World Kid Lit Month 2026: Explorer Challenger: 0-6: The Americas

  

Letters in charcoal.

Written by Irene Vasco. Illustrated by Juan Palomino.

Translated from Spanish by Lawrence Schimel. Lantana, 2023.

Original published in Spanish as Letras al carbón by Editorial Juventud S.A., Spain in 2015. Sophisticated picture book.

In the pueblo of Palenque in Colombia, hardly anybody knows how to read. Curious about the letters her older sister Gina receives from a young doctor each month — letters that she is sure contain promises of love — one young girl makes a decision that will change her life, and the lives of every child in the pueblo, forever. With the help of Senor Velandia, the owner of the village shop, she will slowly unlock the letters of the alphabet and discover the magic of reading. And soon she will make a discovery that is more miraculous still — that letters are literally all around her. 

The assumption by the literate and privileged that *every one* can read.

Also the power of reading. But, I have a deep sadness for the two worlds that struggle to meet.

The literate / online world that is dominate – and I am very much part of – and how difficult it makes navigating the world for those who are not part of it.

World Kid Lit Month 2026: Explorer Challenger: 7-12: A Language Spoken by a Friend

 

Timeline: science & technology: a visual history of our world.

Written and illustrated by Peter Goes.

Translated from the Dutch by Bill Nagelkerke.

Gecko Press, 2020.

Illustrated nonfiction.

A visual introduction to our planet and society told through the history of our greatest inventions and the technology that has changed the world. In his signature playful style, Peter Goes illustrates the most fascinating technologies, from the first tools to the most specialized IT, from medical breakthroughs to the creation of YouTube. He includes remarkable scientists and innovators and highlights lesser-known stories. A compelling history of technology from the Stone Age to the present day, from America to the Southern hemisphere and beyond.

Busy and detailed – the human figures are not stereotyped – which is great.

World Kid Lit Month 2026: Explorer Challenger: 7-12: Europe

 

Girls who slay monsters: daring deeds of the Irish goddesses.

Written by Ellen Ryan.

Illustrated by Shona Shirley Macdonald.

HarperCollinsIreland, 2022.

Unsung stories from ancient Irish myths re-imagined for nine-to-twelve year olds.

There was a time when tales of Ireland’s mythical goddesses—their astonishing powers, bravery, and unbreakable bonds with nature—were famous, in Ireland and beyond. But over time, these stories were lost, often replaced or rewritten to make room for male warriors and kings.

Until Now.

Girls Who Slay Monsters brings these heroes of Irish mythology back to vibrant, magical life. From Éire, Ireland’s fierce namesake, and Bé Binn, a giant who overcame her bullies, to Badb, a gleefully gruesome death prophet, and Bé Mannair, a gender-fluid spy who challenged an entire army. These are goddesses of many shapes, skin shades and sizes, from every corner of ancient Ireland, whose daring still inspires today.

Stand by their sides as they wield magic, fight monsters, and protect the powerless — and you might just discover that you, too, are a force of nature.

Inspirational and empowering stories of goddesses, so many I’ve never heard of.

World Kid Lit Month 2026: Explorer Challenger: 13-18: Europe

 

Invisible.

Written by Eloy Moreno.

Translated from Spanish by Cristina Gahan.

Sourcebooks Young Readers, 2026.

A boy wakes up in a hospital room with no memory of how he got there. As time passes, the pieces of what happened that terrible fateful day start falling into place, and the boy remembers his secret: he has the power to become invisible. The boy is hesitant to tell anyone the truth. What will they think of him if they find out why he gained this ability? And what if it makes everything worse? One thing is certain - the invisible boy has become visible. Can he stand up to his biggest fear?

Be gentle with yourself, on reading this.

Told through multiple points of view, this is a confronting, challenging, and heartbreaking investigation into bullying – and the perpetrators, including the bystanders, observers, and those who laugh. Adults are complicit in this story of school bullying. Whether it is parents laughing at viral videos, or school staff who don't want to deal / acknowledge the issue. Or, parents who are so tied up with their lives, they don't see. 

So much is heartbreaking, but the interaction between the boy and his father, who is at his hospital bed, is right up there: 

"You don't work today either, Dad?" 

“No, not today. They gave me leave so I could stay with you, look after you.”

“And can’t they give you leave when I’m fine, when I’m not sick, so we can spend more time together?”

            And that’s when his heart started hurting him. That night he tried to remember the times he’d spent at home on a weekday: when he caught that awful flu, when he had that accident with his hand, when Grandpa died, when he’d taken the day off for his mother-in-law’s burial, but they’d never given him time off to celebrate a first tooth falling out, to show a child how to ride a bike, to spend a birthday together, to go for a swim at the beach…. In other words, they had never given him time off for the only real important things in life. 

         

 

World Kid Lit Month 2026: Explorer Challenger: 7-12: Africa

  

Ikenga.

Written by Nnedi Okorafor.

Viking, 2020.

Fiction.

In southeastern Nigeria, twelve-year-old Mnamdi is determined to avenge his police chief father, who was murdered while trying to rid the town of criminals, but Nnamdi feels powerless until he receives a magical object which gives him superpowers.

There is little to no separation of the natural and supernatural – which, in this book, are completely Western cultural impositions on this world. On this culture. Reading – understanding and absorbing – takes a bit as you need to decouple any Western worldviews about nature and supernatural, to understand.