Celebrate International Literacy Day

Today celebrates the 50th anniversary of International Literacy Day with the hope to increase literacy rates around the world and to recognize the efforts of organizations fighting this fight. This year’s theme for UNESCO’s International Literacy Day is Reading the Past, Writing the Future which I think is so important in today’s world – we need to celebrate our history and look towards a future where everyone has the opportunity to learn to read and better themselves. So, I put together a booklist celebrating the Mildred L. Batchelder Award, “given to the most outstanding children’s book originally published in a language other than English in a country other than the United States, and subsequently translated into English for publication in the United States.” Here are the past ten year’s of winners and if you get a chance, pick up one of these awesome titles!

1. Brave Story by Miyuki Miyabe (2008 winner)
2. Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit by Nahoko Uehashi (2009 winner)
3. A Faraway Island by Annika Thor (2010 winner)
4. A Time of Miracles by Anne-Laure Bondoux (2011 winner)
5. Soldier Bear by Bibi Dumon Tak (2012 winner)
6. My Family for the War by Anne C. Voorhoeve (2013 winner)
7. Mister Orange by Truus Matti (2014 winner)
8. Mikis and the Donkey by Bibi Dumon Tak (2015 winner)
9. The Wonderful Fluffy Little Squishy by Beatrice Alemagna (2016 winner)
10. Cry, Heart, But Never Break by Glenn Ringtved (2017 winner)