Punching The Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam, of the Exonerated Five is a book that illustrates how creative expression can be a powerful tool for activism and social change especially for our youth today. Dr. Yusef Salaam is one of five African American and Latino men that were coerced into falsely confessing and … Continue reading #BlackIsBeautiful: Where creative and self expression leads to activism!
#WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Beast Warrior
YA fantasy novel The Beast Warrior takes place about a decade after its award-winning prequel, The Beast Player.* In The Beast Warrior, mixed-heritage protagonist Elin is now a full-fledged Beast Player (a field that combines veterinarian with naturalist) and has had a son with her husband, Ialu. As the book opens, their feudal, agrarian nation is … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Beast Warrior
#WorldKidLit Wednesday: A Winter’s Promise/ The Missing of Clairdelune
Set in a post-Rupture steampunk world, A Winter’s Promise and The Missing of Clairdelune by Christelle Dabos tell the story of Ophelia, a member of the Anima ark who can animate objects. Unassuming, clumsy, and shy, Ophelia has two major talents and life passions. First, she is a superb object “reader,” i.e., she can view … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: A Winter’s Promise/ The Missing of Clairdelune
Literature of Exile: Graphic Novels
One of the coolest trends in literature is the proliferation of graphic novels as a format for addressing serious issues. Alison Bechdel, Daniel Clowes, and Chris Ware are just a few author/artists who have demonstrated that graphic novels can be high art and great literature. The most dramatic and influential graphic novel of the late … Continue reading Literature of Exile: Graphic Novels
Literature of Exile: Burundi’s Gaël Faye
I used to think I was exiled from my country. But, in retracing the steps of my past, I have understood that I was exiled from my childhood. Which seems so much crueler. Exile is always a profoundly traumatic experience. But what of those exiled twice? While the world is largely aware of the Rwandan genocide … Continue reading Literature of Exile: Burundi’s Gaël Faye
#WorldKidLitWednesday: Maresi: Red Mantle
An epistolary novel. A beautiful story with a strong female protagonist. The stand-alone conclusion to a trilogy. Maresi: Red Mantle by Maria Turtschaninoff is all of these. It’s also the co-winner of the 2020 GLLI Translated YA Book Prize—and deservedly so, as it’s a fabulous read. Set in an agrarian, mostly pre-literate, fantasy world, Red … Continue reading #WorldKidLitWednesday: Maresi: Red Mantle
#WorldKidLitWednesday: The Casket of Time
What if you could stop time? Would it work? Would it even be a good idea? That is the core dilemma in The Casket of Time, an intricately plotted, carefully wrought, and beautifully translated book for YA readers by Icelandic author, poet and former presidential candidate Andri Snær Magnason. Made up of two interwoven stories … Continue reading #WorldKidLitWednesday: The Casket of Time
#WorldKidLit Month 2020: Ellas: Histories of Puerto Rican Women
As part of my research in preparation for serving as guest editor of the GLLI blog for #WorldKidLit Month, I made it a point to look online for books published on the island of Puerto Rico proper. I knew there were books out there that I didn't have immediate knowledge of, as I am located … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Month 2020: Ellas: Histories of Puerto Rican Women
#WorldKidLit Month 2020: Shadowshaper (Shadowshaper Cypher Series, Book 1)
Note from Klem-Marí Cajigas, GLLI blog Guest Editor for #WorldKidLit Month 2020: Today I want to welcome writer Ruth Terry to the blog. I really appreciate her contributions. Welcome! Daniel José Older’s novel Shadowshaper, released in 2015, is an urban fantasy embedded with real-world commentary about the nature of art and the lived experiences of … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Month 2020: Shadowshaper (Shadowshaper Cypher Series, Book 1)
#WorldKidLit Month 2020: Call Me Maria
Call Me Maria by Judith Ortiz Cofer is about a teenaged Puerto Rican girl named Maria and how she processes her changing world. Ortiz Cofer artfully creates a soap opera-like feel in this work, which she accomplishes by using various genres – part novel, part poetry – to her advantage, as she shifts between scenes and changes … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Month 2020: Call Me Maria
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative 