#INDIAKIDLIT – Many Languages, Many Voices

by Radhika Menon When Tulika Publishers was set up in 1996 the key questions that confronted us was, how do we create books that reflect a contemporary Indian sensibility, rooted in the Indian multilingual, multicultural context? When the languages children hear all around them are kept out of the books they read, how representative or … Continue reading #INDIAKIDLIT – Many Languages, Many Voices

#INDIAKIDLIT – The Stories We Tell

by Samina Mishra Equality is – when Mummy gives my sister and I the same amount of money Inequality is – when Mummy takes my brother out visiting but not me Equality is – when my friend and I get the same marks Inequality is – when Sir does not give girls a chance to … Continue reading #INDIAKIDLIT – The Stories We Tell

#INDIAKIDLIT – Strong, little known Indian women in history brought alive in contemporary literature

by Deepa Agarwal “Full many a flower is born to blush unseen,             And waste its sweetness on the desert air.” - Thomas Gray, "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" (1751) The poet’s words are telling—they can apply to many women achievers in Indian history whose outstanding deeds have remained buried in the sands of time. … Continue reading #INDIAKIDLIT – Strong, little known Indian women in history brought alive in contemporary literature

#INDIAKIDLIT – Does India need its own Literary Canon?

by Maya Thiagarajan Here’s a question for you: What percentage of recent American college graduates have read the following American classics? To Kill A Mockingbird The Great Gatsby To be honest, I don’t have an accurate answer for you, but I’m willing to guess that the percentage would be quite high. These are books that … Continue reading #INDIAKIDLIT – Does India need its own Literary Canon?

#WORLDKIDLITMONTH – September 2022 – Slices of Indian Children’s Literature Served Up Over Time – #INDIAKIDLIT

by Karthika Gopalakrishnan India is a country of multitudes, made up of over a billion lives that intersect across lines of class, culture, language, and tradition, to coalesce into a thriving, proud, and fascinatingly curious whole. Composed of individual states, some of which are more populous than Brazil while others have roughly the same population … Continue reading #WORLDKIDLITMONTH – September 2022 – Slices of Indian Children’s Literature Served Up Over Time – #INDIAKIDLIT

#INTLYALITMONTH: Burmese Moons by Sophie Ansel & Sam Garcia

Review by Jonathan Hill Burmese Moons by Sophie Ansel and Sam Garcia America and the media we consume is incredibly sterilized, especially to the plight of the people who aren’t white. We’re led to believe that despite harrowing circumstances, through determination and strength of spirit, we’ll be delivered the happy ending. Everything will work out … Continue reading #INTLYALITMONTH: Burmese Moons by Sophie Ansel & Sam Garcia

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Hunt is On (Seekers of the Aweto Book 1)

As an early literacy advocate, I am a huge proponent of graphic novels and comic books. Graphic novels can help hook reluctant readers, build visual literacy, and challenge students to read analytically. Do not let the presence of pictures fool you; as in picture books, there is often more to them that meets the eye. … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Hunt is On (Seekers of the Aweto Book 1)

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Here the Whole Time

Last month I reviewed the first of our co-winners for the GLLI Translated YA Book Prize. This month we turn to the second winner of the prize, Here the Whole Time. Written by Vitor Martins, this book gives us another look into the lives of LGBTQ young people in Brazil. Also translated by Larissa Helena, … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Here the Whole Time

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Where We Go From Here

As someone who grew up during the 80s and 90s, I have several memories of the earlier years of the AIDS epidemic. I still remember the news reports of gay men dying in large numbers, and learning about how HIV is spread—and how it is not. I also remember the death of Freddie Mercury (right … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Where We Go From Here

World Languages Review: La sonrisa de los peces de piedra (Spain)

La sonrisa de los peces de piedra (The Smile of the Stone Fish) by Rosa Huertas (Anaya). This book is written in Spanish and set in Spain. In 2017, it won the XIV Premio Anaya de Literatura Infantil y Juvenil (Anaya Children’s and Young Adult Literary Prize). In 2017, it was included on the Lista … Continue reading World Languages Review: La sonrisa de los peces de piedra (Spain)