#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Memo and the Unexpected Gift

A picture book for readers age 3-7, Memo and the Unexpected Gift is a sweet story with delightful, unexpected twists and gentle, wry humor. The tale begins much like a regular picture book, and the reader quickly expects a traditional trajectory. Memo lives with his grandmother in a small-town cottage. She can’t see very well, … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Memo and the Unexpected Gift

#TasmanianLitMonth – Featured Writer Ian Broinowski

About Ian Ian Broinowski, PhD, MEd, BA(Soc Wk), BEc, Dip Teach, worked as an advanced skills teacher in children’s services at the Institute of TAFE Tasmania in Hobart, Australia for many years. Ian has a background in Economics, Social Work and Education. He has taught in a wide range of subjects in aged care, disability … Continue reading #TasmanianLitMonth – Featured Writer Ian Broinowski

#TasmanianLitMonth – Featured Writer: Danielle Wood

Author Danielle WoodPhoto credit: Karen Brown Danielle Wood is the author of The Alphabet of Light and Dark, Rosie Little’s Cautionary Tales for Girls, Housewife Superstar: The Very Best of Marjorie Bligh and Mothers Grimm.  As Minnie Darke, she is the author of Star-crossed, The Lost Love Song, With Love from Wish & Co  and the forthcoming Audible Original, Wild Apples. With Heather … Continue reading #TasmanianLitMonth – Featured Writer: Danielle Wood

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: A Case with a Bang:

Frog and Toad meet Encylopedia Brown with a dash of The Wind in the Willows in the award-winning Detective Gordon series, a charming, whimsical set of five chapter books for ages 6-10.  The final book in the series, A Case with a Bang starts off with young mouse Detective Buffy investigating a case of “night … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: A Case with a Bang:

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Pearl of the Sea

Set in South Africa, Pearl of the Sea* is a beautifully illustrated coming-of-age graphic novel for upper middle grade and YA readers. Pearl, whose mother abandoned the family long before the start of the story, lives with her father, Vernon—a restaurant owner and chef who is sinking deeper and deeper into financial trouble—and her beloved … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Pearl of the Sea

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Amazona

While most of the Amazon rainforest is found within the borders of Brazil, other South American countries such as Peru and Colombia lay claim to portions of its acreage. The Amazon itself is home to hundreds of indigenous people groups, who find themselves increasingly displaced from their ancestral homes, or even killed, because of mining, … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Amazona

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Almond

Selected as a 2021 GLLI Translated YA Book Prize honor book, Almond is the story of Soon Yunjae, who as child is diagnosed with alexithymia, or the inability to identify and express one’s feelings. His amygdalae—the almond shaped structures in the brain responsible for interpreting external stimuli as emotional responses— are, as he explains, "unusually … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Almond

#INTLYALITMONTH: The Secret Life of Debbie G. by Vibha Batra, illustrated by Kalyani Ganapathy

Review by Chris Fazenbaker The Secret Life of Debbie G. by Vibha Batra The Secret Life of Debbie G. revolves around the life of 16-year old Arya as she encounters and navigates major life changes.  With her divorced mother remarrying, she struggles to adjust to her new blended family that includes classmates who are not … Continue reading #INTLYALITMONTH: The Secret Life of Debbie G. by Vibha Batra, illustrated by Kalyani Ganapathy

#INTLYALITMONTH: The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

Review by Sarah Ducharme The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna Deka is terrified. She is turning 16 and the Ritual of Purity is looming. She's worried that her community will discover what she has suspected about herself for years: she's different. She might even be "Impure," the label given to any girl whose blood runs … Continue reading #INTLYALITMONTH: The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

#INTLYALITMONTH: Love from A to Z by S. K. Ali

Review by Jamie Clayton Love from A to Z by S. K. Ali Love From A to Z by S.K. Ali is a young adult contemporary romance that brings together two teens from different cultural backgrounds and connects them through their love of the Islamic religion. We first meet 18 year old Zeynab (the “Z” … Continue reading #INTLYALITMONTH: Love from A to Z by S. K. Ali