#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Chernobyl, Life, and Other Disasters: A Graphic Memoir

Posted on by lynml7ffec4f9a8

Eleven-year-old Genya lives in Kiev, USSR (now Kyiv, Ukraine) in 1986 with her mother, her mother’s boyfriend, and her three-year-old half-brother. Her mother is an animation artist, and Genya dreams of becoming an artist as well. But first she needs to pass a demanding week-long exam in July to get into the national Art School. … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Chernobyl, Life, and Other Disasters: A Graphic Memoir

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Under the London Sky

Posted on by katieday

Today’s post comes to you from Alice Henry 'Under the London Sky' by Anna Woltz (2021), translated from Dutch by Michelle Hutchinson (2025), is a coming-of-age story for four teenagers during the Blitz, a context with profound impact on our narrator, Ella, and her friends. Fourteen-year-old Ella, born and bred in the East End into … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Under the London Sky

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Song of a Blackbird

Posted on by katieday

Today’s post comes to you from Song Yee Paik Since being published a year ago, "Song of a Blackbird" by Maria van Lieshout has been featured twice on GLLI (reviewed by Lynn Miller-Lachmann in March 2025, and explored in an author interview by Kim Tyo-Dickerson in May 2025) and has received significant critical acclaim. Last … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Song of a Blackbird

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Biggest Fake in the Universe

Posted on by lynml7ffec4f9a8

Twelve-year-old Movits “Mo” Lind is the antithesis of cool. He plays chess, trains his guinea pig, cooks for his younger sister, and mortifies his popular older sister with his geeky interests. His life changes, though, when he agrees to travel with his best friend, Ruben, from their quiet suburb to downtown Stockholm to see Ruben’s … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Biggest Fake in the Universe

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Lamberto, Lamberto, Lamberto

Posted on by lynmillerlachmann

Baron Lamberto, 93 years old and in failing health, lives in a mansion on an island in the middle of Lake Orta, in northern Italy. Living from the proceeds of his 24 banks around the world, he is waited on by his butler, Anselmo, and an army of cooks, servants, and, strangely, six people in … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Lamberto, Lamberto, Lamberto

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Village Beyond the Mist

Posted on by Nanette McGuinness

A sweet, otherworldly tale that’s billed as “the fantastic adventure that first inspired Hayao Miyazaki’s beloved film, Spirited Away,” The Village Beyond the Mist is sure to charm. Set in a magical town hidden in a mysterious forest clearing, The Village Beyond the Mist is a delightful, multigenerational fantasy for middle grade readers about service. Is that … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Village Beyond the Mist

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Adi of Boutanga: A Story from Cameroon

Posted on by Planet Picture Book

Arranged and forced marriages are the reality for many young teenage girls around the world. But does it really have to be this way? This middle grade illustrated novel is based on the true story of Adi, as told to renowned Cameroonian author and poet Alain Serge Dzotap. Adidjatou, or Adi for short, is a … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Adi of Boutanga: A Story from Cameroon

#DecDisplays – The spies we love

Posted on by nadinejuliabailey

One of the fun things about chatting to students about what they want to read when a book is out and they "need it" is what aspect of the book appeals to them. Towards the end of the last school term I had a bunch of historical fiction books out on display following our G8 … Continue reading #DecDisplays – The spies we love

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Ellie in First Position

Posted on by Planet Picture Book

It’s not easy moving to a new place away from family and friends and trying to settle into a new home and school. The middle grade graphic novel Ellie in First Position tackles all this, and more. The story opens with 10-year-old Electra, or Ellie for short, relocating to a new city with her mother … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Ellie in First Position

#IntlYALitMonth Review: Our Own Little Paradise

Posted on by Emily Corbett

Review by Nina Hotchkis Our Own Little Paradise by Marianne Kaurin has been translated into English from Norwegian by Olivia Laksy and is a refreshing text for middle grade and young YA readers, especially those transitioning between schools. Nora (in the English translation) has recently moved to a new school and is determined to fit … Continue reading #IntlYALitMonth Review: Our Own Little Paradise