Translated Children’s Books: Trends of
Translations into English in the U.S.,
2000-2007 - (PreK – age 14)
Compiled & presented by
Maureen White, Ph.D.
Linda Alexander, Ph.D.
University of Houston-Clear Lake
22nd World Congress on Reading 2008
This 2000-2007 list is available at:
http://prtl.uhcl.edu/portal/page/portal/SOE/Programs
/SLIS/Resources/SLIS_Resources/Pamphlet_for_Co
sta_Rica.doc
Each selected book is identified by:
Author. Title. Language of translation, translator (if
listed). Illustrator (for picture book). Publisher. Age
level. Setting/Location. Award/s. Genre.
OIB = Outstanding International Booklists (OIB)
from the United States Board on Books for Young
People (USBBY) and Children’s Book Council
(CBC) available from School Library Journal:
(http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA652
7345.html) for 2007 books
(http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA641
0489.html) for 2006 books
(http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA630
2985.html) for 2005 books
Batchelder and Notable = ALA Batchelder Award
Books and Children’s Notable Lists (Awards and
Scholarships) http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/alsc.htm
CCBC = Choices, Cooperative Children’s Book
Center, U.S.
http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/books/choices.a
sp
2007
2006
Faller, R. Polo: The runaway book. French
trans. (Ages 4-9). Wordless picture book.
(OIB, 2008). Fiction.
Funke, C. Igraine the brave. German trans. by
A. Bell. Scholastic. (Ages 8-12). Magical
world. (OIB, 2007). Fantasy.
Gipi. Notes for a war story. Italian trans. (Ages
12-18). Balkan country. (BBYA & Great
Graphic Novels for Teens). Graphic novel.
Guibert, E. & Sfar, J. The professor’s
daughter. French trans. by A. Siegel. (Ages 1218). England. Graphic Novel.
Kobayashi, I. Today and today. Japanese
trans. Japan. (2008 CCBC Choices). Poetry.
Lindenbaum, P. Mini Mia and her darling
uncle. Swedish trans. Sweden & U.S. (CCBC
Choices). Fiction.
Miyabe, M. Brave story. Trans. from Japanese
by A.O. Smith. Japan. (Batchelder Award,
2008 CCBC Choices). Fiction & Fantasy.
Pressler, M. Let sleeping dogs lie. Trans. from
German by E.J. Macki. Germany/Israel. (OIC,
2007). Fiction.
Prévost, G. The Book of Time. Trans. from
French by W. Rodarmor. Medieval Ireland,
Egypt, & Bruges. (Children’s Choices, 2008).
Fiction.
Reiser, L. My way: a Margaret and Margarita
story = A mi manera: un cuento de Margarita
7 Margaret. English/Spanish Bilingual. U.S.
Latin America (Children’s Choices, 2008).
Picture book.
Richter, J. The cat, or, how I lost eternity.
Trans. from German by A. Brailovsky.
Germany. (Batchelder Honor). Fiction.
Trondheim, L. Tiny Tyrant. Trans. from
French by A. Siegel. Magical world. Graphic
novel.
Bondoux, A. The killer’s tears. French trans. by Y.
Maudet. Delacorte. (Ages 14 & up). Chile.
(Batchelder Honor & OICB). Fiction
DeMari, S. The last dragon. Italian trans. by D.
Unger. Hyperion. (Ages 9-12). Magical world.
(Batchelder Honor). Fantasy.
D’Harcourt, C. Masterpieces Up Close. Fr. trans.
by S. Kirk. Photos. Chronicle. (Ages 11 & up).
Information.
Faller, R. The adventures of Polo. French trans.
Roaring Brook. (Ages 3-6). (Word-less picture
book). Universal. (OICB). Wordless picture book.
Hagerup, K. Markus and Diana. Norwegian Trans.
by T. Chase. Front St. (Ages 11-13). Norway.
(OICB). Fiction.
Jansen, H. Over a thousand hills I walk with you.
German trans. by E. Crawford. Carolrhoda. (Ages 12
& up). Rwanda & Germany. (2007 OICB). Fiction.
Kuijer, G. The book of everything. Dutch trans. by
Nieuwenhuizen. Scholastic. (Ages 11-14).
Netherlands. (OICB). Historical fiction.
Mourlevat, J. The pull of the ocean. French trans.
by Y. Maudet. Delacorte. (Ages 10-13). France.
(Batchelder Award). Fiction.
Pausewang, G. Traitor. German trans. by R. Ward.
Carolrhoda. (Ages 14 & up). Germany. (OICB).
Historical fiction.
Pienkowski, J. The fairy tales. French & German
trans. by D. Walser. Illus by Pienkowski. Viking.
(Ages 8-11). Germany & France. (OICB).
Rasmussen, H. The ladder. Danish Trans. by M.
Nelson. Illus. by P. Pratt. Candlewick. (Ages 5-8).
Denmark. (OICB). Poetry
Vejjajiva. J. The happiness of Kati. Thai trans. by
author & P. Borthwick. Atheneum. (Ages 11-13).
Thailand. (OICB). Fiction.
2005
Gallego García, L. The legend of the wandering
king. Spanish trans. by Bellm. Scholastic. (Ages 12
& up). Arabian deserts. (OICB). Fairy tale.
Goscinny, R. & Sempé, J. Nicholas. French trans.
by A. Bell. Phaidon. (Ages 9-12). France.
(Batchelder Honor). Fiction.
Funke, C. Inkspell. German trans. by A. Bell.
Scholastic (Ages 10-13). Germany, Europe.
(Notable). Fantasy.
Holub, J. An innocent soldier. German trans. by M.
Hofmann. Levine/Scholastic. (Ages 12 & up).
Russia. (Batchelder Award). Historical fiction
Ma, Y. The diary of Ma Yan: The struggles and
hopes of a Chinese schoolgirl. French trans. by L.
Appignanesi. HarperCollins. (Ages 11-13). China.
(OICB). Fiction.
Menchú, R. The girl from Chimel. Illus. by Comi.
Spanish trans. by Unger. Groundwood. (Ages 9-13).
Guatemala. (Notable). Memoir.
Morgenstern, S. It happened at school: Two tales.
French trans. by G. Rosner. Illus. by S. Bloch.
Viking. (Ages 8-11). France. (OICB). Fiction.
Nilsson, P. You & you & you. Swedish trans. by T.
Chace. Front St. (Ages 14 & up). Sweden. (OICB).
Fiction.
Spillebeen, G. Kipling’s choice. Dutch Trans. by T.
Edelstein. Houghton. (Ages 14 & up). Belgium.
(OICB). Historical fiction.
Varmer, H. Hans Christian Andersen: His fairy
tale life. Danish trans. by T. Nunnally. Illus. by L.
Brógger. Groundwood. (Ages 10-13). Denmark.
(Notable). Fairy tales.
Zenatti, V. When I was a soldier. French trans. by
A. Hunter. Bloomsbury. (Ages 14 & up). Israel.
(OICB). Memoir.
2004
Bredsdorff, B. The Crow-Girl: The children of
Crow Cove. Danish trans. by F. Ingwersen.
Atheneum. (Ages 9-12). Denmark (assumed).
(Batchelder Honor). Fiction
Chotjewitz, D. Daniel, half human and the
good Nazi.German trans. by D. Orgel. Simon &
Schuster. (Ages 14 & up). Germany.
(Batchelder Honor). Historical Fiction.
Funke, C. Dragon rider. German trans.
Scholastic. (Ages 9-12). Himalayas, India, etc.
Fantasy.
Stolz, J. The shadows of Ghadames. French
trans. by C. Temerson. (Ages 11 & up).
Delacorte. Libya. (Batchelder Award).
Historical fiction.
Under the spell of the moon: Art for children
from the world’s great illustrators. Ed. By P.
Aldana. Tran. by S. Dragland. Groundwood.
24+ nations. (Notable). Poetry.
2003
D’Adamo, F. Iqbal: A novel. Italian trans. by
A. Leonori. Atheneum. (Ages 8-12). Pakistan.
(Notable). Fiction.
Funke, C. Inkheart. German trans. by A. Bell.
Scholastic. (Ages 9-13). Germany/Europe.
(Notable). Fantasy.
Orlev, U. Run, boy, run. Hebrew trans. by H.
Halkin.. Houghton Mifflin. (Ages 9-12).
Poland. (Batchelder Award). Historical fiction.
Schyffert, B.U. The man who went to the far
side of the moon: The story of Apollo 11
astronaut Michael Collins. Swedish trans. by
E. Guner. Chronicle. (Ages 9-12). Earth &
outer space. (Batchelder Honor). Information.
2002
Funke, C. The thief lord. German trans. by O.
Latsch. Chicken House, Scholastic. (Ages 913). Venice. (Batchelder Award). Fantasy.
Johansen, H. Henrietta and the golden eggs.
German trans. Illus. by K. Bhend. Godine.
(Ages 6-8). Universal. Picture Book.
Nye, N.S. 19 varieties of gazelle: Poems of the
Middle East. Arabic. Greenwillow. (Ages 9-
13). (Notable). Middle Eastern countries. Poetry.
Yumato, K. The letters. Japanese trans. by C.
Hirano. Farrar, Straus & Giroux. (Ages 12 & up).
Japanese Fiction.
Zwerger, L. Stories from the Bible. German trans.
North-South. (Ages 7-11). Bible lands (Israel, Egypt,
etc.). Religion.
2001
Bini, R. (Reteller). A world treasury of myths,
legends, and folktales: Stories from six continents.
Italian trans. by A. Bonfante-Warren. Abrams. (Ages
11 and up). Universal. Myths, legends, folktales.
Gündisch, K. How I became an American. German
trans. by J. Skofield. Cricket. (Ages 9-13).
Germany, Romania, United States. (Batchelder
Award). Historical Fiction.
Morgenstern, S. A book of coupons. French trans.
by G. Rosner. Illus. by S. Bloch. Viking. (Ages 812). France. (Batchelder Honor). Fiction.
Vaugelade, A. The war. French trans. by the author.
Carolrhoda. (All Ages). Universal. Wordless picture
book.
2000
Carmi, D. Samir and Yonatan. Hebrew trans. by
Y. Lotan. Scholastic. (Ages 9-12). Israel and
Palestine. (Batchelder Award). Fiction.
Pressler, M. Anne Frank: A hidden life. German
trans. by A. Bell. Dutton. (Ages 12 & up).
Germany/Holland. Biography.
Skármeta, A. The composition. Spanish trans. by
E. Amada. Illus. by A. Ruano. Groundwood. (Ages
10-14). Venezuela. Fiction.
Visconti, G. The genius of Leonardo. Italian trans.
by M. Roberts. Barefoot Press. (Ages 8-12). Italy.
Pictorial fictionalized biography.
Vos, I. The key is lost. Dutch trans. by T. Edelstein.
HarperCollins. (Ages 10-14). Netherlands. Historical
fiction.