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Literature in Translation for Teens

By Lill Burton

Want to expand your world of reading? Explore these young adult titles that were originally published in other countries and later translated into English.

  • The Boy from Clearwater

    2023 by You, Peiyun

    Expressive illustrations visualize Tsai Kun-lin's childhood in Taiwan under Japanese and Chinese rule. Follow Tsai's journey as he grows up amid war, earthquakes, and political repression in this poetic graphic novel. Translated from Hoklo Taiwanese, Mandarin Chinese, and Japanese.

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  • I Want Golden Eyes

    by Dadouch, Maria

    In 2095, Diyala lives with her family underground in the Burrow, surveilled by monstrous bats. The city of Quartzia above is exclusive to those with the highest IQs, but when Diyala uncovers a genetic engineering conspiracy by the rich and powerful, she realizes that everything has been built on a lie. Translated from the Arabic.

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  • Ironhead, or, Once a Young Lady

    2022 by Rijckeghem, Jean-Claude van

    Determined to break free of her arranged marriage, Constance "Stance" Hoste steals into the night dressed as a man to join Napoleon's army. This fierce tale of gender nonconformity in 1808 Belgium balances both the action and aftermath of the battlefield as Stance finds her independence. Translated from the Dutch.

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  • Snowglobe

    2024 by Park, Soyoung

    Chobahm lives in endless winter working to power the warm, domed paradise of Snowglobe for its reality TV residents. As she gets closer to the warmth, Chobahm learns not to trust what she sees on TV. This frozen dystopia will excite fans of The Hunger Games and Squid Game. Translated from the Korean.

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  • Amazona

    2022 by Canizales

    After an illegal mining operation forced Andrea and her Indigenous Colombian community from their lands, Andrea treks back alone to bury her daughter. Armed with a camera, she intends to document the atrocities committed against her people. In stark images, this graphic novel calls attention to the ongoing displacement of Indigenous peoples. Translated from the Spanish.

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  • Pardalita

    2023 by Estrela, Joana

    Raquel's high school experience in small-town Portugal has been exasperating. Everyone knows all the details of her parents' divorce, and she was just suspended for telling off a nosy aide at school. It feels like everything changes when she meets Pardalita and instantly develops a massive crush. Fans of Heartstopper will fall for this budding romance. Translated from the Portugese.

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  • The Beast Player

    2019 by Uehashi, Nahoko

    When Elin rediscovers her magical inheritance that allows her to communicate with water serpents and other animals, she finds herself caught up in royal politics and questions the throne's use of beasts as weapons. This fantasy's focus on relationships between humans and animals evokes the best of Studio Ghibli. Translated from Japanese.

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  • Fire from the Sky

    2023 by Åstot, Moa Backe

    Ánte has never questioned his commitment to working with reindeer in his arctic Sámi community, but when his feelings for his best friend Erik grow into something electric, Ánte wonders how his community might react. Ánte's profound experience of first love is perfect for romance readers searching for some angst amidst the sparks. Translated from the Swedish.

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  • The Librarian of Auschwitz

    2023 by Rubio, Salva

    A 14-year old Czech girl fights to protect a forbidden collection of books while imprisoned at Auschwitz. Inspired by the true early life of Dita Kraus, this moving, historical graphic novel highlights one teen's bravery during the Holocaust. Translated from the Spanish.

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  • Beasts

    2025 by Bjerkeland, Ingvild

    Creeping through the Norwegian forest alone, Abdi and his little sister Alva must stay hidden from the beasts that have taken over their world. To survive they must reach the port of Djupevik, but many horrors stand in their way. Translated from the Norwegian.

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  • The Sea-Ringed World: Sacred Stories of the Americas

    2021 by García Esperón, María

    These stories cover ground from the arctic communities of the Inuit to the southernmost tip of South America the Selk'nam call home. Rich illustrations bring each story to life, and a pronunciation guide empowers readers to learn more about Indigenous languages of the Americas, or the Sea-Ringed World. Translated from the Spanish.

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  • The Complete Persepolis

    2023 by Satrapi, Marjane

    Rebellious Marji navigates growing up in Iran and Austria following the 1979 Iranian Revolution in this edgy and honest graphic autobiography. Marjane Satrapi recounts her tumultuous adolescence with humor, and readers will root for Marji as she comes into her own. Translated from the French.

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