#UAEReads – Monday Reading: A Vibrant Comics Community in the Emirates

Myra Garces-Bacsal here. It’s Monday, What are You Reading is a meme hosted by Kellee and Ricki from Unleashing Readers (new host of Monday reading: Kathryn T at Book Date). I have always known that books find me at the perfect time - and these books are perfect examples of titles calling out to me during the recently … Continue reading #UAEReads – Monday Reading: A Vibrant Comics Community in the Emirates

# WorldKidLit Wednesday: My Body in Pieces

Each day I focus on finding fault with my body, one piece at a time. In this poignant, personal graphic memoir for ages 14+, author/illustrator Marie-Noëlle Hébert shares her struggles with body image. The memoir opens with her aged 20, living alone in an empty apartment, admitting to her mom that she’s not doing too … Continue reading # WorldKidLit Wednesday: My Body in Pieces

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Pardalita

Half graphic novel and half prose-poem journal, Pardalita is a sweet, gentle coming-of-age story for YA readers. At the start of the book, 16-year-old protagonist Raquel has been suspended from school for two days for cursing at the hall monitor, a suspension that doesn't much bother her, as she has the home to herself. Raquel hangs out … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Pardalita

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: The 2023 Eisner Nominees

Looking to dip your toe into the ocean of new graphic novels (in translation) for children and young adults? Reading the Eisners is the perfect approach. The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards are the comic kingdom’s equivalent of the Oscars, with the winners announced annually at San Diego Comic Con. Children’s graphic novels in translation appear in the obvious … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: The 2023 Eisner Nominees

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Alice on the Run: One Child’s Journey Through the Rwandan Civil War

In 1994, an estimated two million people fled the genocide by the Hutus of the minority Tutsi population in Rwanda. They sought refuge in neighboring Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), but the bloodshed continued. Around 800,000 civilians died, both Hutus and Tutsis. Alice on the Run: One Child’s Journey Through the Rwandan … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Alice on the Run: One Child’s Journey Through the Rwandan Civil War

#WorldKidLitWednesday: Terminal 3

Set against the backdrop of the conflict-ridden Kashmir valley, this young adult graphic novel captures the aspirations of sportspersons from the region and what it costs to pursue their dreams. Dominantly rendered in hues of pastel reds and greens, Terminal 3 tells the story of 17-year-old Khwab Nazir, a young jiu-jitsu player. The book opens … Continue reading #WorldKidLitWednesday: Terminal 3

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Kariba

Originally published in 2018 as part of a Kickstarter campaign and forthcoming to a more global audience this August from Catalyst Press, Kariba is an adventurous fantasy middle grades graphic novel. As the South African-based creators note in an afterword, Kariba "draws heavily upon historical fact," taking its name from the real life Kariba Dam … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Kariba

#IntlYALitMonth: Lumberjanes

Lumberjanes, a series by N.D. Stevenson Welcome to Miss Qiunzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s Camp for Hardcore Lady-Types! It’s got all your classic summer camp experiences: hiking, canoeing, capture the flag, lake monsters, talking statues, dinosaurs, and more! Make sure to bring your best sneakers, because there’s a lot of running involved.  Lumberjanes, a graphic … Continue reading #IntlYALitMonth: Lumberjanes

#WorldKidLit Weekend: A Place for Pauline

A Place for Pauline Pauline is the eldest sibling in a family of five (almost six) people. Pauline’s friends are envious of her being the oldest sibling, because she doesn’t get hand-me-downs, and her parents were free to take lots of pictures of her when she was younger. But Pauline doesn’t agree with her friends, … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Weekend: A Place for Pauline

#IntlYALitMonth: Night Bus

Night Bus, by Zuo Ma, translated from Chinese by Orion Martin. Early in my reading of Night Bus, something strange happened: I began to feel nostalgic for the Chinese countryside of the 1980’s and 90’s. Not that I’ve ever been to China; Zuo Ma’s ability to evoke a sense of place with his incredibly detailed … Continue reading #IntlYALitMonth: Night Bus