#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Born a Girl: It Takes Courage

a cluster of five girls of different ethnicities against a reddish-orange backgraound with green, purple, and orange leaves around them and white lettering for the title and subtitle in the upper left corner

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: 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

#INTYALITMONTH: Seeing Science in Translation

Written by Angela Erickson My Early Skepticism I’ve been thinking a lot about graphic novels lately. As a former Head of Middle School English, the teachers in my department and I often struggled to get students to move from graphic novels to traditional novels. And to be fair, there’s research suggesting that graphic novels cultivate … Continue reading #INTYALITMONTH: Seeing Science in Translation

#DecDisplays – Reading around the Sciences

For today I have a few posters for reading around the Sciences. There are some really cool books around that make Science engaging and visual. Of course as well it's really cool when authors manage to weave science into fiction - like the Simon Mayo "Itchcraft" action books about an element hunter - which is … Continue reading #DecDisplays – Reading around the Sciences

#Veganuary: Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?

By Frans de Waal Much of what we think we know about animals is based on myths that have been disproven by science a long time ago. We often believe humans are uniquely intelligent; we measure our importance by the very fact that we can use tools, communicate with each other, plan for the future … Continue reading #Veganuary: Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Science for Smartypants series

The Science for Smartypants series of books introduces scientific phenomena, with a generous dose of humor on the side, to readers in the age group of 5 to 8 years.  Each of the four titles in the series revolves around particular concepts, namely Gravity, Photosynthesis, Evolution, and the Solar System.  Dominantly rendered in tones of … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Science for Smartypants series

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: It’s Just Skin, Silly!

Meet Epi Dermis! Who is Epi Dermis, you might ask? Your skin, of course! Forthcoming July 2023 from South Africa based Catalyst Press, It's Just Skin, Silly! is a friendly and accessible introduction to the evolution of skin color. Anthropologist Nina Jablonski and historian Holly McGee draw upon their more than 40 years of combined … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: It’s Just Skin, Silly!

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Three Water Drop Brothers

A long, long time ago, planet Earth was born.Planet Earth was very, very hot.Lava gushed out of the ground—Here, there, and everywhere—creating vapor.Since lava is heavy, It flowed down, down, down.And since vapor is light,It floated up, up, up,Turning into clouds in the sky So starts The Three Water Drop Brothers, a charming, surprisingly complete … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Three Water Drop Brothers

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Women Discoverers: Top Women in Science

“While countless women throughout history have made enormous contributions to the fields of science and technology, many of them, unfortunately, are not synonymous with the words “discovery” and “invention” in the minds of the general public.”Marie-Sophie Pawlak (President of "Elles bougent," the French society for the promotion of women in science) So reads the foreword … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Women Discoverers: Top Women in Science

Day 5: 🇫🇷 Mend the Living by Maylis de Kerangal, (tr.Jessica Moore)

Observations: There are two English translations of the novel, one for UK audiences (Mend the Living) and one for U.S. audiences (The Heart), which was published in the U.S. in 2017. The Wellcome Book prize rewards exceptional works of literature that illuminate the many ways that health, medicine and illness touch our lives. Mend the … Continue reading Day 5: 🇫🇷 Mend the Living by Maylis de Kerangal, (tr.Jessica Moore)