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Great YA Books in Translation
There’s more to the world of books than
just the Anglo-American literary scene. Yet only a precious few titles from
abroad make it into print in English. It’s commonly estimated that only around
3% of all books published in the UK or US are translated from another language.
(For comparison, the proportion in Latin America and Western Europe is closer to 35%.)
While it is true that English has
served in the modern world as a lingua franca for business and other
international purposes, let’s not flatter ourselves: only about 7% of humans
are native English speakers, and though up to a quarter of the planet may speak
a little English, that doesn’t mean they can read and write it fluently. (How
many supposed native speakers even can?) Just think of what we’re missing out
on!
Reading books from other cultures can
be a gateway into worlds as strange and compelling as the most enchanted
paranormal realm, and is an important act of global citizenship, even for the
young. Here are just a few brilliant YA titles from abroad:
1. The Pull of the
Ocean by Jean-Claude Mourlevat
Hailing from France, Mourlevat may be
best known in the Anglophone world for Winter’s End, his futuristic tale
of four children escaping boarding school to join a revolution against the evil
Phalangist government. Though that book is highly recommended as well,
especially for Hunger Games fans looking for a foreign-skewed take on
the dystopian genre, I prefer this more recent title. It’s an ingeniously
structured book with multiple narrators, and draws on Mourlevat’s French
heritage by cleverly reworking the tale of Tom Thumb as told by fairytale
master Charles Perrault. The English translation is by Y. Maudet.
2. Brave Story
by Miyuki Miyabe
A young boy named Wataru, abandoned by
his father and with his mother hospitalized for a suicide attempt, must enter a
fantasy world called Vision to put it all right again. With the help of feline
and reptilian companions Meena and Kee-Keema, he battles demons, searches for
magical gems, and attempts to reach the Tower of Destiny. This long, often dark
book is something like a cross between Harry Potter and the Legend of Zelda
video games, with a strong theme about the anguish of divorce. Translated by
Alexander O. Smith.
3. The Neverending
Story by Michael Ende
For our final entry, a throwback. You’ve
probably seen the movie adaptation or its spin-offs (and may even have the
theme song stuck in your head just from seeing the title), but have you ever
read the original novel? You ought to. Ralph Manheim’s English translation of
this German export was originally published in 1983. The book is laden with the
esoteric ideas of Rudolf Steiner’s “anthroposophy” system, but you needn’t know
that to enjoy the adventures of Bastian Balthazar Bux in Fantastica (Fantasia
in the films). Nearly 30 years later, The Neverending Story remains in
print and remains every bit as enchanting.
That’s it for our mini-tour of YA literature
around the globe. I encourage you to seek out works in translation, as
exploring faraway imaginations is an adventure worthy of any young hero!
This is a guest post by education
writer Barbara Jolie. Barbara is passionate about education and studying online. When not writing and thinking about all
things education, Barbara is busy planning her next vacation and caring for her
pet cat and bird. You can reach her at barbara.jolie876@gmail.com.
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