Written in 1940 on the eve of World War II, Emil and Karl is a gripping read. Set in 1938 Vienna, it tells the story of best friends Emil and Karl, both of whom have lost fathers. They quickly lose their mothers as well. Emil is Jewish; Karl is not. One is treated cruelly due … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Emil and Karl
Review by: Jason Roach The Murderer's Ape by Jakob Wegelius Sally Jones is a steamship engineer, but whether the broken machinery is an accordion, typewriter or airplane, she can put it right. Her bigger challenge over the course of Jakob Wegelius' wonderful The Murderer's Ape is to put right the lives of the humans in … Continue reading #INTLYALITMONTH: The Murderer’s Ape by Jakob Wegelius
Review by: Nadine Bailey Karmzah: The Unleashing by Farida Bedwei Karmzah is the super-herione whose powers are unleashed when archaeologist Morowa Adjei accidentally drops an ancient Malian artefact. Morowa has cerebral palsy and the medicine man freed from the jar gives her super-powers through her crutches, including the ability to speak and understand any language … Continue reading #INTLYALITMONTH: Karmzah – the Unleashing by Farida Bedwei
Review by: Wendy Guyer The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar As a sixteen-year-old, Nishat already has a lot going on in her life: balancing the demands of her Bangladeshi family, the demands of her Catholic high school, the demands of her social life in her town of Dublin, Ireland, and her own desire to come … Continue reading #INTLYALITMONTH: The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar
Review by: James Toney Malika Warrior Queen: Volume 1 by Roye Okupe ISBN: 9781506723082 Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Illustrators: Chima Kalu and Raphael Kazeem Malika: Warrior Queen Volume 1 sets up an interesting story. At first, it seemed like the typical story about monarchies: fights over the throne, betrayal, birthrights, etc. but by the end, … Continue reading #INTLYALITMONTH: Malika, Warrior Queen by Roye Okupe
Review by Jonathan Hill Burmese Moons by Sophie Ansel and Sam Garcia America and the media we consume is incredibly sterilized, especially to the plight of the people who aren’t white. We’re led to believe that despite harrowing circumstances, through determination and strength of spirit, we’ll be delivered the happy ending. Everything will work out … Continue reading #INTLYALITMONTH: Burmese Moons by Sophie Ansel & Sam Garcia
Review by: Jennifer Baltes Oksi by Mari Ahokoivu Poorling doesn’t fit in. She’s not a bear cub, like her brothers, and with her tiny, upright body and flame-shaped head, she doesn’t look like anything in the forest. She desperately wants to be a bear: fierce, strong, and loved by her bear mother, Umi. As Poorling’s … Continue reading #INTLYALITMONTH: Oksi by Mari Ahokoivu, translated by Silja-Maaria Aronpuro
As an early literacy advocate, I am a huge proponent of graphic novels and comic books. Graphic novels can help hook reluctant readers, build visual literacy, and challenge students to read analytically. Do not let the presence of pictures fool you; as in picture books, there is often more to them that meets the eye. … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Hunt is On (Seekers of the Aweto Book 1)
Review by: Samantha Wasson The Boy who Sees with his Fingers by Tomasz Malkowski ‘Close your eyes, or better still, blindfold yourself with a scarf. Now go into the bathroom and wash your hands… it’s not easy, is it?’ This is how the reader is drawn into the world of Kami, our young protagonist who … Continue reading #INTLYALITMONTH: The Boy Who Sees With His Fingers by Tomasz Malkowski, illustrated by Joanna Rusinek
Review by Mathangi Subramaniam Mirror, Mirror by Andaleeb Wajid Ananya’s seventeenth birthday couldn’t have gone any worse. Not only do her two best friends start dating – rendering Ananya the “kabab ki haddi,” or third wheel, in their friendship – but also, Ananya’s mother announces that, at the age of 43, she is unexpectedly pregnant. … Continue reading #INTLYALITMONTH: Mirror, Mirror by Andaleeb Wajid
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative 