Accessing a “powerful lens beyond the dominant Anglophone market.” Discover USBBY with President Susan Polos

The other day a librarian colleague of mine reached out to me. They found that after years of doing their job they found themselves in a bit of a slump. They were hoping to find new outlets of interest in the world of children’s literature to pursue. At the same time I was also meeting with a newly minted children’s librarian, fresh out of library school. For her, she was looking for ways to advance her career. Or, maybe, just keep in touch with the wider world of children’s books out there.

Both colleagues could be much aided by exploring books for children far beyond our own American borders, and I told them as much. For folks who may find themselves put off by the focus that is primarily on American children’s books in our major awards, there is much to be gained by looking at books produced for kids in other countries.

Enter the USBBY. And it’s not a new organization, not by any means. But to get at its origins you need to look at another organization first. In 1953 The International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) was founded, based on the vision of its creator, Jella Lepman. IBBY´s mission is to promote international understanding through children’s books. And USBBY is the U.S. national section of IBBY.

All well and good, but what’s the organization do? And what’s the advantage to joining? To answer that, we’re talking today to the President of USBBY, Susan Polos. After all, there’s no better way to get some answers than to start asking some questions.

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Betsy Bird: Susan! It’s such a delight to get a chance to talk to the one and only newly minted president of USBBY! Before we get into the nitty gritty on what, precisely, USBBY is, tell us a little bit about yourself. As our mutual friend Ellen Myrick described you, you’re a long-time school librarian and you, “have served on and chaired more ALA committees than I can count on two hands!” Can you give us a quick rundown of your career?

Susan Polos: Well, yes, I am a long-time school librarian. I started in elementary, jumped to high school, and I’m now enjoying the sweet-spot of middle school. I worked for many years in a dual-language Title One school and am now in a well-resourced independent school. Children are children, and school libraries can be magical in any environment. Everyone needs a safe space and shared stories. As far as committee work, I’ve served on many ALA committees, including the 2014 Newbery Award Selection Committee, the 2018 Pura Belpré Award Selection Committee, the 2020-21 Coretta Scott King Book Award Juries, the 2023 Edwards Award Selection Committee, and the 2026 Caldecott Award Selection Committee. I chaired the Newbery 100th Anniversary Celebration Task Force. For USBBY, I’ve served on the 2025-26 Outstanding International Books Committees and was the 2026 chair of that committee.

BB: And now after all that, you are heading up USBBY (The United States Board on Books for Young People). For folks unfamiliar with the organization, can you tell us a little bit about what it is and what it does?

Susan: Absolutely! The United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY) is the United States’ section of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY). As such, it works with 84 other sections to promote increased international understanding through sharing outstanding books for children and young adults. USBBY’s founding patron organizations include the Children’s Book Council, the American Library Association, the International Literacy Association, and the National Council of Teachers of English. Representatives from these organizations as well as elected directors provide governance.  Our representatives and publisher patrons and friends provide programs at conferences and through webinars. USBBY participates in biennial IBBY international congresses and plans regional conferences for alternate years. We offer the OIB list as well as an Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities list, nominate an author and an illustrator for IBBY’s Hans Christian Andersen Award (our nominee, Pam Muñoz Ryan, is a finalist!), and encourage publication of quality children’s books in developing countries through sponsorship efforts. We do more than this, but that’s a snapshot.

BB: People who love children’s literature (and this is solely my own opinion) are some of the kindest, most thoughtful, open-minded folks I happen to know. However, at least here in the States, it can be all too easy for us to focus solely on kids titles that are by, for, and about Americans. What, would you say, are the benefits of seeing books for children from all over the world?

Susan: Reading books from other countries and cultures broadens children’s awareness of the world and their place in a global society. It is important for children in the United States to see the world from diverse perspectives, especially when one considers the narrow perspectives sometimes seen in books published in the United States. For example, books here don’t tend to be straightforward about tough subjects such as death, class divisions, or conflict with parents. Books like Is It Asleep? by Olivier Tallec, translated by Antony Shugarr or Playdate by Uje Brandelius and Clara Dackenberg, translated by Nichola Smalley, are much more direct in their approach to these topics. International books expose children to the experiences of refugee children (Pilgrim Codex by Vivian Mansour and Emmanuel Valtierra, translated by Carlos Rodríguez Cortez; Paloma Flies Away by María J. Guarda, translated by Melanie Córdova; and My Home Is In My Backpack by Eugenia Perrella and Angela Salerno), and, to my mind, this is sorely needed. These windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors offer a powerful lens beyond the dominant Anglophone market. 

BB: And how does the recent release of the Outstanding International Book List play into increasing the visibility of international literature for kids?

Susan: The members of the 2026 Outstanding International Book Committee are on a mission to promote international books, and we appreciate your help. Increased visibility depends on intentional advocacy from educators, librarians, and publishers. The list allows us to highlight a range of titles which we have banded by age range as well as theme. We also have a map which helps identify which countries are represented – and which are missing. We’re delighted that some of the books on our list have been recognized elsewhere (Everybelly by Thao Lam won the Kirkus Prize, and Croco by Azul López, translated by Kit Maude, won the Batchelder Award, for example), because this increases visibility. Translated children’s literature remains a small percentage of the overall market, limiting competition with domestic bestsellers. At the same time curricular compression and testing pressures leave little space for texts that are not already named in district-approved lists. Discoverability challenges persist as algorithms, sales data, and social media trends favor titles from dominant markets. So this list and the willingness of people like you to promote it serve to create awareness that gets these beautiful books in the hands of young people. 

BB: What are some of the other challenges that surround bringing more attention to books from other countries in 2026? 

Susan: For publishers and distributors, the high costs associated with translation, rights negotiations, and international distribution create barriers, especially for small and independent publishers. Global children’s literature is often positioned as niche or supplemental rather than essential to mainstream reading experiences.

In terms of getting the books into the hands of children, fear is also a concern. Educators want to diversify the books they use, but they worry about pronouncing words and names incorrectly or being perceived as straying from their lane or inadvertently doing/saying something wrong if they use books from other cultures that they aren’t fully comfortable with. Yes, acknowledge the fear, but commit anyway to ongoing education and cultivating a growth mindset. Limited professional development and exposure contribute to uncertainty around teaching global literature effectively.

BB: If a person is interested in learning more about books for kids from other countries, what’s the best way that they can begin their education? Where should they be looking? What would you recommend that they read?

Susan: Well, start with the 2026 Outstanding International Book List. It offers 41 award-recognized titles that emphasize literary quality and cultural authenticity. Read works by recipients of the Hans Christian Andersen Award to understand global narrative and artistic traditions. Consult curated reading lists such as IBBY Honour Lists. Explore catalogs from independent presses specializing in translated and international children’s literature. Engage with academic journals, conferences, and university coursework focused on comparative children’s literature. Develop critical awareness of translation, cultural context, and representation when selecting and sharing international texts. And note how illustrations are often so distinctly different from what we are used to in the United States. 

Use global awards/international lists as entry points, not endpoints, asking why certain books are recognized and others are not. When you read books from other countries, pay attention to how you feel after reading these books. Sometimes the plot in books from non-Western countries are not in the order of “starting point-climax of the story-ending” because there are many other types of storytelling such as circular narratives, nested stories, etc.  A resource beyond those already mentioned is the international children’s digital library 

We’re all already overwhelmed with our job duties, so a relatively easy way to gain awareness of what international books are out there is to follow people and organizations on social media who are promoting and engaging with global literature such as yourself. Learn about book fairs, awards, publication announcements, reading lists, etc. in an organic way as they come up. And, of course, I recommend joining USBBY.

BB: And if a person were interested in joining USBBY, what could they expect? 

Susan: USBBY welcomes new members! When one joins USBBY, one is invited to fill out a volunteer form. If the new member is interested in active participation, we have many options. I invite anyone to reach out to me directly as well. There is an IBBY Congress in Ottawa with the theme “Listening to Each Other’s Voices” this August. We are looking forward to our regional conference in Kansas City in the fall of 2027. Whenever you do anything with IBBY or USBBY, you can be assured that you will be surrounded by some of the most wonderful people in publishing and education you will ever know. You can expect to grow and learn and be very glad you joined!

BB: Finally, what’s next for you this year? What will USBBY be doing as we move through yet another Trump year? 

Susan: In these terrible times, we look for hope. I find hope in each book highlighted by the O.I.B. List and in the people who are associated with USBBY. The dehumanization of immigrants, the suppression of truth, the erasure of history and all of the xenophobia, racism, misogyny, and hatred spewing forth from this administration feels relentless and overwhelming. USBBY offers a counter narrative. USBBY will continue to be engaged in uplifting stories that represent many different cultures and that speak to and celebrate diversity within cultural groups. Jella Lepman, a founder of IBBY, believed that books for children could help heal the world after the atrocities of WWII. We need healing now, don’t we? I agree with you that people who love children’s books are some of the kindest and most open-minded people. USBBY will continue to work to open minds through children’s books. We deeply appreciate your attention to – and affection for – international children’s books. As USBBY’s mission declares, they are a bridge to understanding. Thank you!

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Great big thanks to Susan for taking the time to talk to me about all of this today. As she says, joining USBBY is easy to do, and well worth consideration. But even if you don’t join, consider the lists and awards that both USBBY and IBBY produce regularly. There’s never been a better time to supplement your education in the literature of the larger children’s book world.

Filed under: Interviews