Afiya is a young girl with "fine black skin" and "big brown eyes." Every day the world she sees and experiences leaves a beautiful imprint on her white summer dress: bunches of red roses one day, and butterflies, stalks and petals the next. The images remain—even after washing—until morning when, magically, the dress is again … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: A Story About Afiya
From the Beatles’ “Roll Over Beethoven” to Schroeder in “Peanuts,” Ludwig van Beethoven has become a cultural icon. Beethoven cuts an appealing figure for teens. He was a talented musician who lost his hearing at the height of his fame; a romantic guy who loved a mysterious, unnamed woman but never married her; and a … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Beethoven: A Stand for Freedom
Last week the American Library Association (ALA) presented their annual Youth Media Awards, celebrating the best in literature for young people. Among major awards such as the Caldecott and the Newbery medals, there is also the Mildred L. Batchelder Award, given to an outstanding "children’s book originally published in a language other than English in … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Just a Girl: A True Story of World War II
This book was an impulse buy at my local bookshop in December last year. I was stocking up on Christmas presents and the beautiful cover by Thomas Campi caught my eye. When I noticed that the book was written by award-winning French author Timothée de Fombelle, I didn’t hesitate. A Swallow in Winter is a … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: A Swallow in Winter
Set in South Africa, Pearl of the Sea* is a beautifully illustrated coming-of-age graphic novel for upper middle grade and YA readers. Pearl, whose mother abandoned the family long before the start of the story, lives with her father, Vernon—a restaurant owner and chef who is sinking deeper and deeper into financial trouble—and her beloved … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Pearl of the Sea
Sometimes you are searching your library catalog for books for a winter-themed storytime, and you come across the perfect book not only for storytime, but also for your next GLLI book review! The Penguin Who Was Cold is an absolutely charming picture book about a penguin who does not fit the mold. Written and illustrated … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Penguin Who Was Cold
In But perhaps, just maybe…, Duck and Hedgehog were heading to repair their bike tires one fine day when, “Cat zoomed past on her red motorcycle, riding by them and raising a billowing cloud of dust.” An outraged Duck declared: “Horrible cat! She should have some consideration for others!” Hedgehog however, was inclined to give … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: But perhaps, just maybe…
As someone who works in early literacy, I am a huge advocate of pretend play for young children. Pretend play, also known as imaginative play or dramatic play, imparts a host of developmental benefits. Through pretend play, children develop language and vocabulary skills, cultivate their social and emotional intelligence, grow their problem-solving and other thinking … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: We Would Pretend
“What was that box doing there in the middle of the forest? It was a mystery.” It’s not every day that a strange box, large enough for someone to hide in, arrives in the woods. And it has the local animals wondering from the moment they wake. They are full of questions, and then anticipation, … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Box
Once upon a time, Akiva was all grown up. He had a wife named Rachel. He had a job as a shepherd. And he had a house—well, maybe not quite a house, but a barn full of straw that kept the two of them warm in winter and gave them shade in summer. So begins … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Donkey and the Garden
