Happy Tuesday, kidlit friends! My 4-year-old starts preschool for the first time in just two weeks, and she could not be more excited. She’s asked me every day for at least a month if it’s time to go to school. The pandemic started when she was two, and because I’m immunocompromised, we’ve done very little socializing between now and then. Unlike her parents, my daughter is very extroverted, and she is more than ready to make some friends. It’s only going to be two days a week, but I’m more than ready for some child-less days! My county schools start next week so, while I know many school systems begin in September, I thought I would go ahead and share some back-to-school reads.
But before that: Book Riot is hiring an Editorial Operations Associate, perfect for people who love getting into the nitty gritty of behind-the-scenes work. You’ll work with the Ed Ops team to support Editorial and the Book Riot writers! We are committed to building an inclusive workforce and strongly encourage applications from women, individuals with disabilities, and people of color. Apply by August 8.
Bookish Goods
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Backpack by ForLittleMonkeysShop
My daughter has requested a Very Hungry Caterpillar backpack to go with her VHC lunchbox. We have a perfectly serviceable Sesame Street backpack, so I haven’t decided yet whether she’s getting another, but this one is cute! $56
New Releases
The More You Give by Marcy Campbell, illustrated by Francesca Sanna
Oh, this picture book made me cry. It’s so tender and heartwarming. It begins with a grandmother and grandson planting a tree together and waiting for it to grow. And as they wait, they relish in their love for one another and for the earth. When the grandmother dies, it’s the grandson’s turn to pass on her legacy of loving the earth and caring for the land. As each generation grows older, has children, and passes on the grandmother’s wisdom, the land fills and fills with trees.
Invisible: A Graphic Novel by Christina Diaz Gonzalez, illustrated by Gabriela Epstein
This bilingual (English/Spanish) middle grade graphic novel is a great back-to-school read for middle schoolers. Five Latine middle schoolers at the same school are called into the principal’s office and told they need to complete mandatory community service. He’s placed them in a group, falsely assuming they all must be friends, to volunteer in the cafeteria every morning with the racist cafeteria manager. No one is excited about this assignment, but they do get a chance to make meaningful change in someone’s life when they discover an unhoused mother and daughter.
For a more comprehensive list, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
Here are four of my favorite back-to-school picture books!
Amy Wu and the Warm Welcome by Kat Zhang, illustrated by Charlene Chua
I adore all of the Amy Wu picture books by Zhang and Chua, and both this most recent book in the series and Amy Wu and the Patchwork Dragon have school-related themes. In Warm Welcome, a new student at school has Amy confused. No matter how much she talks to him, he doesn’t respond. When she hears him greet his little sister in Chinese, she realizes he wasn’t rejecting her, he just didn’t understand her! Amy decides to throw a community dumpling party and welcome him properly this time — by making a welcome sign using Chinese characters. But now it’s her turn to feel a little shy about an unfamiliar language.
Luli and the Language of Tea by Andrea Wang, illustrated by Hyewon Yum
This picture book has a similar theme to Amy Wu and the Warm Welcome but a different approach, and it takes place in a preschool instead. All of the students in Luli’s preschool speak different languages. On the first day of school, they play separately instead of together, the lack of a common language creating a barrier between students. But Luli has an idea to bring everyone together — tea! The next day Luli brings tea and cookies to the classroom, and they all have a tea party. The tea party helps break the ice, and, afterward, everyone plays together in groups. I am writing this as I drink green tea, so I am fully behind the idea of tea parties = friendship.
Becoming Vanessa by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
This autobiographical picture book tells the story of Vanessa’s first day of school. Vanessa wants to show how special she is by dressing uniquely for school. Unfortunately, her unique outfit is not a hit with the other kids at school, and they won’t play with her. She begins copying them, hoping that doing so will help them like her, but that doesn’t work either. After some parental love and insight into her name, she realizes she can still be Vanessa. When she returns to school this time with confidence in herself, she feels more comfortable and is able to make friends.
The Queen of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley Newton
This follow-up to The King of Kindergarten follows a young Black girl on her first day of school. She could not be more excited, and when she decides to wear a tiara on the first day, her mother reminds her of what queens of kindergarten do: they brighten up the room, they’re kind and caring, and they’re helpful. By practicing these skills on her first day of kindergarten, the little girl helps make her classroom community better for everyone.
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I’m happy to report that my 4-year-old is now fully vaccinated against Covid-19! She has received two shots of the Moderna vaccine, as did her Hello Kitty mermaid lovey, which we bought from Walgreens after her first vaccination. I will say that while she had no side effects with the first shot, she did run a fever for 24 hours after the second shot. The fever passed quickly, and she soon returned to her normal self. I’m absolutely thrilled she’s vaccinated before school starts.
If you’d like to read more of my kidlit reviews, I’m on Instagram @BabyLibrarians, Twitter @AReaderlyMom, and blog irregularly at Baby Librarians. You can also read my Book Riot posts. If you’d like to drop me a line, my email is kingsbury.margaret@gmail.com.
Until next Tuesday!
Margaret Kingsbury