Escape from Aleppo by N.H. Senzai serves as a primer on the horrible war that has raged in Syria for 7 years. The novel seems right out of the headlines, but also gives the reader a background of the history of Syria and why its people cherish their country. The story is about 14-year-old Nadia who is separated from her family after their home and neighborhood is bombed. She knows that her family is trying to escape to Turkey, but she is not certain how to get there through the destroyed city. The family leaves messages that help her. Senzai fleshes out the story with flashbacks that fills in Nadia’s background and experiences. I marvel at the characterizations, especially the elderly, mysterious man, Ammo Mazen, who takes on the responsibility of guiding Nadia to find her family. Ammo makes stops as they travel through the city that are intriguing. In one place, he and Nadia encounter people trying to save and preserve artifacts from the city’s libraries and museums. Nadia’s character is also well-drawn. Her growing grit and courage make the reader root for her. In spite of the difficulties Nadia suffers, she helps other–even protecting and taking along on the journey an orphaned 8-year-old boy she finds abandoned. Continue reading
Author: Rebecca Ballenger
MTYT: Hello, Universe
This week Mary Fahrenbruck and Tracy Smiles share their take on Hello, Universe winner of the 2018 Newbery Medal. Written by Erin Entrada Kelly, this story twists and turns around the lives of four middle schoolers who have just begun their summer break.
Explorando Libros: Publishing Houses in Mexico Transforming Children’s and Young Adult’s Literature–Fondo de Cultura Económica
By Andrea García, Ph.D. Literacy Consultant, Pädi, Queretaro, Mexico
This week, I will focus on one of the oldest and most important editorial houses in Mexico, and across Latin America, the Fondo de Cultura Económica, FCE or “el Fondo,” as it is usually referred to. FCE is a nonprofit organization that is partially funded by the Mexican government.
MTYT: Long Way Down
This month’s My Take/Your Take discussions focus on the 2018 American Library Association (ALA) award winners. Mary Fahrenbruck and Tracy Smiles continue with a discussion of the multi-awarding winning novel, Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds. The novel, written in free verse poetry won the Newbery Honor Book Award, the Printz Honor Book Award, the Coretta Scott King Honor Award and numerous other awards from organizations other than ALA.
Explorando Libros: Publishing Houses in Mexico Transforming Children’s and Young Adult’s Literature – Nostra Ediciones
By Andrea García, Ph.D. Literacy Consultant, Pädi, Queretaro, Mexico
This week, we take a closer look at the work of Nostra Ediciones, an independent Mexican publishing company founded in 2000. Nostra identifies its mission as publishing books with an emphasis on promoting high-quality literary works with innovative visual layouts that generate “curiosity and enthusiasm in all readers, regardless of their age and whether they are novice or experienced readers.” Their main line of publication is geared towards children’s and young adult literature, but they also have books geared for the public in general.
MTYT: Crown
Continuing our look at award winning-books, this week Mary Fahrenbruck and Tracy Smiles share their take on Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut, awarded a John Newbery Honor, a Caldecott honor and Corretta Scott-King Honor in 2018. The story by Derrick Barnes and illustrations by Gordon C. James presents readers with, as the Huffington Post said when naming it among 2017’s best picturebooks, “a celebration of self-esteem and a thoughtful nod to the importance of stepping into the world with a touch of swagger.”
Explorando Libros: Publishing Houses in Mexico Transforming Children’s and Young Adult Literature–Ediciones Tecolote
By Andrea García, Ph.D. Literacy Consultant, Pädi, Queretaro, Mexico
The second stop in our journey into the world of publishing houses in Mexico takes us to the work of Ediciones Tecolote. And this week, my writing for WOW Currents could not have arrived at a better time, as the world of children’s and young adult literature in Mexico is celebrating. Ediciones Tecolote was just named the recipient of the 6th Bologna Prize for the Best Children’s Publishers of the Year (BOP Prize) for Central and South America. This prestigious award is presented at the 2018 Bologna Children’s Book Fair, celebrated this year from March 26 to 29, 2018 in Bologna, Italy.
MTYT: All Around Us
This month’s My Take/Your Take discussions focus on the 2018 American Library Association (ALA) award winners. Mary Fahrenbruck and Tracy Smiles begin with a discussion of All Around Us, winner of the 2018 Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor Book. The story by Xelena Gonzalez and illustrations by Adriana M. Garcia pair perfectly to give readers a sensual literary experience.
Explorando Libros: Publishing Houses in Mexico Transforming Children’s and Young Adult Literature–CIDCLI
By Andrea García, Ph.D. Literacy Consultant, Pädi, Queretaro, Mexico.
This April, WOW Currents features publishing houses in Mexico whose work is actively transforming the landscape of children’s and young adult literature in Spanish. WOW Director Dr. Kathy Short, University of Arizona professor Dr. Carol Brochin, and I visited these publishing houses when we attended the 37 Feria Internacional del Libro Infantil y Juvenil (FILIJ) in Mexico City, Mexico, in November 2017. The FILIJ, the International Book Fair for Children and Young Adults, is the largest annual gathering of publishers specifically focused on children’s and young adult literature in Spanish. This 10-day cultural celebration surrounding books and literature hosted more than 442,000 people.
WOW Recommends: Mary’s Monster
Writing in free verse and illustrating in stark black-and-white watercolors for Mary’s Monster, Lita Judge tells the story of Mary Shelley, the pregnant teen runaway who authored the first Gothic horror story, Frankenstein. Lord Byron’s challenge to write a horror story may be the often-cited reason Shelley wrote her book, but Mary’s Monster demonstrates the way the author drew on elements of her own difficult life to create the story of an experiment gone awry. Judge tells the story through Mary’s voice. Her sparse verse weaves the story of Mary’s own rejection with her creation of a monster rejected by society. Continue reading