#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Born a Girl: It Takes Courage

Posted on by Nanette McGuinness
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: When the Sun Sets

Posted on by katieday

Today’s post comes to you from Rasil Kaur Ahuja When the Sun Sets “You read a lot of baby books,” a well-wisher commented recently. “This one,” she added, pointing to a book that was shortlisted for the 2025 Neev Book Award, “doesn’t even have words!” How to explain the power of a story spoken in … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: When the Sun Sets

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Baloo’s Big Win

Posted on by katieday

Today’s post comes to you from Suji DeHart. Baloo’s Big Win: How Palwankar Baloo Broke the Caste Barrier in Cricket by Mamta Nainy, illustrated by Saumya Oberoi (Puffin / India Puffin, 2024) - picture-book biography for ages 6+  Baloo’s Big Win by Mamta Nainy, is more than just sports history or an Indian biography; it’s a … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Baloo’s Big Win

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Four Eisner- Nominated Graphic Novels in Translation

Posted on by Nanette McGuinness

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

#WITMONTH 2025: Tove Jansson & Islands

Posted on by Rebecca Starr

To close out Women in Translation Month 2025, I'm pleased to share educator Nadine Bailey's review of the work of beloved author and artist Tove Jansson. Currently, all of Jansson's fiction is checked out of my library, which is a normal occurrence. Read on to learn more about her fascinating and timeless work for adults. … Continue reading #WITMONTH 2025: Tove Jansson & Islands

#WITMONTH 2025: International Women of Mystery

Posted on by katieday

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

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: ashimpa: the mysterious word

Posted on by Nanette McGuinness

A deliciously absurd grammatical romp of a picture book, ashimpa: the mysterious word begins when a researcher rediscovered a long-lost word that has resurfaced "by chance in a dusty old dictionary: ASHIMPA. Quickly, the news spread. Everyone wanted to use this exciting discovery—but no one knew exactly how. No one knew what the word meant, … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: ashimpa: the mysterious word

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Snowglobe

Posted on by Nanette McGuinness

A 2025 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize Honor Book and the first fabulous volume in a sci-fi duology, Snowglobe is set in a post-apocalyptic, post-climate-change world. Life for the lower class is cold and brutal. Most labor daily to create electricity via giant human-powered hamster wheels, except for the lucky few who live in … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Snowglobe

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Three Nonfiction Books in Translation

Posted on by Nanette McGuinness

I recently encountered three fascinating nonfiction books in translation from the Czech Republic: two for middle grade readers and the third for slightly younger readers ages 6-9. These fun volumes are virtually guaranteed entice readers into cracking open the cover and immersing themselves in a world filled with blurbs and facts. There isn't too much, … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Three Nonfiction Books in Translation

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Clara and the Man With Books in His Window

Posted on by lynmillerlachmann

In the pampas of Argentina in the mid-twentieth century, a young girl, Clara, helps her mother wash and deliver laundry for the wealthier families of their village. One day, her mother tells her to “Take these clothes to the man in the big house.” The mother warns her not to get distracted, to leave the … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Clara and the Man With Books in His Window