Summer @ Riverbend registration is open! Learn More
April 14, 2023
“If one is to believe in peaceful coexistence, the first messengers of that peace will be in children’s books.”
– Jella Lepman, founder of IBBY, the International Board on Books for Young People
On Tuesday, Apr 11, students from first to eighth grade celebrated International Children’s Book Day by taking a literary trip around the world. International Children’s Book Day is an annual event sponsored by IBBY, the International Board on Books for Young People. Students explored books which originated in other countries before reaching the U.S. market.
Students encountered books of fiction and nonfiction, in a number of formats – such as graphic novels, novels in verse, wordless picture books, early readers, anthologies, and so on – and a variety of genres, including survival stories, fantasy, reference, refugee and migration stories, realistic fiction, social-emotional learning, humor, the arts, STEM, and more.
The U.S. youth publishing industry annually imports, publishes, and distributes about 600 books from around the world aimed at readers from birth-young adult, (compared to the 7K-10K that originate within the U.S..) Among other activities each year, USBBY, the U.S. chapter of IBBY, puts together its Outstanding International Books list of the top 40 of these imported titles, (as decided by committee.) Follow this link to see the 2023 OIB list, as well as the OIB lists, descriptions, and corresponding School Library Journal articles dating back to 2006.
Of note, Publishers Spotlight stands as the model for bringing international children’s books to the U.S. market.
To learn more about USBBY/IBBY activities or to inquire about membership and involvement opportunities, please reach out to Riverbend parent and Massachusetts State Ambassador, Bindy Fleischman. Her contact information can be found in the Parent Directory.
