“Once upon a time, there was a girl who was called Little Yellow Riding Hood.” “No, red!” “Oh, right!” Little Red Riding Hood. Her mother called her one day and said, “Listen, Little Green Riding Hood…” “No, Red!” “Oh, right! Red. Her mother said: Now go to Aunt Hildegard’s house and take her this potato … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Telling Stories Wrong*
Selected as a 2021 GLLI Translated YA Book Prize honor book, Almond is the story of Soon Yunjae, who as child is diagnosed with alexithymia, or the inability to identify and express one’s feelings. His amygdalae—the almond shaped structures in the brain responsible for interpreting external stimuli as emotional responses— are, as he explains, "unusually … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Almond
War is stealthy and secretive, slithering snake-like through the countryside. War is monstrous: an army of giant insects marching towards their target. This picture book, aimed at readers ages 9-12, packs a powerful punch from the opening pages. Striking illustrations in somber tones and sparse text help guide the reader’s exploration of this complex subject. … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: War
Thanks to the AFCC (Asian Festival of Children's Content) and the Singapore Book Council Singapore Book Council / AFCC (Asian Festival of Children's Content) Book recommendations for children and young adults which support the understanding of the UN 2030 Agenda -- i.e., the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (the SDGs)-- set in 2015, with specific targets and … Continue reading Asian Titles celebrating UN Sustainable Development Goals & Social Emotional Learning
Children ask a lot of questions, sometimes to their parents' chagrin. When parents ask me how to deal with their child's seemingly endless questions, I always suggest that they turn it back around on their child: "what do you think?" This buys a parent a few extra moments to gather their thoughts, while also encouraging … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Book of Questions
Chang is a young Vietnamese girl and a wildlife conservationist; Sorya is a bear at the rescue and conservation center where she works. This 120-page middle grade graphic novel is their story. And it’s based on the real-life experiences of author Trang Nguyen, herself a wildlife conservationist, and bears that have been rescued from captivity. … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Saving Sorya: Chang and the Sun Bear
Review by Paige Spilles The League of Super Feminists by Mirion Malle Explaining complex ideologies to our younger readers can be a struggle! In her book, The League of Super Feminists, French cartoonist and author Mirion Malle offers a useful, illustrated primer to all things related to feminism. Malle uses lively, conversational language and colorful … Continue reading #INTLYALITMONTH: The League of Super Feminists by Mirion Malle
Review by Katie Day Year of the Weeds by Siddhartha Sarma Oonga by Devashish Makhija I’m cheating a bit by insisting on reviewing two books today. But both are fictions based on an on-going political and environmental struggle over indigenous people’s lands and rights in India – and both deserve to be better known and … Continue reading #INTLYALITMONTH: Year of the Weeds by Siddhartha Sarma and Oonga by Devashish Makhija
Review by Jeremy Willette How Do You Live? by Genzaburo Yoshina One part science lesson, two parts history, with a ton of philosophy and a splash of economics thrown in, this realistic fiction novel is sure to be a big hit with students who are curious about the world around them and their place in … Continue reading #INTLYALITMONTH: How Do You Live by Genzaburo Yoshina, Translated by Bruno Navasky
Written in 1940 on the eve of World War II, Emil and Karl is a gripping read. Set in 1938 Vienna, it tells the story of best friends Emil and Karl, both of whom have lost fathers. They quickly lose their mothers as well. Emil is Jewish; Karl is not. One is treated cruelly due … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Emil and Karl
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative 