Diverse Voices? Curating a National History of Children’s Books

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  On Friday 24th November, Newcastle University’s Children’s Literature Unit and Seven Stories: The National Centre for Children’s Books co-hosted Diverse Voices? Curating a National History of Children’s Books. This one-day symposium explored how Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic voices are represented in our national story of children’s literature. In this blog post, which originally … Continue reading Diverse Voices? Curating a National History of Children’s Books

USBBY Outstanding International Book Pick: Black Flame by Gerelchimeg Blackcrane

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Award-winning author Gerelchimeg Blackcrane has written a compelling novel, set in Tibet, Mongolia and China, about the adventures of a fiercely powerful yet lovable Tibetan mastiff that is sure to join the ranks of other much-read classic dog stories. Kelsang, a Tibetan mastiff, is just a tiny puppy when his mother dies after a vicious … Continue reading USBBY Outstanding International Book Pick: Black Flame by Gerelchimeg Blackcrane

International Banned Book: Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak

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Although it contains passages written in the 1910s and 1920s, Doctor Zhivago was not completed until 1956. The novel was submitted to the literary journal Novy Mir ("Новый Мир"). However, the editors rejected Pasternak's novel because of its implicit rejection of socialist realism. The author, like Zhivago, showed more concern for the welfare of individuals … Continue reading International Banned Book: Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak

Publisher Spotlight: Papercutz

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At Papercutz, we’re all about publishing great graphic novels for all ages. Popular with reluctant readers and gifted readers alike, Papercutz graphic novels for kids, tweens, and teens include a wide range of genres, including humor, action adventure, mystery, horror, and favorite characters. Papercutz is proud to be the only publisher exclusively dedicated to children’s … Continue reading Publisher Spotlight: Papercutz

USBBY Outstanding International Book Pick: Departure Time by Truus Matti

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A run-down hotel on a bare plain: the only hiding place for a girl in the rain. Once inside, a fox offers her a chair. A suspicious rat acts like he has met her before. But she can't remember anything. Not even her own name.... At the hotel she finds more questions than answers. She … Continue reading USBBY Outstanding International Book Pick: Departure Time by Truus Matti

YA Title Pick: Why We Took the Car by Wolfgang Herrndorf

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A beautifully written, darkly funny coming-of-age story from an award-winning, bestselling German author making his American debut. Mike Klingenberg doesn't get why people think he's boring. Sure, he doesn't have many friends. (Okay, zero friends.) And everyone laughs at him when he reads his essays out loud in class. And he's never invited to parties … Continue reading YA Title Pick: Why We Took the Car by Wolfgang Herrndorf

International Banned Book Pick: Beijing Coma by Ma Jian

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Dai Wei, a PhD student and protestor in Tiananmen Square in June 1989, was caught by a soldier's bullet and fell into a deep coma. But as the millennium draws near, he begins to emerge from unconsciousness, and to sense the massive changes in his country. At once a powerful allegory of a rising China, … Continue reading International Banned Book Pick: Beijing Coma by Ma Jian

USBBY Outstanding International Book Pick: Anton Can Do Magic by Ole Könnecke

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Anton wants to do some magic. He wants to make something disappear... First Anton tries to make a tree vanish, but it s too big. He manages to make a bird disappear, and even his friend Luke. But where did Luke go? Anton Can Do Magic is a perfectly simple and hilarious picture book about … Continue reading USBBY Outstanding International Book Pick: Anton Can Do Magic by Ole Könnecke

Title Pick: The Snowman by Jo Nesbø

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One night, after the first snowfall of the year, a boy named Jonas wakes up and discovers that his mother has disappeared. Only one trace of her remains: a pink scarf, his Christmas gift to her, now worn by the snowman that inexplicably appeared in their yard earlier that day.  Inspector Harry Hole suspects a … Continue reading Title Pick: The Snowman by Jo Nesbø

International Banned Book Pick: One Day of Life by Manlio Argueta

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One Day of Life (Spanish: Un Dia en la Vida) is a novel by Salvadoran author Manlio Argueta. The novel is set in Chalatenango, El Salvador and follows the daily life of Guadalupe Guardado and the women of her family just prior to the Salvadoran Civil War. The book was banned by the government of … Continue reading International Banned Book Pick: One Day of Life by Manlio Argueta