Hi Kid Lit Friends!
It’s so nice to be back with you all after my family vacation to Montreal! Many thanks to Margaret for filling in for me with her great content! Also, Montreal is BEAUTIFUL. It’s filled with balconies and trees and flowers, and it is basically my dream city. I stopped into every bookstore we passed by, and while many of them sold books in French only, I still enjoyed myself immensely. I even bought two children’s books in French! Why I felt compelled to own these books, I have no idea. I don’t speak French at all, but I definitely want to learn. It’s a beautiful language. Here is one of the books I purchased — I mean, how could I resist?
Bookish Goods
Book Socks by 2troubleboys
As the weather thinks about cooling down in the northern hemisphere, my thoughts turn to warm mugs of tea and throw blankets and cozy socks! I love these socks with messages on the bottom. $13
New Releases
Makeda Makes a Birthday Treat by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, illustrations by Lydia Mba
I am a sucker for early readers, and this new series by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, with illustrations by Lydia Mba, is ADORABLE. I mean, the cover! I think that time when young people learn to read is so magical, and I am so glad this new series is out in the world.
Tiger Daughter by Rebecca Lim
After getting back from Montreal, I was afflicted with the post-vacation curse. When I got home, I felt a huge need to declutter. I’ve accumulated so many children’s books from working at Book Riot for the last nine years, and my bookshelves were a *little* out of control. I went through all my books and pulled out close to 700 children’s books to give away. I posted a note on my Instagram Stories to see if anyone wanted them, and I’ve given away so many bags already to teachers and a homeschooling co-op. This is related to a new release, I promise! In my book purge, I found a book I had meant to read. Tiger Daughter, while not necessarily new, was published in 2021. Set in Australia, it’s about Wen Zhou, the daughter of Chinese migrant parents, and the expectations her family has for her. I’m glad I pulled it off my bookshelf to read!
For a more comprehensive list, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
I know I’ve shared books about libraries so many times before, but I can’t help it! With so many libraries and librarians under attack these days, I think we need to give them as much love as possible.
The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass
In this fantastic, genre-bending middle-grade book, a Little Free Library sprouts up in the sleepy town of Martinville. When 11-year-old Evan plucks two books from the library, everything changes. The story is told in three voices, each in a different genre. It is a ghost story, an animal story, and a mystery, all wrapped up into one.
A Library by Nikki Giovanni, illustrations by Erin K. Robinson
This stunning picture book is a love letter to libraries. With Nikki Giovanni’s gorgeous poetic verse, she brings to life the importance that libraries hold for so many different people in a community. The illustrations are luminous!
Love in the Library by Maggie Tokuda-Hall, illustrations by Yas Imamura
Last year I saw this picture book on so many Mock Newbery Club lists, and when I read it I immediately knew why. It’s a beautiful story of perseverance and strength in the midst of unimaginable hardship and humiliation. When Tama is sent to an incarceration camp in the desert following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, she finds solace working at the tiny library. But she’s not the only one in the library day after day. George is there too, his arms filled with books, and their friendship grows and blossoms.
What are you reading these days?
Let me know! Find me on X at @KarinaYanGlaser, on Instagram at @KarinaIsReadingAndWriting, or email me at KarinaBookRiot@gmail.com.
The photo to the left is the children’s section of one of the Montreal bookstores I visited. It’s so cheerful and happy!
Book Riot’s editorial team is writing for casual and power readers alike over at The Deep Dive! During the month of September, all new free subscribers will be entered to win Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler, plus 5 mystery books from The Deep Dive. To enter, simply start a free subscription to The Deep Dive. No payment method required!
Happy reading!
Karina