Review by Lauren Elliott Grass by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim Grass is a powerful oral history in graphic novel style that tells the story of 15-year-old Lee Ok-Sun, who was taken prisoner and forced to become a “comfort woman” for the invading Japanese Army during World War II. Comfort Women is the term commonly used to … Continue reading #INTLYALITMONTH: Grass by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim
#INTLYALITMONTH: The Hour Past Midnight by Salma
Review by: Mridula Koshy The Hour Past Midnight by Salma The Hour Past Midnight defies classification in any category. I think it can be read by a very young reader - say 13 - but it is likely sold in bookstores in India as a work for adults. This could be because of its heft … Continue reading #INTLYALITMONTH: The Hour Past Midnight by Salma
#INTLYALITMONTH: The End of Eddy by Edouard Louis
Review by Jack Gantos The End of Eddy by Edouard Louis The End of Eddy is the semi-autobiographical story of a young gay man’s life in an impoverished and dysfunctional rural French family. Both the family and his social environment - in school and in the town - do not attempt to understand him, and … Continue reading #INTLYALITMONTH: The End of Eddy by Edouard Louis
#INTLYALITMONTH: Welcome!
When I was invited several months ago to guest-edit GLLI's #IntlYALitMonth, I have to admit that I was apprehensive. I'm certainly not an expert on global literature. While I've spent almost my entire career abroad, every school I've worked at has been based on an American curriculum, and the collections I've worked with and curated … Continue reading #INTLYALITMONTH: Welcome!
#WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Easy Life in Kamusari
Imagine leaving high school in a bustling metropolis and being sent deep into the mountains as a trainee forester. And—horror of horrors—having your mobile phone disabled on the day you arrive. This is what happens to Yuki Hirano, an eighteen-year-old Japanese boy, who freely admits that study is not his thing. Well, life in the … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Easy Life in Kamusari
#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Colorful
As my dead soul leisurely drifted off to some dark place, this angel I’d never seen before suddenly appeared right in my way. "Congratulations! You’ve won the lottery!" The angel smiled. So begins Colorful, a surprisingly humorous YA novel about mental illness, bullying, and teen suicide. The protagonist—nameless throughout most of the book—isn’t thrilled to … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Colorful
#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Here the Whole Time
Last month I reviewed the first of our co-winners for the GLLI Translated YA Book Prize. This month we turn to the second winner of the prize, Here the Whole Time. Written by Vitor Martins, this book gives us another look into the lives of LGBTQ young people in Brazil. Also translated by Larissa Helena, … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Here the Whole Time
#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Where We Go From Here
As someone who grew up during the 80s and 90s, I have several memories of the earlier years of the AIDS epidemic. I still remember the news reports of gay men dying in large numbers, and learning about how HIV is spread—and how it is not. I also remember the death of Freddie Mercury (right … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Where We Go From Here
#WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Blue Wings by Jef Aerts
Shortlisted for the 2021 Global Literature in Libraries Initiative Translated YA Book Prize "You're Jadran's guardian angel," Mom had told me when I was only eight..."If your brother's having problems, you have to help him.""Jadran is a giant," I said. "How am I supposed to help him?""You're a giant too," Mom said. "A little giant … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Blue Wings by Jef Aerts
#WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Forgotten Book
Books can transport us across time and space, even though the journey is only an imaginary one. The literary voyages readers take within the pages of a book can inspire us and affect how we see the world via the magic of the written word. Writers, indeed, have immense power. But what if that literary … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Forgotten Book
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative 