Books can transport us across time and space, even though the journey is only an imaginary one. The literary voyages readers take within the pages of a book can inspire us and affect how we see the world via the magic of the written word. Writers, indeed, have immense power. But what if that literary … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Forgotten Book
“While countless women throughout history have made enormous contributions to the fields of science and technology, many of them, unfortunately, are not synonymous with the words “discovery” and “invention” in the minds of the general public.”Marie-Sophie Pawlak (President of "Elles bougent," the French society for the promotion of women in science) So reads the foreword … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Women Discoverers: Top Women in Science
Elise is scared of everything, even trees, so she never ventures out. Her house is spotless and totally devoid of color until the day a pale blue paper airplane flies through an open window, bringing with it a shaft of light from the outside world. Then Emil, a young boy dressed in bright red and … Continue reading #WorldKidLitWednesday: The Visitor
Eight Hours, Minute by Minute Somewhere in South Africa, a farm comes under heavy attack. No shooters in sight. Only one thing is certain: The attackers are savagely resolute. A diverse group of people barricade themselves inside the farmhouse: women, men, and children; bosses and workers; blacks and whites; a police officer; random visitors. Who … Continue reading Crime Fiction Title Pick: The Farm by Max Annas (Germany)
If only she would be quiet! Her pullover was already quite damp from the excitement and the screaming, and her face was so dark red that it looked almost violet. His own shirt was wet and sticky at the shoulder from her saliva. He knew his way around children, with infants too. He actually knew … Continue reading Crime Excerpt: First There Was Silence by Leonie Haubrich (Germany)
MAYBE ONE DAY PLASTIC BAGS WILL BE BETTER THAN GULLS It’s as if the buildings are breaking over people. One, two, puke: big chunks, everyone dead. A couple of architects on speed wanted to play Tetris against each other, and then everything got out of hand. Brutal boulders in washed concrete and steel stand around … Continue reading Crime Fiction Excerpt: Mexico Street by Simone Buchholz (Germany)
It seems an impossible coexistence: German Grundlichkeit in one of the Amazonian cityscapes, filled with myths, religions, folk tales, and superstition. Yet, this is exactly what Cramer – scouting locations for a movie – has to grapple with if he is to survive in this personally exotic environment. Already with his first steps out of … Continue reading World Languages Review: Der Mann, der den Regen fotografierte (Germany)
This is a beautiful large-scale nonfiction board book for young children. Each double spread depicts a glorious scene set in a particular season, with individual words picked out on the page. Spring, for example, has a title reading "Im Frühling wird es draussen grün" (In Spring, outside everything turns green) and picks out words like … Continue reading World Languages Review: Alle vier Jahreszeiten by Katrin Wiehle (Germany)
Ruth Wolff-Stirner My mother became sick very quickly. Because of the unhygienic living conditions in Shanghai, her liver became infected and she died at the age of 46. That was in 1954 and I was eight. My father kept me away from her. I didn’t see her anymore after she was taken to the hospital. … Continue reading Excerpt: Going Back by Andrea von Treuenfeld (Germany)
Chapter 1Goodbye, California “No, No, NO!” Lucy screamed, clapping her ears shut. Her mother pulled Lucy’s hands down and held them tightly. “Sweetheart, please try to understand,” she said. “It’s the perfect opportunity for me to spend a few weeks with Kurt. He called just a little while ago and I had to … Continue reading Excerpt: The Greenest Wind by Gesine Schulz
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative 