Abigail by Magda Szabó, translated from the Hungarian by Len Dix Who doesn't love a boarding school novel? Especially one written by an author who actually experienced life within a similar one for herself? Hungarians love this book so much, they voted it their third most-beloved novel during the Hungarian Big Read of 2005. So … Continue reading #IntlYALitMonth: Abigail
#INTLYALITMONTH: The Beast Of Kukuyo
Written by Kevin Jared Hosein ISBN: 978-976-8267-15-3 published by Blouse & Skirt Books The Beast of Kukuyo is a fascinating, engrossing novel that will have you hooked from the very beginning. Kevin Jared Hosein creates an atmospheric experience filled with descriptive details that bring the experiences of the characters, and the village of Kukuyo in … Continue reading #INTLYALITMONTH: The Beast Of Kukuyo
#INTLYALITMONTH: The Courage of Elfina
Written by André Jacob, Translated by Susan Ouriou Illustrated by Christine Delezenne ISBN:13: 978-1-4594-1419-8 Publisher: James Lorimer & Company LTD., Toronto Twelve-year-old Elfina lives in Paraguay with her grandmother, brother, and her dad, who she sees every couple of months as he is a migrant farm worker in Brazil. Elfina is aware that her family … Continue reading #INTLYALITMONTH: The Courage of Elfina
#INTLYALITMONTH: The Things She’s Seen
Written by Ambelin and Ezekiel Kwaymullina ISBN: 978-1-9848-9 Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers The Things She’s Seen is a groundbreaking ghost story written by the brother and sister duo of Ambelin and Ezekiel Kwaymullina. This is a magnificently written novel, that also brings to light Australia’s Aboriginal heritage and its people, who are underrepresented voices in … Continue reading #INTLYALITMONTH: The Things She’s Seen
#WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Best Meal Ever!
Set in Gugulethu and signalling to the persisting inequalities that define both this Apartheid-era established township and South Africa as a whole, The Best Meal Ever! by Sindiwe Magona is a heart-warming story of hope amidst trying times. Written for children ages 7-9, this picture book features beautiful watercolor illustrations by Paddy Bouma. The story … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Best Meal Ever!
#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Who Left the Light On?
A picture-book ode to the power of creative nonconformity, Who Left the Light On? achieves a rare trifecta: a loosely rhyming book in translation with brilliant illustrations. Mix in important themes—embracing diversity and expressing oneself—add a huge dollop of whimsy, and you have the ingredients to this charming tale. But the sum of the parts … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Who Left the Light On?
#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Princess Arabella at the Museum
Princess Arabella at the Museum is a bold and quirky ode to a selection of brilliant artists. The portrait-style cover features little Princess Arabella wearing her signature crown and a geometrical print dress that pays homage to the works of twentieth-century Dutch painter, Piet Mondrian, just like Yves Saint Laurent did in the 1960s! This … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Princess Arabella at the Museum
#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Dragonfly Eyes
Oxymoronic as it may sound, there is an exciting comfort in picking up a book by a beloved author—or, as in Dragonfly Eyes, a beloved, award-winning writer-translator team. What joys, worlds, and experiences lurk within its pages? Will anticipation be tempered by disappointment? In the case of Dragonfly Eyes*, Cao Wenxuan’s new YA historical novel, … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Dragonfly Eyes
#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Stars and Poppy Seeds
When I was a kid, I loved to count all sorts of things, as so many children do. Because numbers are fascinating! Even the names are cool: long before there was Google, there were googols and googolplexes. In Stars and Poppy Seeds, a picture book for ages 3-7, Flora is the child of mathematicians. And … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Stars and Poppy Seeds
#WorldKidLit Wednesday: A Winter’s Promise/ The Missing of Clairdelune
Set in a post-Rupture steampunk world, A Winter’s Promise and The Missing of Clairdelune by Christelle Dabos tell the story of Ophelia, a member of the Anima ark who can animate objects. Unassuming, clumsy, and shy, Ophelia has two major talents and life passions. First, she is a superb object “reader,” i.e., she can view … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: A Winter’s Promise/ The Missing of Clairdelune
