#INTYALITMONTH: Brazilian YA: An Exploration of a Postcolonial Literary Tradition by and for the Diaspora

By Allan Pinto & Kim Tyo-Dickerson Introduction to a Queer, Black Brazilian Reading Life by Allan Pinto During my time in middle and high school, I can barely remember Black authors being mentioned in the annual book lists given out by the school. Many Black and queer authors used to be called “autores malditos” or … Continue reading #INTYALITMONTH: Brazilian YA: An Exploration of a Postcolonial Literary Tradition by and for the Diaspora

#INTYALITMONTH: The Graphic Lord of the Flies

By Kim Tyo-Dickerson 70th Anniversary Graphic Novel Adaptation of Lord of the Flies by Aimée de Jongh: A Masterpiece Reimagined in English and Dutch What happens when a fictional group of British schoolboys crash-land on a deserted island with no adults, no rules, and no way out? Lord of the Flies is a gripping survival … Continue reading #INTYALITMONTH: The Graphic Lord of the Flies

#INTYALITMONTH: “Fight HATE. Make ART.” —Interview with Maria van Lieshout, Dutch American author.

By Kim Tyo-Dickerson and Maria van Lieshout Introduction It was a privilege to speak with author and illustrator Maria van Lieshout about her powerful Young Adult graphic novel debut, Song of a Blackbird / Het lied van de merel, a story that has already earned five starred reviews in the United States for its “exploration … Continue reading #INTYALITMONTH: “Fight HATE. Make ART.” —Interview with Maria van Lieshout, Dutch American author.

#INTYALITMONTH: Black Vampires Meet Dark Academia in Tigest Girma’s “Immortal Dark”

Written by Kim Tyo-Dickerson In a world where East African vampires are bound by human bloodlines and ancient legacies, one Ethiopian young woman dares to challenge the deepening darkness surrounding her to find her missing sister. Nineteen-year-old Kidan Adane and her twin sister June were never supposed to return to the arcane world of their … Continue reading #INTYALITMONTH: Black Vampires Meet Dark Academia in Tigest Girma’s “Immortal Dark”

#WorldKidLitMonth & #DutchKidLit Wrap-Up – Children’s Book Week 2021 “Be what you want to be!”

It is one of those questions that you often get as a child: do you already know what you want to be when you grow up? Fortunately, you don't have to choose a study or profession until the end of secondary school. Until then, you can fantasize about many professions, for example by reading books about them.-- … Continue reading #WorldKidLitMonth & #DutchKidLit Wrap-Up – Children’s Book Week 2021 “Be what you want to be!”

#DutchKidLit – The Female Gothic and Lampie and the Children of the Sea by Annet Schaap

Like all good fairytales, Lampie and the Children of the Sea starts with things going horribly wrong for a young, vulnerable heroine. Lampie's name is a nickname that reflects her purpose, as she is in charge of lighting the lamp every night at the lighthouse where she lives with her drunken, lame father. She is … Continue reading #DutchKidLit – The Female Gothic and Lampie and the Children of the Sea by Annet Schaap

#DutchKidLit – Translate This! We Moeten Allemaal Feminist Zijn by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, adapted and illustrated by Mylo Freeman

Mylo Freeman’s 2021 picture book adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s essay We Should All Be Feminists is currently only available in its Dutch edition in translation by Hi-en Montijn, We Moeten Allemaal Feminist Zijn. This is a picture book introduction to feminism for children ages 8 and up, and full of Freeman’s characteristically bright, bold figures … Continue reading #DutchKidLit – Translate This! We Moeten Allemaal Feminist Zijn by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, adapted and illustrated by Mylo Freeman

#DutchKidLit – Princess Arabella Series by Mylo Freeman

When speaking to international school librarians at the ECIS Libraries Week in 2021, author-illustrator Mylo Freeman shared the story that inspired her first Princess Arabella book. Freeman had heard from a friend who worked with a children’s theater group about a little girl who was offered the role of a princess and turned it down. … Continue reading #DutchKidLit – Princess Arabella Series by Mylo Freeman

#DutchKidLit – I’ll Keep You Close by Jeska Verstegen and the Story of a Dutch Publisher: Querido

Post by guest author Lyn Miller-Lachmann. September is #WorldKidLitMonth, the time to raise awareness of translated children’s books. These books are excellent ways of introducing young readers to the history and present-day lives of children and teens around the world. For parents, teachers, and librarians, it’s the time to highlight the publishers of these books, … Continue reading #DutchKidLit – I’ll Keep You Close by Jeska Verstegen and the Story of a Dutch Publisher: Querido

#DutchKidLit – If Only… by Mies van Hout

If only I were a bee, thinks the firefly.If only I were a spider, thinks the bee.Everybody wishes to be like somebody else sometimes --but we should never forget what makes us special.- If Only... Oh, to have wings like a butterfly, a joyful child with black braids and brown skin wishes, "Then I could … Continue reading #DutchKidLit – If Only… by Mies van Hout