Category: The Kids Are All Right

Hello readers!

It’s time for your weekly pick of new children’s book releases. I think the theme for this week is taking back control of your life. It’s easy to forget in these complicated days that young people are exposed to as much media as adults and need support in understanding that. It’s also easy to forget that all of that needs managing alongside the difficulty that is life and all it already entails.

So here we are with some books that explore all of that. They talk about power, agency, activism, and finding control of your own destiny. Let’s celebrate that – and hit me up on social media with anything that you think deserves a backlist bump for next week. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Stand up, Yumi Chung! by Jessica Kim

Look at that super cute cover! This is all about aspiring stand-up comedian Yumi Chung. She’s got a lot of material for her Netflix special–she just needs the confidence and a special comedy camp might just give her that. The only problem is that they all think she’s a girl called Kay Nakamura, and Yumi doesn’t tell them the truth…

A coming of age story wrapped up in a deliciously entertaining package, this is full of up to date pop culture references and a whole lot of fun.

Silverworld by Diana Abu-Jaber

Sami’s Lebanese grandmother, Sitti, is ill. Her family think she should be in a nursing home, but Sami doesn’t think that’s she’s unwell at all. Trying to help, she casts a spell from her grandmother’s charm book and falls into Silverworld – an enchanted world that might just hold the secret to Sitti’s illness.

A story full of Lebanese culture, drawing on rich seams of fantasy and real-world issues such as family illness, Silverworld is a potent story of a girl fighting to save her family and so much more.

A Whale of a Mistake by Ioana Hobai

Mistakes can feel overwhelming, right? It’s difficult enough to deal with them as adults, let alone as children. A Whale of a Mistake teaches us that there are as many mistakes as stars in the night sky and maybe they can be dealt with after all. It’s a big concept to deal with and one handled with a lot of sensitivity – plus some beautiful artwork!

We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom, illustrated by Michaela Goade

Inspired by the Indigenous-led protests across North America, this picture book is a bold cry towards environmental activism. The illustrations are lyrical, often moving, and Lindstrom’s text packs a powerful punch. It also includes a water pledge of care for young readers to co-sign.

Alright, I think we’ll leave it there for this week. Feel free to say hello to me on social media @chaletfan (I am rereading a lot of Cynthia Voigt at the moment so I’m very happy to chat about that!). You can also find me elsewhere on Book Riot co-hosting the biweekly litfic podcast Novel Gazing.

Happy reading!

Louise.

Hi Kid Lit Friends!

I had such a fun time gathering middle grade books about food that I thought I would round up some picture books about food from a variety of cultures. I love food and am very interested in the origins and significance of foods from around the world, and these picture books are some of my absolute favorites.

Magic Ramen by Andrea Wang, illustrated by Kana Urbanowicz, is the story of when Momofuku Ando spotted the long lines for a simple bowl of ramen following World War II. Every day, Momofuku Ando would retire to his lab–a little shed in his backyard. For years, he’d dreamed about making a new kind of ramen noodle soup that was quick, convenient, and tasty for the hungry people he’d seen in line for a bowl on the black market following World War II. Peace follows from a full stomach, he believed. Day after day, Ando experimented. Night after night, he failed. But Ando kept experimenting.

You probably already know how much I love the book Fry Bread by Kevin Noble Maillard, illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal, given how much I’ve talked about it on this newsletter over the last year! This lovely book brings together the origins of fry bread, how it communicates community as well as the terrible history that led to its creation. This book both inspires and educates. Also, check out the end papers – they are beautiful!

Thank you, Omu! by Oge Mora is one of my favorite books. In this story, everyone in the neighborhood dreams of a taste of Omu’s delicious stew! One by one, they follow their noses toward the scrumptious scent. And one by one, Omu offers a portion of her meal. Soon the pot is empty. Has she been so generous that she has nothing left for herself?
An author’s note explains that “Omu” (pronounced AH-moo) means “queen” in the Igbo language of her parents, but growing up, she used it to mean “Grandma.”

Special food for new year is celebrated all over the world, and Freedom Soup by Tami Charles, illustrated by Jacqueline Alcantara, is about the special soup that Haitians all over the world eat to ring in the new year, a tradition dating back to the Haitian Revolution. This year, Ti Gran is teaching Belle how to make the soup — Freedom Soup — just like she was taught when she was a little girl. Together, they dance and clap as they prepare the holiday feast, and Ti Gran tells Belle about the history of the soup, the history of Belle’s family, and the history of Haiti, where Belle’s family is from.

I love the new picture book, Bilal Cooks Daal! by Aisha Saeed, illustrated by Anoosha Syed. Six-year-old Bilal is excited to help his dad make his favorite food of all-time: daal! The slow-cooked lentil dish from South Asia requires lots of ingredients and a whole lot of waiting. Bilal is so excited to share this food with his friends, and as the day goes on, the daal continues to simmer, and more kids join Bilal and his family, waiting to try the tasty dish. But as time passes, Bilal starts to worry about whether his friends will like it as much as he does.

If you want a fun read aloud, Bee-bim Bop! by Linda Sue Park, illustrated by Ho Baek Lee is the book for you! Bee-bim bop (the name translates as “mix-mix rice”) is a traditional Korean dish of rice topped, and then mixed, with meat and vegetables. In bouncy rhyming text, a hungry child tells about helping her mother make bee-bim bop: shopping, preparing ingredients, setting the table, and finally sitting down with her family to enjoy a favorite meal. Young readers who aren’t familiar with the dish will recognize the pride that comes from helping Mama, the fun of mixing ingredients together in a bowl, and the pleasure of sharing delicious food. Includes the author’s own recipe.

Sometimes eating foods when they are unfamiliar to other people is hard, and this is beautifully addressed in The Ugly Vegetables by Grace Lin. In this story, a Chinese-American girl wishes for a garden of bright flowers instead of one full of bumpy, ugly, vegetables. The neighbors’ gardens look so much prettier and so much more inviting to the young gardener than the garden of “black-purple-green vines, fuzzy wrinkled leaves, prickly stems, and a few little yellow flowers” that she and her mother grow. Nevertheless, mother assures her that “these are better than flowers.” Come harvest time, everyone agrees as those ugly Chinese vegetables become the tastiest, most aromatic soup they have ever known. As the neighborhood comes together to share flowers and ugly vegetable soup, the young gardener learns that regardless of appearances, everything has its own beauty and purpose.

The new ¡Vamos! series by Raul the Third is wonderful, and the second book, Let’s Go Eat, comes out next month on April 2. Follow the adorable Little Lobo and his dog Bernabe as they deliver supplies to a variety of vendors, selling everything from sweets to sombreros, portraits to piñatas, carved masks to comic books! Each page is full of wonderful details to explore!

What are you reading these days? Let me know! Find me on Twitter at @KarinaYanGlaser, on Instagram at @KarinaIsReadingAndWriting, or email me at KarinaBookRiot@gmail.com.

Until next time!
Karina

*If this e-mail was forwarded to you, follow this link to subscribe to “The Kids Are All Right” newsletter and other fabulous Book Riot newsletters for your own customized e-mail delivery. Thank you!*

Hello readers!

I’m writing this newsletter on World Book Day in the United Kingdom, and the streets are full of tiny children dressed up as their favorite book characters. I love it. There’s nothing quite so adorable as seeing a small Gruffalo wander past your window or a Fantastic Mr Fox waiting for the school bus. Even Paddington Bear is wondering about who he’s going to dress up as.

It’s a very appropriate day to be bringing you the pick of the new releases in the children’s book world!

The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman

One day Valentina Kaplan and Oksana Savchenko, neighbours and lifelong enemies, wake up to a bright red sky. The reactor at the nuclear power plant where both their fathers work has exploded. Its name? Chernobyl. Valentina and Oksana are forced into a life together in Leningrad, facing truths and keeping secrets – whatever the cost.

A potent middle-grade read, this explores the power of friendship formed in the most troublesome of times whilst also exploring an unusual point in history.

Woke : A Young Poet’s Call To Justice by Mahogany L. Browne, with Elizabeth Acevedo and Olivia Gatwood, illustrated by Theodore L Taylor

A collection of poetry from women writers to inspire children to stay woke and become activists? Sign me up. Sign me up even more when it’s got authors like this behind it (there’s also a foreword from Jason Reynolds), and sign me up again when it’s got art as generous and as vibrant as this. It’s a lovely, big, collection of motivating work  – perfect for sharing and staying woke.

Like The Moon Loves The Sky by Hena Khan, illustrated by Saffa Khan

Sometimes a cover says it all, and this is a delight. The inside – a celebration of parental love, inspired by verses from the Quran – is similarly wonderful. Look out in particular for Saffa Khan’s gorgeously rich use of colour – this is beautiful, beautiful stuff throughout and full of a quiet power.

Orion Lost by Alastair Chisholm

I recently finished a review copy of this and knew I had to share it with you. Orion Lost is a middle grade ‘kids on a spaceship and everything’s gone wrong plus the AI might actually be evil’ story and it’s great. It’s a really well-told adventure influenced by things like Firefly and Star Trek, and ideal for anybody who can do the Kessel run in less than twelve parsecs.

 

High Rise Mystery by Sharna Jackson

Forgive the fact that this has been out for a while now, but I wanted to give it a quick backlist bump. So here we go! It’s the hottest Summer on record in London and there’s been a murder – it’s time for sisters Anika ‘Nik’ and Norva to solve it. Ideal for fans of Robin Stevens and Katherine Woodfine, and anybody who enjoys twists and turns, High Rise Mystery is really worth getting onto your radar.

That’s it for this week! In the meantime, you can say hello to me on social media @chaletfan (tell me about what you’re reading!) and also elsewhere on Book Riot co-hosting the biweekly litfic podcast Novel Gazing.

(And have you seen that we’re giving away a $50 Barnes and Noble Gift Card to one lucky reader…?)

Happy reading!

Louise.

Hi Kid Lit Friends,

I hope everyone is having a lovely Daylight Savings Day weekend with lots of sunshine, puppies, and dessert. I am heading home from Florida today, where I was doing book events at the Southwest Florida Reading Festival. It’s so sunny and warm here!

My ten-year-old daughter has been really into fantasy books lately, especially the Bliss series by Kathryn Littlewood. She read all three of the books in this series within a couple of days. In this middle grade book, Rose and her siblings are in charge of keeping the Cookery Booke, an ancient, leather-bound volume of enchanted recipes, locked away while their parents are out of town. But when Aunt Lily arrives and whips up delicious dishes for dinner, it makes Rose and her siblings  want to experiment with just a couple of recipes from the forbidden Cookery Booke. There are three books in this series: check out A Dash of Magic and Bite-Sized Magic next!

Since she loved these books, I found some more books with magic food elements in the story for her. Love, Sugar, Magic is a wonderful series by Anna Meriano, illustrated by Mirelle Ortega. In the first book in the series, A Dash of Trouble, Leonora Logroño’s family owns the most beloved bakery in Rose Hill, Texas, spending their days conjuring delicious cookies and cakes for any occasion. And no occasion is more important than the annual Día de los Muertos festival. Leo hopes that this might be the year that she gets to help prepare for the big celebration, but once again she is told she’s too young. Sneaking out of school and down to the bakery, she discovers that her mother, aunt, and four older sisters have in fact been keeping a big secret: they’re brujas—witches of Mexican ancestry—who pour a little bit of sweet magic into everything that they bake. The series continues with A Sprinkle of Spirits and A Mixture of Mischief.

The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop by Kat Saunders is a delightful middle grade book that is filled with magical chocolate and evil villains. Lily and Oz Spoffard have just inherited a magical house with a mysterious boarded-up chocolate shop on the ground floor. The twins’ great-great-uncles were famous chocolatiers, and their chocolate was ANYTHING but ordinary. In fact, it had magical properties. Now an evil gang is after the secret recipe, and it’s up to Lily and Oz to stop them. The fate of their family, and the world, depends on it. Also, that cat on the cover is everything.

Another magical middle grade is The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart by Stephanie Burgis. In this book, Aventurine is a brave young dragon ready to explore the world outside of her family’s mountain cave . . . if only they’d let her leave it. Her family thinks she’s too young to fly on her own, but she’s determined to prove them wrong by capturing the most dangerous prey of all: a human. But when that human tricks her into drinking enchanted hot chocolate, she’s transformed into a puny human without any sharp teeth, fire breath, or claws. Still, she’s the fiercest creature in these mountains–and now she’s found her true passion: chocolate. Check out The Girl with a Dragon Heart next!

One of our favorite kinds of books are the ones that include recipes in it! A Tangle of Knots by Lisa Graff is one of them (our favorite recipe is Viv’s Fudge Cake, which is one of those delicious gooey chocolate center concoctions). In this magical world, eleven-year-old Cady is an orphan with a phenomenal talent for cake baking. But little does she know that fate has set her on a journey from the moment she was born.  And her destiny leads her to a mysterious address that houses a lost luggage emporium, an old recipe, a family of children searching for their own Talents, and a Talent Thief who will alter her life forever.

I have one last book for you: The Magic Cake Shop by Meika Hashimoto, illustrated by Josee Masse. In this story, Emma Burblee is sent to spend the summer with her loathsome Uncle Simon. Although Emma’s days revolve around cooking and cleaning, there is one bright spot. Her uncle’s sweet tooth means she gets to visit the town bakery, Mr. Crackle’s Cake Shop, all the time. This world-renowned baker is as charming and kind as Uncle Simon is vile. But then Emma discovers a plot by Uncle Simon and one of his shady acquaintances; they’ve set their sights on ruining Mr. Crackle (and the entire dessert making industry for that matter). Can Emma stop their evil plan?

 

Around the web…

10 Middle Grade Graphic Novels for Fans of New Kid and Smile, via Book Riot

21 Fascinating and Fun Books Bilingual Children’s Books, via Book Riot

Q&A with Linda Sue Park, via Publisher’s Weekly

 

What are you reading these days? Let me know! Find me on Twitter at @KarinaYanGlaser, on Instagram at @KarinaIsReadingAndWriting, or email me at KarinaBookRiot@gmail.com.

Until next time!
Karina

*If this e-mail was forwarded to you, follow this link to subscribe to “The Kids Are All Right” newsletter and other fabulous Book Riot newsletters for your own customized e-mail delivery. Thank you!*

Hello readers,

It’s that time of the week where I get to tell you all about some delicious new releases in the world of children’s literature. And what a fun week it is! We’re celebrating the stories of women in STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, defeating gender discriminating pirates (*insert down with the pirate patriarchy cry here*), and empowering tiny readers everywhere. Good times.

Changing the Equation : 50+ US Black Women In STEM by Tonya Bolden

Remarkable mathematicians have been in the news recently, so this is a timely read indeed. Telling the real life story of over fifty women who ‘changed the equation’ as doctors, mathematicians, aviators, computer-scientists and more, this is a great non-fiction read for your tiny world-changers.

 

Show Me A Sign by Ann Claire LeZotte

Mary Lambert has always felt safe and protected in her home, but times are changing. Her brother has died, land-disputes are mounting, and a scientist has come to work out why so many people on the island – including Mary – are deaf. Things escalate to the point that Mary becomes a “live specimen” in his experiments…

Inspired by the true history of a thriving deaf community on Martha’s Vineyard in the early nineteenth century, this is a powerful and moving story from an #ownvoices author.

My Best Friend by Julie Fogliano, illustrations by Jillian Tamaki

This is so adorable! We’ve all had those moments when you meet somebody and realise that you’re going to be friends for life. Tamaki’s delightful artwork underscores Fogliano’s lovely text and together, this story of fast, perfect and intoxicating friendship is guaranteed to steal hearts.

 

How To Be A Pirate by Isaac Fitzgerald, illustrated by Brigitte Barrager

CeCe dreams of being a pirate but the neighborhood boys tell her that she can’t. So she turns to her grandpa – a man with some very pirate-like tattoos. As he shares the story of his ink, they enter a whole world of adventure… Perfect for empowering your tiny pirates, this is a story of never giving up on your dreams. Barrager’s art is lovely and really plays gorgeously with the tattoo motif throughout.

I Believe I Can by Grace Byers, illustrated by Keturah A. Bobo

“My presence matters in this world. I know I can do anything, if only I believe I can”

This wise and positive book is a lovely thing, pairing quiet and rich artwork with a series of positive affirmations for children from every background. It’s never too early to be empowered and this celebration of limitless potential does that very nicely.

 

I think that’s an excellent note to end things on, so I’ll see you next week! In the meantime, you can say hello to me social media @chaletfan (please do!) and also elsewhere on Book Riot co-hosting the biweekly litfic podcast Novel Gazing. Our latest episode includes an interview with the director of EMMA, and we chat about that time the CIA rewrote the ending of Animal Farm…

Happy reading!

Louise.

Hi Kid Lit Friends,

It’s March, and in two days it’s Super Tuesday for America (eep!). I hope that all of you who get to vote on Tuesday enjoy engaging in the American democratic process. Meanwhile, I would love to talk about incredible women for Women’s History Month today! There are a lot of wonderful anthologies of fantastic women out there, but here are some of my favorites:

In Little Dreamers: Visionary Women Around the World, author/illustrator Vashti Harrison selects 35 women creators, ranging from writers to inventors, artists to scientists. Readers will meet trailblazing women like Mary Blair, an American modernist painter who had a major influence on how color was used in early animated films, actor/inventor Hedy Lamarr, environmental activist Wangari Maathai, architect Zaha Hadid, filmmaker Maya Deren, and physicist Chien-Shiung Wu. I love Vashti’s illustrations, which infuse each of the stories with hope.

What I love about Shaking Things Up: 14 Young Women Who Changed the World by Susan Hood is that it’s illustrated by various women illustrators, from Melissa Sweet to Sophie Blackall to Oge Mora and more. In this book of poems, you will find Mary Anning, who was just 13 when she unearthed a prehistoric fossil. You’ll meet Ruby Bridges, the brave six-year-old who helped end segregation in the South. And Maya Lin, who at 21 won a competition to create a war memorial, and then had to appear before Congress to defend her right to create.

I’m a big fan of Chelsea Clinton’s picture books, and one of my favorites is She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World by Chelsea Clinton, illustrated by Alexandra Boiger. Throughout American history, there have always been women who have spoken out for what’s right, even when they have to fight to be heard. In early 2017, Senator Elizabeth Warren’s refusal to be silenced in the Senate inspired a spontaneous celebration of women who persevered in the face of adversity. In this book, Chelsea Clinton celebrates 13 American women who helped shape our country through their tenacity, sometimes through speaking out, sometimes by staying seated, sometimes by captivating an audience. They all certainly persisted.

Author Jamia Wilson and illustrator Andrea Pippins create a marvelous collection in Young, Gifted, and Black: Meet 52 Black Heroes from Past and Present. Written in the spirit of Nina Simone’s song “To Be Young, Gifted, and Black,” this vibrant book is a perfect introduction to both historic and present-day icons and heroes. Meet figureheads, leaders, and pioneers such as Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, and Rosa Parks, as well as cultural trailblazers and athletes like Stevie Wonder, Oprah Winfrey, and Serena Williams.

And finally, Herstory: 50 Women and Girls Who Shook Up the World by Katherine Halligan, illustrated by Sarah Walsh, follow the stories of fifty powerhouse women from around the world and across time who each managed to change the world as they knew it forever. Telling the stories of their childhood, the challenges they faced, and the impact of their achievements, each illustrated spread is a celebration of girl power in its many forms. From astronauts to activists, musicians to mathematicians, these women are sure to motivate young readers of all backgrounds to focus not on the can’ts and shouldn’ts, but on what they can do: anything!

 

Around the web…

Witches, Robots, and Sea Sirens: New Middle Grade Graphic Novels and Comics, via Book Riot

When They Got the Call: PW Speaks with Newbery, Caldecott, and Printz Winners, via Publisher’s Weekly

 

What are you reading these days? Let me know! Find me on Twitter at @KarinaYanGlaser, on Instagram at @KarinaIsReadingAndWriting, or email me at KarinaBookRiot@gmail.com.

Until next time!
Karina

*If this e-mail was forwarded to you, follow this link to subscribe to “The Kids Are All Right” newsletter and other fabulous Book Riot newsletters for your own customized e-mail delivery. Thank you!*

Hello readers!

We’re all about the girls this week at TKAAR towers. I’ve picked out a mixture of new releases written by women and which celebrate everything great about being a girl. Whether your small readers are political activists, passionate readers, environmental warriors, or inventive young minds that won’t sit still, there’s a book here for them and their dreams. Who run the world? Girls! [insert Beyoncé  gif here…]

Help Wanted, Must Love Books by Janet Sumner Johnson, illustrations Courtney Dawson

Shailey loves her bedtime routine, but her dad’s new job is getting in the way – so she posts a Help Wanted sign! Some very familiar faces apply – but they all come with problems and none of them are as good as her dad. Soft, rich artwork underscores this fun look at daddy / daughter bonds (and also the unsuitability of giants for bedtime stories…).

Wood, Wire, Wings: Emma Lilian Todd Invents An Airplane by Kirsten W. Larson, illustrations Tracy Subisak

Meet Emma Lilian Todd, inventor. Her story towards inventing an airplane is told in this charming non-fiction biography. It gets bonus points for those intensely evocative illustrations, and also for telling the little-heard story of a remarkable woman. This is perfect for all your little inventors!

My Friend Earth by Patricia MacLachlan, illustrations by Francesca Sanna

Start your Earth Day 2020 (22nd April) preparation now with this love letter to our planet. It comes from the author of Sarah, Plain and Tall and the author / illustrator of The Journey, so that’s a great team to begin with. Coupled with the fact that it’s a beautiful read and beautifully produced, this is an absolute winner.

Fight of the Century: Alice Paul Battles Woodrow Wilson for the Vote by Barb Rosenstock, illustrations Sarah Green

Celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment with this potent, fierce book. It uses the metaphor of a boxing match to explore the battle for women’s suffrage – merging a vintage aesthetic with some pointed political commentary.

Yusra Swims by Julie Abery, illustrations Sally Deng

Yusra Mardini is a swimmer who competed in the 2016 Olympic Games as part of the Refugee Olympic Athletes Team after having to leave her home country of Syria. This is the story of that journey – and all it entailed. It’s told with restraint and eloquence in a series of rhyming couplets alongside some beautiful and moving artwork.

 

Okay, that’s all for this week! Don’t forget that you can say hello to me on social media @chaletfan. and also elsewhere on Book Riot co-hosting the biweekly litfic podcast Novel Gazing. And of course, I’ll always be found in the nearest book store accidentally on purpose buying something new to read.

Louise.

Hi Kid Lit Friends,

With primary elections happening all over the United States in the next few months, I’ve been getting a lot of questions from my kids about voting. We’ve been reading some books about the topic to get a better understanding about voting history and why it’s so important to be engaged in the political process. There are so many great new books about this topic!

Vote for Me! by Ben Clanton (author of the Narwhal and Jelly series!) is a funny book about the two-party political system. Donkey wants your vote, but so does the elephant. And each will do just about anything to win your support. Brag? Sure! Flatter? Absolutely! Exaggerate, name-call, make silly promises and generally act childish? Yes, yes, yes and yes. Soon, the tension mounts, and these two quarrelsome candidates resort to slinging mud (literally) and flinging insults.

Lillian’s Right to Vote by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Shane W. Evans, is about Lillian, a one-hundred-year-old African American woman, who makes a “long haul up a steep hill” to her polling place. Along the way, she sees more than trees and sky—she sees her family’s history. She sees the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment and her great-grandfather voting for the first time. She sees her parents trying to register to vote. And she sees herself marching in a protest from Selma to Montgomery.

Granddaddy’s Turn: A Journey to the Ballot Box by Michael S. Bandy and Eric Stein, illustrated by James E. Ransome, begins with a young boy working on the farm with his Granddaddy. But life on the farm is not just work; Granddaddy always makes time for play, especially fishing trips. One morning, when Granddaddy heads into town in his fancy suit, Michael knows that something very special must be happening—and sure enough, everyone is lined up at the town hall! For the very first time, Granddaddy is allowed to vote, and he couldn’t be more proud. But can Michael be patient when it seems that justice just can’t come soon enough?

Elizabeth Leads the Way: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the Right to Vote by Tanya Lee Stone, illustrated by Rebecca Gibbon is a book about an extraordinary woman who fought for the right for women to vote. From an early age, Elizabeth Cady Stanton knew that women were not given rights equal to men. But rather than accept her lesser status, Elizabeth went to college and later gathered other like-minded women to challenge the right to vote.Here is the inspiring story of an extraordinary woman who changed America forever because she wouldn’t take “no” for an answer.

Suffragette: The Battle for Equality by David Roberts is a new book that explores the suffragette movement in both the United Kingdom and the United States. Women in both of these countries experienced imprisonment and hunger strikes for decades. I really enjoyed both the information provided as well as the marvelous illustrations in this book. Roberts presents the stories of Millicent Garrett Fawcett, Emmeline Pankhurst, Ida B. Wells, Susan B. Anthony, and many more heroic women and men.

The Next President by Kate Messner, illustrated by Adam Rex (3/31/20, Chronicle), is a great picture book that gives context to that mysterious presidential figure and makes us remember that presidents are normal people, too. It describes how when George Washington became the first president of the United States, there were nine future presidents already alive in America, doing things like practicing law or studying medicine. And when JFK became the thirty-fifth president, there were 10 future presidents already alive in America, doing things like hosting TV shows and learning the saxophone. Furthermore, today there are at least 10 future presidents alive in America. They could be playing basketball, like Barack Obama, or helping in the garden, like Dwight D. Eisenhower. They could be solving math problems or reading books. They could be making art—or already making change.

Finally, You Call This Democracy? How to Fix Our Government and Deliver Power to the People by Elizabeth Rusch (3/31/20, HMH Books for Young Readers) is a great book for older readers (recommended for readers twelve and older). This book looks at flaws in the system, with each chapter breaings down a different problem plaguing American democracy, exploring how it’s undemocratic, offering possible solutions (with examples of real-life teens who have already started working toward them), and suggesting ways to effect change.

 

Around the web…

The Lasting Magic of The Snowy Day, via Book Riot

Dan Brown to Make His Picture Book Debut, via Publisher’s Weekly

Joni Mitchell’s ‘Life Illusions’ Recalled in Selina Alko Picture Book, via Publisher’s Weekly

 

What are you reading these days? Let me know! Find me on Twitter at @KarinaYanGlaser, on Instagram at @KarinaIsReadingAndWriting, or email me at KarinaBookRiot@gmail.com.

Until next time!
Karina

*If this e-mail was forwarded to you, follow this link to subscribe to “The Kids Are All Right” newsletter and other fabulous Book Riot newsletters for your own customized e-mail delivery. Thank you!*

Hello readers!

This is the email when you get five minutes to dreamily stare at new releases from the world of children’s literature (is it your favorite email? it’s my favorite email to write). From stunning covers through to beautiful stories, my picks this week are lovely, lovely things. I hope you enjoy them!

Selena : Queen of Tejano Music by Silvia Lopez, illustrations Paola Escobar

Selena Quintanilla was told that she’d never make it in the male-dominated world of Tejano Music. She was determined to prove them wrong…

Selena pairs an eloquent text with beautiful artwork. It’s a stunning reminder to follow your dreams and believe in yourself.

Vote For Our Future! by Margaret McNamara and Micah Player

Politics can often seem removed from the playground, when in today’s climate they’re often closer than ever. And for the children of Stanton Elementary School, it’s very close – every two years, their school becomes a polling station. This quietly sensitive text explores just what that means and the importance of voting.

Born Curious : 20 Girls Who Grew Up To Be AWESOME SCIENTISTS by Martha Freeman, illustrated by Katy Wu

I think this one sells itself, right? Featuring a diverse and representative cast of real-life individuals, these are stories of girls who were born with questions – and then went out to find the answers. Women featured include Shirley Anne Jackson, Adriana Ocampo and more…

Birdie and Me by J. M. M. Nuanez

The debut title from Nuanez, this is the story of a girl called Jack and her gender creative little brother Birdie. Following the death of their mum, Jack and Birdie must find somewhere to call home – first with one of their Uncles and then the other…

A story of family, love, and understanding, this will break your heart and make it all over again.

 

Building a Home by Polly Faber
illustrated by Klas Fahlén

I am sneaking a UK release in here for you because a) it looks stunning and b) it’s about construction! How cool is that? I love what Polly Faber does, and this is a charming addition to her canon. It’s perfect for tiny builders (and bigger ones), and features some beautiful artwork alongside a gentle and restrained story. Here’s a link to the publisher for more info.

That’s it for this week, I think! Don’t forget that you can find me on social media @chaletfan. I’m really keen to spotlight smaller publishers of children’s literature – and in particular, people who are doing cool, innovative things – so please do say hello. You can also find me elsewhere on Book Riot co-hosting the biweekly litfic podcast Novel Gazing. And of course, you can always find me in the nearest library.

See you next time!

Louise.

Hi Kid Lit Friends!

I am currently reading Lauren’s Wolk’s new middle grade novel, Echo Mountain (April 21, 2020, Dutton Books for Young Readers) out loud to my ten-year-old daughter every night before she goes to bed. The cover is beautiful: a collection of jars containing all sort of natural treasures, like a pinecone, a pair of bumblebees, a feather, a trio of fish, a handful of leaves, and stars. I’ve spent a lot of time looking at this cover, and the jars made me think about other books that have some reference to jars or bottles.

A lovely picture book about friendship and loss is Juna’s Jar by Jane Bahk, illustrated by Felicia Hoshino. Juna and her best friend, Hector, have many adventures together, and June loves to collect things in empty kimchi jars that her mother saves for her. When Hector unexpectedly moves away without having a chance to say good-bye. Juna is heartbroken uses her jars to find connection with Hector wherever he might be.

The Heart and the Bottle by Oliver Jeffers is another picture book about loss. When a young girl loses her grandfather, she puts her heart safely in a bottle where it is protected. She grows up, her heart safe from heartbreak, until she meets a young girl who teaches her to remember the wonder that her grandfather taught her. Can she embrace that wonder and risk her heart again?

The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi is one of my favorite picture books. Unhei is the new kid in school, having just moved from Korea. Anxious that American kids won’t be able to pronounce her name, she tells the class that she will choose a name by the following week. Her new classmates decide to help out by filling a glass jar with names for her to pick from. But while Unhei practices being a Suzy, Laura, or Amanda, one of her classmates comes to her neighborhood and discovers her real name and its special meaning. On the day of her name choosing, the name jar has mysteriously disappeared. Encouraged by her new friends, Unhei chooses her own Korean name and helps everyone pronounce it.

Shouting at the Rain, a new middle grade novel by Lynda Mullaly Hunt (author of One for the Murphys and Fish in a Tree), has a beautiful cover with a jar and a storm. Delsie loves tracking the weather–lately, though, it seems the squalls are in her own life. She’s always lived with her kindhearted Grammy, but now she’s looking at their life with new eyes and wishing she could have a “regular family.” Delsie observes other changes in the air, too–the most painful being a friend who’s outgrown her. Luckily, she has neighbors with strong shoulders to support her, and Ronan, a new friend who is caring and courageous but also troubled by the losses he’s endured. As Ronan and Delsie traipse around Cape Cod on their adventures, they both learn what it means to be angry versus sad, broken versus whole, and abandoned versus loved.

Donavan’s Word Jar, a chapter book by Monalisa DeGross, illustrated by Cheryl Hanna, is about a young boy who collects words—big words, little words, soft words, and silly words. Whenever Donavan finds a new word, he writes it on a slip of paper and puts it in his word jar. But one day, Donavan discovers that his word jar is full. He can’t put any new words in without taking some of the old words out—and he wants to keep all his words. Thankfully, Donavan’s grandmother has the perfect solution…

I have one last picture book to share with you: The Hard-Times Jar by Ethel Footman Smothers, illustrated by John Holyfield. The Turners are migrant workers and money is tight, which means that Emma can’t have the new books that she desperately wants. Emma has a plan, though – she’s going to save all the money she earns picking apples and put it in Mama’s hard-times jar. Then there will surely be enough for extras. But when Mama tells Emma that this year she has to go to school instead of to work, it spoils everything. Now she will never own a store-bought book! But school turns out to have a wonderful surprise in store for Emma.

 

Around the web…

Understanding My Child’s Needs Through Books, via Book Riot

‘Hair Love’ Wins Oscar for Best Animated Short, via Publisher’s Weekly

On Writing Books for Real Kids… And Telling the Truth by Kate Messner, via Nerdy Book Club

 

What are you reading these days? Let me know! Find me on Twitter at @KarinaYanGlaser, on Instagram at @KarinaIsReadingAndWriting, or email me at KarinaBookRiot@gmail.com.

Until next time!
Karina

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