Hi Kid Lit Friends!
I have a very busy Saturday last week. I ran a half marathon (in the snow and rain!), went to IKEA to buy a new reading chair, and attended the book launch of You Are Here: Connecting Flights edited by Ellen Oh. It was a very successful day! The book launch was located at a new bookstore called P&T Knitwear. A funny name for a bookstore, yes? It’s located on Orchard Street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, near the New York City Tenement Museum. That area was historically known for garment making, and the original P&T Knitwear store sold sweaters. The property remained in the family, and now it is a beautiful independent bookstore that carries on the P&T Knitwear name.
Bookish Goods
Bookish Confetti by BrownEyedCrafterShop
I love this bookish confetti! It would be so great to put into a letter to a loved one or sprinkled on a party table. You can even choose which classic book you want the confetti made from. $3.75
New Releases
Elena Rides by Juana Medina
Early readers are magical, and I’m so glad we are starting to see more diversity in the creators who make them! Juana Medina, the Pura Belpre Award winning author of Juana and Lucas, is about an elephant who wants to ride a bicycle. This book is sure to connect to readers for it’s playful illustrations and relatable plot.
Hoops by Matt Tavares
In this new graphic novel inspired by a true story, Matt Tavares follows the Wilkins Regional High School girls’ basketball team in 1975. Despite being a terrific team with an undefeated season, the girls team always gets poor treatment. They have to practice at night when no one else is using the gym, and their uniforms are homemade. Can they prove to the school that the girls teams deserve fair and equal treatment?
For a more comprehensive list, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
I know so many young readers who are obsessed with space, and I love seeing all of the amazing books that incorporate space into their stories.
Your Place in the Universe by Jason Chin
Acclaimed author/illustrator Jason Chin astounds again in his space-themed nonfiction book. He examines perspective, astronomy, and astrophysics…not a small feat for a picture book and yet he does so with such skill and beauty. This book won the Cook Prize!
Build Your Own Space Museum by Lonely Planet Kids
This fun, interactive book challenges kids to take rare space objects from around the world and place them in the appropriate exhibition areas of a space museum.
Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly, illustrated by Laura Freeman
I love this story that brings to light the amazing work that Black female mathematicians contributed to United States space history. Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden all played pivotal roles in helping NASA achieve its goals, and they did it all while overcoming gender and racial barriers.
A Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga
Isn’t this cover so beautiful? I love all of Jasmine’s books, but this one is incredibly special. When a Mars rover is launched into space, the rover knows he has a job to do. But when he starts developing human emotions, he wonders if he will be good enough to complete the mission. He knows so many people are counting on him, and Mars is much more difficult to navigate than he originally thought.
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.
Looking for fascinating stories, informed takes, useful advice, and more from experts in the world of books and reading? Subscribe to Book Riot’s newest newsletter, The Deep Dive, to get exclusive content delivered to your inbox. Subscribe and choose your membership level today at bookriot.substack.com
Happy reading!
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!*