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
Our next post is a conversation between educators about a specialized book club in Portland, Maine, USA. They discuss book club title selection, favorite international mysteries, and the problems with "translation" in a beloved series. Enjoy! - Rebecca Starr My name is Lynn Lawrence-Brown, and I am a Taiwanese-American teacher librarian working at Shrewsbury International … Continue reading #WITMONTH 2025: International Women of Mystery
A sweet, otherworldly tale that’s billed as “the fantastic adventure that first inspired Hayao Miyazaki’s beloved film, Spirited Away,” The Village Beyond the Mist is sure to charm. Set in a magical town hidden in a mysterious forest clearing, The Village Beyond the Mist is a delightful, multigenerational fantasy for middle grade readers about service. Is that … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Village Beyond the Mist
A new year brings a fresh start for the Tanaka family. In All in a Year, a picture book aimed at readers ages 3+, the Tanakas move out of their apartment into a cozy new home. With each new page, readers accompany the family through their daily lives and the changing seasons of the year. … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: All in a Year
Sweet but not saccharine, heartwarming but not maudlin, Two Little Red Mittens is a charming, old-fashioned story. A picture book for children ages seven and under, the gentle tale features an anthropomorphic pair of red mittens: Left and right, they always went out as a pair, wrapping Little One’s hands in … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Two Little Red Mittens
Review by Emma K. McNamara Seiji Yoshida’s Houses with a Story, translated from Japanese to English by Jan Mitsuko Cash, showcases the floor plans of a variety of homes that one might find in literature. Each building is accompanied by a short description, annotations of the building’s contents, and who lives there and why. Fair-skinned … Continue reading #IntlYALitMonth Review: Houses with a Story
What would it be like to have a little sister, or even tons of little sisters? As the eldest of four girls, I feel I may already have some of the answers, here! All the same, I no doubt could have benefitted from a copy of Little Sisters when I was a youngster. This gorgeous … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Little Sisters
So much can happen in a day! Especially for the residents of a busy apartment block and the surrounding community. In her picture book All in a Day, renowned Japanese paper-cut artist Chihiro Takeuchi invites readers to explore the concept of time in the beautiful neighborhood she has created. The focal point of the story–and … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: All in a Day
Slow Down: The Degrowth Manifesto by Kohei Saito, translated by Brian Bergstrom Publisher: Astra Publishing House Pages: 288 ISBN: 9781662602368 Published: 2024-01-09 It is probably a little unusual to include a book which hasn't yet been published in English (and therefore I have not read yet), in a list of must-read books, however the Japanese edition of … Continue reading #DegrowthLitMonth: Slow Down: The Degrowth Manifesto
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
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative 