Happy World Kid Lit Month!
September is World Kid Lit Month, an initiative focusing on disseminating literature for young readers written in languages other than English, and books that are available in English translation.
In Norway, we are very proud of our brave literature for children and young adults, and many titles are available in English translation. And we are of course happy to present a small selection.
As an introduction, we warmly reccomend the great article by Lee Randall: Norwegian Children’s Literature: Fun and Breaking Taboos, available on Norwegian Arts.org.uk
Our 2021 reading suggestions:
Maria Parr
Lara Paulussen (ill.)
Lena, the Sea and Me
(original title: Keeperen og havet)
Translated by Guy Puzey.
Published by Walker Books Ltd. UK / Penguin Random House USA
Read more:
About the book
Foreign rights sold to 21 countries
Read or listen to a sample here
Brynjulf Jung Tjønn
Øyvind Torseter (ill.)
The Most Beautiful Story
(Original title: Den finaste historia)
Translated by Kari Dickson.
Published by Enchanted Lion Books.
Read more:
About the book
Foreign rights
Kari Dickson has been NORLA’s Translator of the Month. Read more
Hans Sande
Gry Moursund (ill.)
Archimedes and the Slice of Bread (First book in a series)
(Original title: Arkimedes og brødskiva)
Translated by Marietta Taraldrud Maddrell.
Published by Eklavya Foundation (India).
Read more:
About the book
Foreign rights
We recommend this very charming trailer (on Facebook)
Marit Larsen
Jenny Løvlie (ill.)
Agnes’s Place
(Original title: Det Agnes bor)
Translated by Kari Dickson.
Published by Amazon Crossing.
Read more:
About the book
Foreign rights
See the author presenting the book
Review by GLLI – Global Literature in Libraries Initiative
Kari Dickson has been NORLA’s Translator of the Month. Read more
Siri Pettersen
Odin’s Child (Raven Rings trilogy #1) – Young adult series
(Original title: Odinsbarn)
Translated by Siân Mackie and Paul Russell Garrett.
Published by Arctis.
Read more
About the book
Foreign rights sold to 12 countries
Both translators have been NORLA’s Translator of the Month.
Read our interview with Paull Russell Garrett
And our interview with Siân Mackie
Ingunn Thon
Nora Brech (ill.)
A letter to OLLIS
(Original title: OLLIS)
Translated by Siân Mackie.
Published by Wacky Bee Books.
Read more:
About the book
Foreign rights
Awards and recognitions:
The book was nominated for the prestigious 2021 CILIP Carnegie Medal in the UK
Siân Mackie has been NORLA’s Translator of the Month. Read our interview here
Helge Torvund
Mari Kanstad Johnsen (ill.)
Vivaldi
Translated by Jeanie Shaterian and Thilo Reinhard.
Published by New York Review Books.
Read more:
About the book
Foreign rights
Review in Publishers Weekly
Review in Children’s books Ireland
Constance Ørbeck-Nilssen
Akin Duzakin (ill.)
Vanishing Colors
(Original title: Fargene som forsvant)
Translated by Kari Dickson.
Published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers.
Read more:
About the book
Foreign rights
Awards and recognitions:
United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY) 2020 Outstanding International Books List.
Alabama Department of Education Camellia Children’s Choice Book Award Nominee (2019-2020).
Kari Dickson has been NORLA’s Translator of the Month. Read more
Anna Fiske
How Do you Make a Baby?
(Original title: Hvordan lager man en baby?)
Translated by Don Bartlett.
Published by Gecko Press.
Read more:
About the book
Foregin rights sold to 16 countries
A day in the life of Anna Fiske
Håkon Øvreås
Øyvind Torseter (ill.)
Brown – Vol. 1 in a trilogy
(Original title: Brune)
Translated by Kari Dickson.
Published by Enchanted Lion Books.
Read more:
About the book
Foreign rights sold to 30 countries
Awards and recognitions:
Winner of the 2020 Mildred L. Batchelder Award, the 2016 German Luchs des Jahres (Best Children and YA Book), 2015 Dutch Zilveren Griffel (Silver Pen), 2014 Nordic Council’s Literary Prize for Children and Young Adults and many, many more.
Review by GLLI – Global Literature in Libraries Initiative
Kari Dickson has been NORLA’s Translator of the Month. Read more
Nora Brech
Cornelia and the Jungle Machine
(Original title: Cornelia og Jungelmaskinen)
Translated by Don Barlett.
Published by Gecko Press.
Read more:
About the book
Foreign rights
Gro Dahle
Svein Nyhus (ill.)
Angryman
(Original title: Sinna mann)
Translated by Tara Chace.
Published by NorthSouth Books.
Read more:
About the book
Foreign rights sold to 15 countries
We recommend this great interview with the translator, by GLLI – Global Literature in Libraries Initiative.
Inger Hagerup
Paul Rene Gaugin (ill.)
Little Parsley
and
That Summer
Translated by Becky L. Crook.
Published by Enchanted Lion Books.
Read more:
About Little Parsley
Foreign rights
We warmly recommend this interesting interview with the translator, from the World Kid Lit blog.
Review by GLLI – Global Literature in Libraries Initiative
Espen Dekko
Mari Kanstad Johnsen (ill.)
Paws and Edward
(Original title: P+E)
Edited by Yvette Ghione.
Published by Kids Can Press.
Read more:
About the book
Foreign rights
Awards: The 2020 Outstanding International Books List – USBBY and Best Picture Books of 2019 List – Kirkus Reviews
Marta Breen
Jenny Jordahl (ill.)
Women in Battle / Fearless Females
(Kvinner i kamp)
Translated by Siân Mackie.
Published in English by Bonnier Zaffre / Yellow Jacket.
Read more:
Foreign rights sold to 27 countries
Read experpts in the great recommendation on librarian blog books4yourkids
And also on librarian blog The Nonfiction detectives
Siân Mackie has been NORLA’s Translator of the Month. Read our interview here
Bobbie Peers
William Wenton and the Lost City – Vol. 3 in a series
(Original title: Orbulatoragenten)
Translated by Tara Chace.
Published by Walker Books Ltd.
Read more:
About the book
Foreign rights sold to 29 countries
About World Kid Lit Month
World Kid Lit Month is a month to celebrate world literature for kids and teens, especially fiction and nonfiction translated to English from other languages.
In the US, September is National Translation Month. European Day of Languages also falls in late September, and worldwide there is a celebration at the end of the month for International Translation Day.
The #WorldKidLit initiative was co-launched in 2016 by Alexandra Büchler, Lawrence Schimel and M. Lynx Qualey and are now a growing team promoting children’s literature in translation on our various social media channels and by hosting live events.
Read more on how to take part on worldkidlit.wordpress.com
Interested in more Norwegian kidlit available in English?
Please see worldkidlit’s Norwegian entries
On NORLA’s Flickr pages you can find the beautiful covers of Norwegian books – in all genres – published in translation with NORLA’s support since 2011. You may find all the covers of Norwegian authors translated into English (all genres, also for adults) here.
