looks like Tinkerbell, with a cute tutu, and a twinkle in her lovely eye as she daintily darts around waving her magic wand like a ray of magical sunshine? Think again. "Everyone knows the forest is full of all kinds of fairies… There are morning fairies, brave fairies, sleepy-time fairies, and even … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Mister Fairy
#WorldKidLit Wednesday: The 2021 Eisner Award Nominations
Known as the Oscars of the comics world, the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards are traditionally given every summer at San Diego Comic Con. Due to COVID-19, the ceremony was virtual in 2021, when the awards featured 33 categories. Books for children in translation can be found in a number of them. The pickings were … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: The 2021 Eisner Award Nominations
Day 9: 🇲🇦 Sex and Lies
I first read this in French so the quotes below are in French, I have also included the quotes from the translation. In a Nutshell: Sexe et Mensonges (Sex and Lies) is about what it is to be a woman in Morocco today, this isn’t an academic study, but a series of interviews with mostly … Continue reading Day 9: 🇲🇦 Sex and Lies
Day 5: 🇫🇷 Mend the Living by Maylis de Kerangal, (tr.Jessica Moore)
Observations: There are two English translations of the novel, one for UK audiences (Mend the Living) and one for U.S. audiences (The Heart), which was published in the U.S. in 2017. The Wellcome Book prize rewards exceptional works of literature that illuminate the many ways that health, medicine and illness touch our lives. Mend the … Continue reading Day 5: 🇫🇷 Mend the Living by Maylis de Kerangal, (tr.Jessica Moore)
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
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative 