#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Telling Stories Wrong*

“Once upon a time, there was a girl who was called Little Yellow Riding Hood.” “No, red!” “Oh, right!” Little Red Riding Hood. Her mother called her one day and said, “Listen, Little Green Riding Hood…” “No, Red!” “Oh, right! Red. Her mother said: Now go to Aunt Hildegard’s house and take her this potato … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Telling Stories Wrong*

#INTLYALITMONTH: The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar

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

Day 18: 🇳🇴 A Modern Family by Helga Flatland

In a Nutshell: When adult siblings, Liv, Ellen and Häkon, along with their partners and children, gather in Rome to celebrate their father’s 70th birthday, their lives are thrown into disarray when their parents announce that they have decided to divorce. It is told predominantly from the perspectives of the two sisters, Ellen and Liv … Continue reading Day 18: 🇳🇴 A Modern Family by Helga Flatland

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: The End

What if the world actually ended with a bang and not with a whimper? (Pace, T.S. Eliot.)  And what if you knew the end was coming? How would you spend your final days? That’s the premise in The End, an award-winning upper YA novel by Swedish author Mats Strandberg. When the story begins, scientists have … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: The End

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Caiman

What would you do if you found a baby caiman (a type of alligator)? Would you slip it into your shirt pocket? Unlikely as it seems, that’s what Faoro, a jeweler and watchmaker, did many years ago. The Caiman*, a picture book for ages 5-8, is his story—a real one. Faoro loved animals and let them wander … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Caiman

#WorldKidLit Weekend: The Story of Bodri

An illustrated book for ages 6-10, The Story of Bodri* is based on the experiences of Swedish-Romanian Hédi Fried.  A teenager when she was sent to Auschwitz, author Fried lectures today on racism, democracy, and the Holocaust. She was inspired to write The Story of Bodri when a young attendee at one of her talks asked about … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Weekend: The Story of Bodri

#IntlYALitMonth: The Girl and the Ghost

A novel for tweens and young teens, The Girl and the Ghost is based on a Malaysian folk tale. It’s much more than a simple retelling, as author Hanna Alkaf has fleshed out the story with richly drawn characters, creating a marvelous tale about friendship, family, jealousy, and love. As the story goes, there was … Continue reading #IntlYALitMonth: The Girl and the Ghost

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Mister Orange

Who is Mister Orange? And why is this quiet, moving book named after him? Written by award-winning Dutch author and editor, Truus Matti, and beautifully translated by another award-winner, Laura Watkinson, Mister Orange won the Netherlands' 2012 Silver Slate Pencil Award and the American Library Associations's 2014 Mildred L. Batchelder Award. The story begins in … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Mister Orange