Okchundang Candy 옥춘당 by Jung-soon Go 고정순Translated from Korean by Aerin ParkLevine Querido, March 2025 “I still remember that house filled with summer lingering.” As the story opens, the narrator leads us back into the summers she spent with her grandparents, Mr. Go Jadong and Ms. Kim Soonim. Words rendered in crayon carry a handlettered … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Okchundang Candy
#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: Born a Girl: It Takes Courage
Equal parts Our Bodies, Ourselves, Margaret Mead, and biology/history explainer, Born a Girl: It Takes Courage is an approachable feminist manifesto for today's teens that embraces difficult topics. Organized around the fictionalized stories of five teenage girls---one each from Nepal, France, Afghanistan, Kenya, and Mexico---this nonfiction YA illustrated book lays out a frank, sympathetic description … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Born a Girl: It Takes Courage
#WorldKidLit Wednesday: When the Sun Sets
Today’s post comes to you from Rasil Kaur Ahuja When the Sun Sets “You read a lot of baby books,” a well-wisher commented recently. “This one,” she added, pointing to a book that was shortlisted for the 2025 Neev Book Award, “doesn’t even have words!” How to explain the power of a story spoken in … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: When the Sun Sets
#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Baloo’s Big Win
Today’s post comes to you from Suji DeHart. Baloo’s Big Win: How Palwankar Baloo Broke the Caste Barrier in Cricket by Mamta Nainy, illustrated by Saumya Oberoi (Puffin / India Puffin, 2024) - picture-book biography for ages 6+ Baloo’s Big Win by Mamta Nainy, is more than just sports history or an Indian biography; it’s a … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Baloo’s Big Win
#WorldKidLit Month 2025: Wrapping Up!
Welcome to the last day of #WorldKidLit month 2025 on GLLI! Thank you so much for joining us over the last month to celebrate #WorldKidLit month. This year's focus on GLLI was on European books, largely in translation. Here is a complete list of this month's posts, arranged by country: Czech Republic Welcome to #WorldKidLit … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Month 2025: Wrapping Up!
We have a new Executive Director!
The Global Literature in Libraries Initiative (GLLI) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Vashalice Kaaba as our new Executive Director. She brings substantial international experience to the position. Dr. Kaaba recently completed a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Kenya, working to enhance library access and student engagement. She previously worked as an English … Continue reading We have a new Executive Director!
#WorldKidLit Month 2025: The Quest for Legacy in ‘Finding the Way to Faraway Valley’
Welcome back to #WorldKidLit Month. Today's post comes to us from Lisa Miller. Sharing the precariousness of Earth’s plight in a gentle, hopeful but realistic way is the miracle of Finding a Way to Faraway Valley (2023) written and illustrated by Cecelia Heikkilä, and translated from Swedish into English by Polly Lawson. An old postcard … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Month 2025: The Quest for Legacy in ‘Finding the Way to Faraway Valley’
#WorldKidLit Month 2025: The Moonwind Mysteries
Welcome back to #WorldKidLit Month 2025! Today's post comes to us from Staci Fox. One of the coolest things about running a library these days? Our readers are more connected to the world than ever before. Whether it's through travel, streaming services, international classmates, or even TikTok trends, there's a real appetite for stories that … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Month 2025: The Moonwind Mysteries
#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Four Eisner- Nominated Graphic Novels in Translation
It’s that time of year again--or at least it was when I wrote this post: San Diego Comic Con! For those who may not know, San Diego Comic Con is a huge four-and-a-half day lollapalooza of an annual convention celebrating all things comics related. There are panels with authors and actors; talks about art, craft, … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Four Eisner- Nominated Graphic Novels in Translation
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative 