USBBY Outstanding International Books List facts for kids

The USBBY Outstanding International Books List (The OIB List) is an initiative of the United States section of the International Board on Books for Young People (USBBY) to produce an annual list of the outstanding children's books from around the world.

Background

The Outstanding International Books (OIB) list began in 2006. Each year, books are selected by a committee appointed from the membership of USBBY, the United States section of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY). The aim is to promote the best of international children’s literature, to introduce young people to outstanding authors and illustrators from other countries, and to help children and young people in the United States to see the world from diverse perspectives.

The 14th OIB List (2019)

A total of 39 titles were selected.

Pre K-2

• Buitrago, Jairo. On the Other Side of the Garden. Trans. by Elisa Amado. Illus. by Rafael Yockteng. Groundwood Books. (Chile)
• Chabbert, Ingrid. A Drop of the Sea. Trans. from French. Illus. by Guridi. Kids Can Press. (France)
• Clarke, Maxine Beneba. Patchwork Bike. Illus. by Van Thanh Rudd. Candlewick Press. (Australia)
• Crowther, Kitty. Stories of the Night. Trans. by Julia Marshall. Illus. by the author. Gecko Press. (Sweden)
• de Arias, Patricia. Marwan’s Journey. Trans. from Spanish. Illus. by Laura Borràs. Minedition. (Chile)
• Dubuc, Marianne. Up the Mountain Path. Illus. by the author. Princeton Architectural Press. (Canada)
• Gomi, Taro. I Really Want to See You, Grandma. Trans. from Japanese. Illus. by the author. Chronicle Books. (Japan)
• Grant, Shauntay. Africville. Illus. by Eva Campbell. Groundwood Books. (Canada)
• Kaadan, Nadine. Tomorrow. Trans. and Illus. by the author. Lantana Publishing. (Syria)
• Latour, Francie. Auntie Luce’s Talking Paintings. Illus. by Ken Daley. Groundwood Books. (Canada/set in Haiti)
• Nilsson, Ulf. A Case for Buffy. Trans. by Julia Marshall. Illus. by Gitte Spee. Gecko Press. (Sweden)
• Sanna, Francesca. Me and My Fear. Illus. by the author. Flying Eye Books. (UK)
• Soundar, Chitra. Farmer Falgu Goes to the Market. Illus. by Kanika Nair. Karadi Tales. (India)

Grades 3-5

• Blexbolex. Vacation. Illus. by the author. Enchanted Lion. (France)
• Duprat, Guillaume. Eye Spy: Wild Ways Animals See the World. Trans. by Patrick Skipworth. Illus. by the author. What On Earth Books. (France)
• Edwards, Nicola. What a Wonderful Word. Illus. by Luisa Uribe. Kane Miller. (UK)
• Gifford, Clive. The Colors of History: How Colors Shaped the World. Illus. by Marc-Etienne Peintre. Quarto Publishing. (UK)
• Green, Shari. Missing Mike. Pajama Press. (Canada)
• Ho, Van & Skrypuch, Marsha Forchuk. Too Young to Escape. Pajama Press. (Canada/set in Vietnam)
• Kacer, Kathy. The Sound of Freedom. Annick Press. (Canada)
• Kinew, Wab. Go Show the World: A Celebration of Indigenous Heroes. Illus. by Joe Morse. Tundra Books. (Canada)
• Lewis, Gill. A Story Like the Wind. Illus. by Jo Weaver. Eerdmans Publishing. (UK)
• Parr, Maria. Astrid the Unstoppable. Trans. by Guy Puzey. Illus. by Katie Harnett. Candlewick Press. (Norway)
• Walters, Eric. From the Heart of Africa: A Book of Wisdom. Illus. include original art from African countries. Tundra Books. (Canada)
• Widmark, Martin. The House of Lost and Found. Trans. by Polly Lawson. Illus. by Emilia Dziubak. Floris Books. (Sweden)
• Wilcox, Merrie-Ellen. After Life: Ways We Think About Death. Orca Book Publishers. (Canada)
• Winter, Ali. Peace and Me. Illus. by Mickaël El Fathi. Lantana Publishing. (UK)

Grades 6-8

• Bailey, Linda. Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein. Illus. by Júlia Sardà. Tundra Books. (Canada)
• Ellis, Sarah. Dodger Boy. Groundwood Books. (Canada)
• First News/Walker Books Ltd. Voices from the Second World War: Stories of War as Told to Children of Today. Candlewick Press. (UK)
• Hargrave, Kiran Millwood. The Island at the End of Everything. Alfred A. Knopf. (UK/set in the Philippines)
• Nielsen, Susin. No Fixed Address. Penguin Random House Canada Young Readers. (Canada)
• Orr, Wendy. Swallow's Dance. Pajama Press. (Canada)
• Smith, Heather. Ebb & Flow. Kids Can Press. (Canada)
• Tregonning, Mel. Small Things. Illus. by the author. Pajama Press. (Australia)
• Williamson, Victoria. The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle. Floris Books. (Scotland)

Grades 9-12

• Barter, Catherine. Troublemakers. Carolrhoda Books. (UK)
• Mills, Jean. Skating Over Thin Ice. Red Deer Press. (Canada)
• Ntshingila, Futhi. We Kiss Them With Rain. Catalyst Press. (South Africa)

The 13th OIB List (2018)

A total of 38 titles were selected.
Pre K-2

• ATINUKE, You’re Amazing, Anna Hibiscus! illus. by Lauren Tobia
• BUITRAGO, Jairo. Walk With Me. tr. by Elisa Amado. illus. by Rafael Yockteng
• CHRISTOPHER, Danny. Putuguq & Kublu. illus. by Astrid Arijanto. Inhabit Media. (Iqaluit) (Canada)
• FULLERTON, Alma. When the Rain Comes. illus. by Kim La Fave. Pajama Pr.
• GAN, Dayong. Little Rabbit’s Questions. tr. by Helen Wang. illus. by author. Candied Plums. (China)
• HOHN, Nadia L. Malaika’s Winter Carnival. illus. by Irene Luxbacher. Groundwood. (Canada)
• HONG, Nari. Days With Dad. illus. by author. Enchanted Lion. (South Korea)
• JOCELYN, Marthe. Sam Sorts (One Hundred Favorite Things). illus. by author. Tundra. (Canada)
• KRAULIS, Julie. A Pattern for Pepper. illus. by author. Tundra. (Canada)
• MIYAKOSHI, Akiko. The Way Home in the Night. illus. by author. Kids Can Pr. (Japan)
• PARKER, Danny. Molly & Mae. illus. by Freya Blackwood. HMH. (Australia)
• SCHWARTZ, Joanne. Town Is by the Sea. illus. by Sydney Smith. Groundwood. (Canada)
• SHER, Emil. Away. illus. by Qin Leng. Groundwood. (Canada)
• SIMLER, Isabelle. Plume. illus. by author. Eerdmans. (France)
• STARKOFF, Vanina. Along the River. tr. by Jane Springer. illus. by author. Groundwood. (Brazil)
• USHER, Sam. Rain. illus. by author. Candlewick/Templar Bks. (UK)

Grades 3–5

• BATE, Helen. Peter in Peril: Courage and Hope in World War Two. illus. by author. Otter-Barry Books. (UK/set in Hungary)
• CAO, Wenxuan. Bronze and Sunflower. tr. by Helen Wang. illus. by Meilo So. Candlewick. (China)
• CAO, Wenxuan. Feather. tr. by Chloe Garcia Roberts. illus. by Roger Mello. Elsewhere Editions. (China)
• FLINT, Shamini. Ten: A Soccer Story. Clarion. (Singapore/set in Malaysia)
• FRIER, Raphaëlle. Malala: Activist for Girls’ Education. tr. by Julie Cormier. illus. by Aurélia Fronty. Charlesbridge. (France/set in Pakistan)
• GOLDSTYN, Jacques. Bertolt. tr. by Claudia Zoe Bedrick. illus. by author. Enchanted Lion. (Canada)
• HARBRIDGE, Paul. When the Moon Comes. illus. by Matt James. Tundra. (Canada)
• IWASA, Migumi. Yours Sincerely, Giraffe. tr. by Cathy Hirano. illus. by Jun Takabatake. Gecko. (Japan)
• KULLING, Monica. Mary Anning’s Curiosity. illus. by Melissa Castrillon. Groundwood.
• LEACH, Sara. Slug Days . illus. by Rebecca Bender. Pajama Pr. (Canada)
• MELLO, Roger. You Can’t Be Too Careful! tr. by Daniel Hahn. illus. by author. Elsewhere Editions. (Brazil)
• VALCKX, Catharina. Bruno: Some of the More Interesting Days in My Life So Far. tr. by Antony Shugaar. illus. by Nicolas Hubesch. Gecko. (France)

Grades 6–8

• BRITT, Fanny. Louis Undercover. tr. by Christelle Morelli & Susan Ouriou. illus. by Isabelle Arsenault. Groundwood. (Canada)
• GREEN, Shari. Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess. Pajama Pr. (Canada)
• HARDINGE, Frances. A Face Like Glass. Abrams/Amulet. (UK)
• KULLAB, Samya. Escape From Syria. illus. by Jackie Roche. Colors by Mike Freiheit. Firefly. (Canada/set in Lebanon)
• WEGELIUS, Jakob. The Murderer’s Ape. tr. by Peter Graves. illus. by author. Delacorte. (Sweden)

Grades 9–12

• CROWLEY, Cath. Words in Deep Blue. Knopf. (Australia)
• HARDINGE, Frances. A Skinful of Shadows. Abrams/ Amulet. (UK)
• KWAYMULLINA, Ambelin. The Foretelling of Georgie Spider. Candlewick. (Australia)
• MAYHEW, Julie. The Big Lie. Candlewick. (UK)
• SMITH, Heather. The Agony of Bun O’Keefe. Penguin Teen Canada. (Canada)

The 12th OIB List (2017)

A total of 41 titles were selected.
Pres-Gr 2

• DEGENNARO, Sue. The Pros and Cons of Being a Frog. illus. by the author. S. & S./Paula Wiseman Bks. Australia.
• DUBUC, Marianne. The Animals’ Ark. tr. from French. illus. by author. Kids Can. Canada.
• HIRST, Daisy. The Girl with the Parrot on her Head. illus. by author. Candlewick. UK.
• HOHN, Nadia L. Malaika’s Costume. illus. by Irene Luxbacher. Groundwood. Canada/set in the Caribbean.
• LANTHIER, Jennifer. Hurry Up, Henry. illus. by Isabelle Malenfant. Puffin. Canada.
• LEROY, Jean. A Well-Mannered Young Wolf. tr. from French. illus. by Matthieu Maudet. Eerdmans. France.
• O’LEARY, Sara. A Family Is a Family Is a Family. illus. by Qin Leng. Groundwood. Canada.
• ROCHA, Ruth. Lines, Squiggles, Letters, Words. tr. from Portuguese by Lyn Miller-Lachmann. illus. by Madalena Matoso. Enchanted Lion. Brazil.
• SANNA, Francesca. The Journey. illus. by author. Flying Eye. UK.
• STARK, Ulf. The Midsummer Tomte and the Little Rabbits. tr. from Swedish by Susan Beard. illus. by Eva Eriksson. Floris. Sweden.
• VISWANATH, Shobha. The Blue Jackal. illus. by Dileep Joshi. Eerdmans. India.

Grades 3–5

• ARGUETA, Jorge. Somos Como Las Nubes/We Are Like the Clouds. tr. by Elisa Amado. illus. by Alfonso Ruano. Groundwood. Canada.
• CORNILLE, Didier. Who Built That? Bridges: An Introduction to Ten Great Bridges and Their Designers. tr. from French by Yolanda Stern Broad. illus. by author. Princeton Architectural. France.
• FABER, Polly. Mango & Bambang, the Not-a-Pig. illus. by Clara Vulliamy. Candlewick. UK.
• FENTON, Corinne. Bob the Railway Dog: The True Story of an Adventurous Dog. illus. by Andrew McLean. Candlewick. Australia.
• HURST, Elise. Imagine a City. illus. by author. Doubleday. Canada.
• KRISHNASWAMI, Uma. Book Uncle and Me. illus. by Julianna Swaney. Groundwood. Canada/set in India.
• KUHLMANN, Torben. Armstrong: The Adventurous Journey of a Mouse to the Moon. tr. from German by David Henry Wilson. illus. by the author. NorthSouth. Germany.
• KUHN, Camilla. Samira and the Skeletons. tr. from Norwegian by Don Bartlett. illus. by author. Eerdmans. Norway.
• LAGERCRANTZ, Rose. Life According to Dani. tr. from Swedish by Julia Marshall. illus. by Eva Eriksson. Gecko. Sweden.
• MARTINS, Isabel Minhós. Don’t Cross the Line. tr. from Portuguese by Daniel Hahn. illus. by Bernardo P. Carvalho. Gecko. Portugal.
• MULLER, Gerda. A Year in Our New Garden. tr. from German. illus. by the author. Floris. Germany.
• PARVELA, Timo. Bicycling to the Moon. tr. from Finnish by Ruth Urbom. illus. by Virpi Talfitie. Gecko. Finland.
• PINFOLD, Levi. Greenling. illus. by the author. Candlewick/Templar. Australia.
• ROSSELL, Judith. Withering by Sea. illus. by the author. S. & S./Atheneum. Australia.
• SANABRIA, JOSÉ. As Time Went By. tr. from German. illus. by the author. NorthSouth. Switzerland.

Grades 6–8

• BOGART, Jo Ellen. The White Cat and the Monk: A Retelling of the Poem “Pangur Ban.” illus. by Sydney Smith. Groundwood. Canada.
• Longbow-GirlDAVIES, Linda. Longbow Girl. Scholastic/Chicken House. UK.
• HARDSTAFF, Jane. The Executioner’s Daughter. Lerner/Carolrhoda. UK.
• LEA, Synne. Night Guard. tr. from Norwegian by John Irons. illus. by Stian Hole. Eerdmans. Norway.
• LUURTSEMA, Nat. Goldfish. Feiwel and Friends. UK.
• STEVENSON, Robin. Pride: Celebrating Diversity and Community. Orca. Canada.
• SVINGEN, Arne. The Ballad of a Broken Nose. tr. from Norwegian by Kari Dickinson. S. & S./Margaret K. McElderry Bks. Norway.

Grades 9–12

• ACIOLI, Socorro. The Head of the Saint. tr. from Portuguese by Daniel Hahn. Delacorte. Brazil.
• DOWNHAM, Jenny. Unbecoming. Scholastic. UK.
• HARDINGE, Frances. The Lie Tree. Abrams. UK.
• LEWIS, Amanda West. The Pact. Red Deer. Canada/set in Germany.
• WILLIAMSON, Lisa. The Art of Being Normal. Farrar/Margaret Ferguson Bks. UK.
• WOLTZ, Anna. A Hundred Hours of Night. tr. from Dutch by Laura Watkinson. Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine Bks. Netherlands.
• WRIGHT, David & Lu Bouchard. Away Running. Orca. Canada/set in France.
• WUNG-SUNG, Jesper. The Last Execution. tr. from Danish by Lindy Falk van Rooyen. Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Bks. Denmark.

The first 11 OIB Lists (2006–2016)

• 2016 Hong, Terry. (2016, February). "Welcome disruptions." School Library Journal. 34-27.
• 2015 Dales, Brenda. (2015, February 4). "USBBY Presents Its Annual Outstanding International Books List." School Library Journal.
• 2014 Dales, Brenda. (2014, February 24). "Passport to a World of Reading: USBBY's 2014 Outstanding International Books List Introduces Readers to the Global Community." School Library Journal.
• 2013 Salvadore, Maria. (2013, February 5). "The Literary Equation: USBBY´s Outstanding International Books connect kids worldwide." School Library Journal.34–37.
• 2012 East, Kathy. (2012, February 1). "All Together Now: USBBY´s Outstanding International Books connect kids worldwide." School Library Journal. 44–47.
• 2011 Poe, Elizabeth. (2011, February 1). "Here, There, and Everywhere: The United States Board on Books for Young People cites 40 international books for its * 2011 honor list." School Library Journal. 42–46.
• 2010 Pope, Elizabeth. (2010, February 1). "Crisscrossing the Globe: A World of International Books for Young People." School Library Journal. 42–45.
• 2009 Angus, Carolyn. (2009, February 1). "World Class: The Latest Outstanding International Books List Offers Tales that Speak to Every Student." School Library Journal. 36–39.
• 2008 Angus, Carolyn. (2008, February 1). "A World of Stories: 2008 Outstanding International Books." School Library Journal. 44–47.
• 2007 Isaacs, Kathleen. (2007, February 1). "Book Your Trip Now: The Outstanding International Booklist Is Just the Ticket to Take Readers to Some Faraway Places." School Library Journal. 44–48.
• 2006 Isaacs, Kathleen. (2006, February 1). "It´s a Big World After All: Books Are the Best Way to Open Kids´ Minds." School Library Journal. 40–44