It’s the first of September and that means … it’s the start of World Kid Lit Month 2023!

However old you are, this is the month to explore the world by the kid lit express. Children’s and YA books are for everyone, and we can think of no better way to explore the world beyond our borders and beyond our own language. 

Hundreds of books for young people are translated into English from dozens of languages every year (so far this year we count 170!), and World Kid Lit Month is the perfect time to find out more.

So take a look at our bingo sheet for prompts, choose a theme/category, explore the website for ideas … and get reading!

You can download this bingo chart as a PDF or PNG over on the World Kid Lit Month Resources page. Or make your own! 

Here on the blog we’ll be sharing book reviews and features throughout September. Please share them widely (with the hashtag #WorldKidLitMonth), or email the links to friends and colleagues who would like to diversify their bookshelves, find out more about world literature for young people, and join in the fun!

Last year we heard about #WorldKidLitMonth events in Australia, Canada, Japan, Morocco and Switzerland. Amazing! If you host an event in your school, library, bookshop, workplace, or take part in World Kid Lit Month at home, please do share photos on social media. Pictures of recommended books and read the world displays really do inspire readers!

You’ll find tons more info about World Kid Lit Month and ways to get involved here, and global book lists and reading maps over on our World Kid Lit Recommends page. You can find new books to read on our 2023 translations list, or search for books by country/continent, by source language, by literature prize, or by age range.

Happy travels wherever your reading takes you!