In the pampas of Argentina in the mid-twentieth century, a young girl, Clara, helps her mother wash and deliver laundry for the wealthier families of their village. One day, her mother tells her to “Take these clothes to the man in the big house.” The mother warns her not to get distracted, to leave the … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Clara and the Man With Books in His Window
It’s nighttime and baby Elisa can’t stop crying. What starts as a whimper becomes as noisy as a fire truck. Her parents try to comfort her, but to no avail. One by one, residents from Elisa’s apartment block stop by to offer support: a book, a bouquet of flowers . . . a choir of … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: A Sleepless Night
By Agustina Bazterrica, Translated from Spanish by Sarah Moses In a world where a virus makes it impossible to eat animal meat, this dystopian novel explores a world in which humans are factory-farmed for meat and where cannibalism is the norm. It is gripping and disturbing, exploring the way in which seemingly "good" people justify … Continue reading #Veganuary: Tender is the Flesh
I've said it before, and I will say it again: picture books are for everyone. Through relatively simple premises, picture books can shed light on deep truths, or serve as the starting point for nuanced conversations on complex topics. My Uncle is Coming Tomorrow/Mañana viene mi tío is a very simple book that addresses the … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: My Uncle is Coming Tomorrow/Mañana viene mi tío
In a Nutshell: The German Room transported me to another place, it had notes of (Elena) Ferrante, Murakami and (Mario) Benedetti in this wonderful novel. The narrator of the novel is pregnant, she lives in Buenos Aires but escapes to her childhood home, the German city of Heidelberg to escape and clear her head. Heidelberg … Continue reading Day 8: 🇦🇷The German Room
Juan Hormiga is not your stereotypical hard-working ant; he is a master napper who can doze off up to ten times in one afternoon. Fortunately, he also has a talent for storytelling and the other ants often gather around to listen as he recounts his grandfather’s daring exploits. The ants are somewhat surprised, though, when … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Juan Hormiga
The Bottom of the Sky by Rodrigo Fresán translated from the Spanish by Will Vanderhyden Open Letter Books May 19, 2018 266 pages ** warning: here be spoilers** I’ve got to be honest with you. I seriously don’t know how I’m going to write any kind of coherent review of Fresán’s The Bottom of the … Continue reading Speculative Fiction in Translation: The Bottom of the Sky
1962 is represented in The Society of Authors #TA60 series of classic translations by Jorge Luis Borges, whose surreal prose is often seen as having opened the door to magical realism. The influential Argentine writer was largely unknown in the English-speaking world until he was awarded the prestigious Prix International jointly with Samuel Beckett. The … Continue reading Translators Association – 60 Years of Classic Translations: Labyrinths (1962)
Explaining immigration to children is a challenge. I want my children to have an understanding of the things they hear and the world around them, good and bad. That being said, I also want to protect my child from the most gruesome elements if possible. I turn to books. I have found two recent picture … Continue reading Immigration through the Eyes of a Child
Rodolfo Walsh’s Open Letter to the Military Junta used to be distributed in Argentina as a pamphlet by the historical memory and human rights organizations in the first decade of this century. Today, after the 2015 election of a historical-revisionist administration in Argentina, the transmission of its message and Walsh’s struggle to the new generations is, again, … Continue reading Reading the Argentinean writer of resistance Rodolfo Walsh in the Trump Era
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative 