Dear Kid Lit Friends,
After nearly 400 newsletters, it is time for me to bid you farewell. I have loved originating this newsletter, back when the first send was just a few dozen subscribers. Now, it has grown to over 30,000, and I’m grateful for all the ways this community has grown and flourished. I have loved shouting out books and authors and teachers and librarians and curating book lists (so many book lists!). For now, I leave this newsletter in the amazing hands of Margaret Kingsbury. She has been bringing such wonderful content to you all, and I’m grateful for her expertise and passion.
This newsletter is coming out on the day of the New York City Marathon, which I am running in! If you’re reading this between 11 AM and 3:30 PM ET, I will most likely be in the middle of the race and could use all of your good thoughts. I’ve been training for this race for the past year, and it feels a bit surreal that the big day is finally here. I’ve run in snow and pouring rain and beautiful spring mornings and humid summer heat waves. I think running a marathon is a lot like writing a book. It’s tough, requires patience and stamina and perseverance, and it’s a long process. I don’t have a race completion time in mind — I simply want to make it across the finish line! Today’s book list focuses on books about the marathon, but first…let’s look at this super cute mobile and some new releases!
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Bookish Goods
Vintage Children’s Book Mobile by MaisyandAlice
I love this star mobile featuring pages from a vintage children’s book. A perfect gift for a book-loving family! $45
New Releases
Best Wishes: Time After Time by Sarah Mlynowski and Christina Soontornvat
In this magical series, a bracelet gets circulated between friends and grants any wish. In this third book, Lucy Usathorn of Fort Worth, Texas, is excited to visit the Museum of Natural History, where her father works. Unfortunately, the chaperone is Ms. Brock, the strict school librarian. Even more, unfortunately, her father is dating the aforementioned librarian. And most unfortunately, he proposes to Ms. Brock during the field trip. Lucy is horrified, and when she receives the magic bracelet, she makes a wish to redo the day and prevent the proposal. But things get out of hand, as they do with this wish-granting bracelet…
The Last Kids on Earth and the Monster Dimension by Max Brallier, illustrated by Doug Holgate
This bestselling series is back with the ninth book: The Last Kids on Earth and the Monster Dimension! Chaos ensues in this captivating series. Jack discovers that his Cosmic Hand is now even more powerful than he realized, and it might just be able to stop the inevitable from happening. But to save the world, he needs to go to the monster dimension!
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
And here are the marathon book recommendations!
Ready, Set, Run!: The Amazing New York City Marathon by Leslie Kimmelman, illustrations by Jessie Hartland
This fun book shows runners all over the world training and getting ready for one of the biggest races in the world: The New York City Marathon! I love how it shows the diversity of the runners and the details of the challenging and iconic route.
Fauja Singh Keeps Going by Simran Jeet Singh, illustrations by Baljinder Kaur
This incredibly inspiring book follows marathon runner Fauja Singh, the first person over the age of 100 to complete the marathon! After a lifetime of working hard, Fauja Singh decided to run a marathon at the age of 81. He continued to run and break records everywhere!
Daughter of the Light-Footed People by Belen Medina, illustrated by Natalia Rojas Castro (June 2024, Atheneum)
Even though this book won’t publish until next summer, I wanted to highlight it because of its gorgeous illustrations and wonderful story. Indigenous athlete Lorena Ramírez runs in the traditional clothes of the Rarámuri, “the light-footed people,” rather than embracing the newest running trends and high-tech gear. I can’t wait to read this book when it comes out!
Her Fearless Run by Kim Chaffee, illustrations by Ellen Rooney
Kathrine Switzer was the first registered female runner for the Boston Marathon, and this book follows her childhood to her historic race in 1967. She defied conventions and experienced backlash for running in a race considered for men only, paving the way for women everywhere to participate in this race.
Keep in touch with me!
I’d love to keep in touch with you all! Find me on X at @KarinaYanGlaser, on Instagram at @KarinaIsReadingAndWriting, or email me at KarinaBookRiot@gmail.com.
Much love to you all, and most of all, happy reading!
Karina