The Prix Albertine Jeunesse originated from the collaborative efforts between the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the United States and Albertine Books, the renowned French and English language bookstore in New York City. Inspired by the prestigious Prix Albertine, which recognizes exceptional French-language literature for adults, the Prix Albertine Jeunesse was established in 2017 to spotlight outstanding French children's literature accessible to North American audiences.

Each year, a selection committee of educators, librarians, and literary professionals carefully curates a shortlist of French children's books. The selection committee includes the staff of Albertine Books, the AEFE network of North America, the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the U.S., and the French Embassy in Canada. These titles are chosen within the theme, in addition to literary merit, cultural relevance, and appeal to young readers across North America. The selected books are divided into four categories according to age groups: 3-5 years, 6-8 years, and 9-14 years. This year, the picture book The Brothers Zzli (Les frères Zzli) appears in all three categories.

At EB, our French and English teachers can use their bilingual co-teaching time to build projects around Albertine nominated books. Teams utilize the literature as a tool to strengthen students' bilingual abilities and linguistic connections. Students engage in discussions, activities, and projects exploring the selected books' themes and nuances, enriching their linguistic abilities and cultural understanding.

Earlier this year, our Grade 2 read a past nominated book, A Bear Named Bjorn, which features several short stories about a bear and his friends. Each short story elicited a different bilingual project, such as writing a thank you letter from a character or imagining how an unresolved story ends.

Recently, Grade 5 has begun reading Un Océan d’Amour, or Sea of Love, which actually has no text, just illustrations! This lack of words, in turn, opens up endless possibilities for students to write their own text for each section or recite their own telling of the story in either language. One major theme in this particular text is how humans impact the natural world. Extension activities can be planned around sustainability since there are several scenes of plastic pollution and oil spills in the oceans. 

This spring, keep your eyes peeled for more bilingual projects from your child’s classroom!

After reading all the selected books, students will vote on their favorite book within their age category. Once all the votes are counted from all the participating schools in North America, the winners will be announced. When young readers feel the value of their opinions and join a common project within our larger multilingual and multicultural community, we all win!

To find out more about Prix Albertine Jeunesse, feel free to watch this bilingual video below.