Pajama Press

Pajama Press is proud to announce that two of our books have been selected by the United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY) for their 2020 Outstanding International Books List, including: Girl of the Southern Sea, written by Michelle Kadarusman, and The Girl Who Rode a Shark: And Other Stories of Daring Women, written by Ailsa Ross and illustrated by Amy Blackwell.

Michelle Kadarusman was in attendance at the 2020 presentation, held at the ALA Midwinter Conference in Philadelphia. Committee member Amy McClure spoke about how the protagonist Nia from Girl of the Southern Sea embodied resilience during challenging times.

The USBBY is “a nonprofit organization devoted to building bridges of international understanding through children’s and young adult books.” The Outstanding International Books List began in 2006 and aims to honor international books that are published and distributed in the United States and deemed the most outstanding of those published during the calendar year. Learn more at www.usbby.org/outstanding-international-books-list.

Pajama Press extends our congratulations to our talented creators. Our sincerest thanks go to the USBBY for their support of international books through this incredible program for young readers.

“Brief biographies of 52 intrepid women, spanning the globe and all centuries, are flanked by large, full-color illustrations and by maps that show the women’s adventuring sites….The artwork, reminiscent of art deco travel posters, is a gorgeous complement to the eclectic curation. The biographies are written in a conversational style, often including a short quote from the subject….An exciting labor of love—for kids of all gender identities. (Collective biography. 8-12)” ★

Click here to read the full review