By Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp

As we approach our 10th anniversary of World Kid Lit Month in September, over the summer we’ll have a series of posts celebrating the global kid lit community, sharing highlights from our archives, and signposting you to the best ways to discover translated and international books for young people.

Whether you’re looking for global reads to diversify the school library or curriculum (in which case you should also check out our Schools International Reading Award!), or you’re looking for border-crossing, horizon-expanding books for a teen in your life, your first stop should definitely be the Global Literature in Libraries Initiative (GLLI).

Last month, May, was the 7th International YA Lit Month on their blog with a jam-packed line-up of librarian recommendations from around the planet, culminating in the announcement of the annual GLLI Translated YA Book Prize. Here are the winning titles, and read on for links to the fabulous range of international books reviewed throughout the month.

GLLI Translated YA Book Prize 2026 Winner

GLLI Translated YA Book Prize 2026 Honor Books

A Month of International YA at GLLI

• May 1: Intro to the month — by Katie Day, Singapore
• May 2: Gianni Rodari / The Adventures of Cipollino (Italy), translated by Antony Shugaar — reviewed by Kim Beeman, Italy
• May 3: Rebis: Born and Reborn (Italy), a graphic novel written by Irene Marchesini, illustrated by Carlotta Dicataldo, translated from Italian by Carla Roncalli Di Montorio — reviewed by Kim Tyo-Dickerson, The Netherlands
• May 4: Alkrem (Italy) by Marta Palazzesi, translated from Italian by Christopher Turner — reviewed by Kim Tyo-Dickerson, The Netherlands
• May 5: White as Silence, Red as Song (Italy), by Alessandro D’Avenia, translated from Italian by Tabitha Sowden — reviewed by Nadine Bailey, Dubai
• May 6: Armenveni (Armenia), a graphic novel by Nadine Takvorian — reviewed by Lyn Miller-Lachmann, USA
• May 7: Milk Without Honey (Germany), a graphic novel by Hanna Harms, translated from German by Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp — reviewed by Angela Ericson, Singapore
• May 8: Nothing (Denmark), by Janne Teller, translated from Danish by Martin Aitken — reviewed by Linda Hoiseth, Dubai
• May 9: Taiwan YA Lit: featuring The Bear Whispers To Me, by Chang Ying-Tai, translated from Chinese by Darryl Sterk; The Membranes, by Chi Ta-Wei, translated from Chinese by Ari Larissa Heinrich; The Sniper, written by Chang Kuo-Li, translated from Chinese by Roddy Flagg; and The Third Son by Julie Wu — reviewed by Eleanor Duggan, Cambodia
• May 10: Chinese YA Lit: featuring Yin Jianling’s The Paper Puppy (translator unknown); Beijing Doll by Chun Sue, translated from Chinese by Howard Goldblatt; Run Wild by Wu Zhe, translated from Chinese by Amixy and Nande M.— reviewed by Wang Yue, China/UK
• May 11: Singapore YA Lit featuring dozens of books including Wen-yi Lee’s When They Burned the Butterfly (2025), June CL Tan’s Darker By Four (2024), and Jared Poon’s City of Others (2026) — reviewed by Joyce Chua, Singapore
• May 12: African YA: featuring Futhi Ntshingila’s We Kiss Them With Rain (South Africa); Buried Beneath the Baobab Tree by Nigerian novelist and journalist Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani; Malla Nunn’s When the Ground Is Hard (Swaziland); Nigerian author Rimma Onoseta’s How You Grow Wings; and Blessing Musariri’s All That It Ever Meant (Zimbabwe) — reviewed by Laura Simeon, Kirkus Reviews, USA
• May 14: Shadows on the Ice (France) by Frédéric Bertocchini (Writer), Thierry Diette (Artist), Pascal Nino (Colors), translated from French by Andrew Benteau — reviewed by Nadine Bailey, Dubai
• May 15: West African Mythology: featuring Skin of the Sea introduced me to the author, Natasha Bowen (Nigeria/Wales, UK) — reviewed by Sally Cameron, Italy
• May 16: German YA lit: featuring Stell Dir Vor! Comics über die Nachkriegszeit (Imagine! Comics about the postwar period) by Tobi Dahmen, Julia Bernhard, Melanie Garanin, Mikael Ross, Volker Schmitt, and Julia Zejn, not yet in English; and Nora Krug’s wonderful memoir Belonging: A German Reckons with History and Home, translated by Jen Calleja — reviewed by Kate London, UK
• May 17: Russian YA Lit: featuring Alexei Ivanov’s The Food Block (2024, translated from Russian by Richard Coombes — reviewed by Kim Beeman, Italy
• May 18: The Prophet (Lebanon), a graphic novel adaptation by Zeina Abirached of the poems of Kahlil Gibran (translator not known) — reviewed by Katie Day, Singapore
• May 19: Cambodia: featuring Slow Noodles: A Cambodian Memoir of Love, Loss, and Family Recipes by Chantha Nguon; and Year of the Rabbit, a graphic novel memoir by Tian Veasna, translated from French by Helge Dascher — reviewed by Eleanor Duggan, Cambodia
• May 20: Third Culture Kids: featuring dozens of books including Kazuki Kaneshiro’s Go (translated from Japanese by Takami Nieda); Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake; Cao Wenxhuan’s Dragonfly Eyes, translated from Chinese by Helen Wang; and Blue Feet Monsoon by Cynthia Green— article by Cynthia Green, France
• May 21: The Bone Fire (Hungary) by György Dragomán, translated into English by Ottilie Mulzet — reviewed by Erica Prenda, Italy
• May 22: Indian YA lit: featuring Giants by Huthuka Sumi, illustrated by Canato Jimo — reviewed by Ankitha Venkataram, India

And the final week was reviews of the GLLI Translated YA Book Prize shortlist:

• May 23: Movies Showing Nowhere by Yorick Goldewijk, translated from Dutch by Laura Watkinson
• May 24: Daughter of Doom by Jean-Claude van Rijckeghem, translated from Dutch by Kristen Gehrman
• May 25: The History of World War II by Arnaud de la Croix, translated from French by Amanda Axsom and Peter Law 
• May 26: The Village Beyond the Mist by Sachiko Kashiwaba, translated from Japanese by Avery Fischer Udagawa
• May 28: Magda, Intergalactic Chef: The Big Tournament by Nicolas Wouters, translated from French by Ann Marie Boulanger
• May 29: Self Portrait, by Ludwig Volbeda, translated from Dutch by Lucy Scott
• May 30: Beasts by Ingvild Bjerkeland, translated from Dutch by Rosie Hedger

Whatever YA gems you find from around the world, enjoy!

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