#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Fire from the Sky

two boys kissing, with a mauve wash, against a background of blue patterns, with the title in orange and white

Fire from the Sky is the beautifully evocative story of Ánte, a young Sámi reindeer herder. Ánte loves his land and herding reindeer; he wants to follow in his father’s footsteps. But as the book begins, he has just realized he is attracted to his long-time good friend, Erik, who has a girlfriend but also … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Fire from the Sky

# WorldKidLit Wednesday: My Body in Pieces

Each day I focus on finding fault with my body, one piece at a time. In this poignant, personal graphic memoir for ages 14+, author/illustrator Marie-Noëlle Hébert shares her struggles with body image. The memoir opens with her aged 20, living alone in an empty apartment, admitting to her mom that she’s not doing too … Continue reading # WorldKidLit Wednesday: My Body in Pieces

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: My Pictures after the Storm

How about starting the new year with a colorful, clever and fun read? At around 8" x 8", My Pictures after the Storm looks like a board book. A quick glance inside and the content also looks like straightforward board book fare. Simple illustrations are coupled with short descriptions. Don’t be fooled! Take a closer … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: My Pictures after the Storm

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Rosie Runs

Rosie is a sleek greyhound who loves to run. And at the start of her story, Rosie Runs–a beautiful, oversized picture book for ages 3-7–that’s exactly what she does, day in and day out: The white mechanical hare scurries in front, and Rosie can just see it from the corner of her eye. Soon she … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Rosie Runs

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Empty and Me

Originally published in Iran in 2021, Empty and Me: A Tale of Friendship and Loss is a standout picture book about loss, grief, and finding new ways to be in the world. Released this past October in a dual language Persian/English edition by U.S. based Lee & Low Books, this moving picture book presents an … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Empty and Me

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Ludwig and the Rhinoceros

If you know a child that likes to raise impossible questions to delay bedtime, then this could be just the read for them! This picture book for young readers ages 5-8 opens with Ludwig talking to a rhinoceros in his room. The problem is that his dad can’t see it and doesn’t believe it’s there. … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Ludwig and the Rhinoceros

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Lost Inside My Head

Since its first articulation by scholar Rudine Sims Bishop, much has been written about the need for children's books that are both windows and mirrors: books that allow children to see not only children different from them, but also to see themselves reflected in the text. Often used as an analogy to discuss the importance … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Lost Inside My Head

#Yiddishlitmonth: Dineh

A Bildungsroman of a Different Sort: Ida Maze’s Dineh Reverberates Across the Decades by Yermiyahu Ahron Taub Dineh: An Autobiographical NovelBy Ida MazeTranslated and with an Afterword by Yermiyahu Ahron TaubForeward by Emma GarmanWhite Goat Press, 2022Paperback edition ISBN: 978-1-734872-9-2; Hardcover edition ISBN: 978-8-9852069-0-6; Ebook edition ISBN: 978-8-9852069-1-3 Dineh: An Autobiographical Novel by Ida Maze … Continue reading #Yiddishlitmonth: Dineh

#Yiddishlitmonth: London Yiddishtown

by Vivi Lachs London Yiddishtown: East End Jewish Life in Yiddish Sketch and Story, 1930-1950Katie Brown, A. M. Kaizer, and I. A. LiskyTranslated with introductions and commentary by Vivi LachsDetroit: Wayne State University Press, 2021ISBN: 978-0-8143-4848-2Purchase this book London Yiddishtown is a collection of urban sketches that first appeared in the London Yiddish press. It … Continue reading #Yiddishlitmonth: London Yiddishtown

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Alice on the Run: One Child’s Journey Through the Rwandan Civil War

In 1994, an estimated two million people fled the genocide by the Hutus of the minority Tutsi population in Rwanda. They sought refuge in neighboring Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), but the bloodshed continued. Around 800,000 civilians died, both Hutus and Tutsis. Alice on the Run: One Child’s Journey Through the Rwandan … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Alice on the Run: One Child’s Journey Through the Rwandan Civil War