Book Delight with Chrissie Wright

In this "Help! My kid needs a book!" episode, Chrissie responds to listener requests for middle-grade book recommendations.

FEATURED BOOKS
Spooky Graphic Novels

• WELCOME TO FERAL and LAST EXIT TO FERAL by Mark Fearing
• ALL THE LOVELY BAD ONES by Mary Downing Hahn
• THE OJJA-WOJJA by Magdalene Visaggio
• SCURRY by Mac Smith

Realistic Graphic Novels

• DUEL by Jessixa Bagley
• THE CUPCAKE DIARIES by Coco Simon
• PAWS by Nathan Fairbairn
• ART CLUB by Rashad Doucet

Backlist Middle Grade to Read Aloud

• THE VANDERBEEKERS OF 141ST STREET by Karina Yan Glaser
• A PLACE TO HANG THE MOON by Kate Albus
• A ROVER'S STORY by Jasmine Warga
• THE GIRL WHO SAILED THE STARS by Matilda Woods

Be sure to subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts. You can follow the show on Instagram @bookdelightpod, follow Chrissie on Instagram @librarychrissie, and subscribe to Chrissie's kidlit newsletter at librarychrissie.substack.com.

If you want to support the show, please consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack. For $7/month, you are helping to pay the costs of the show and receive exclusive content like extra booklists, roundups of kidlit books that have received starred reviews, reviews of books Chrissie did not like, and more.

In this Booklist episode, Chrissie recommends 8 short middle grade books. Each book clocks in at ~200 pages or less, but appeals to kids ages 8-12.

FEATURED BOOKS

• The Remarkable Rescue at Milkweed Meadow by Elaine Dimopoulos
• Wedgie and Gizmo  by Suzanne Selfors
• The Sasquatch Escape by Suzanne Selfors
• The Guardian Test by Christina Soontornvat
• Whatever After, Best Wishes, and Upside Down Magic by Sarah Mlynowski
• Marina and the Kraken by Lauren Magaziner
• The Chaos Monster by Sayantani DasGupta
• Once Upon a Tim by Stuart Gibbs
• Popcorn Bob by Maranke Rinck

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• Publisher's Weekly article by Melissa Taylor: "It's Not Me, It's You: An Argument for Shorter Middle Grade Books"
• Imagination Soup Blog by Melissa Taylor: "60 Short Middle Grade Books That Kids Will Love"

Be sure to subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts. You can follow the show on Instagram @bookdelightpod, follow Chrissie on Instagram @librarychrissie, and subscribe to Chrissie's kidlit newsletter at librarychrissie.substack.com.

If you want to support the show, please consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack. For $7/month, you are helping to pay the costs of the show and receive exclusive content like extra booklists, roundups of kidlit books that have received starred reviews, reviews of books Chrissie did not like, and more.

In this Forecast episode, Chrissie shares the ten kidlit releases she is most looking forward to in March 2024. She also shares a speed round of ten more next-in-series that the kids in her library can't wait to read.

FEATURED TITLES:

Picture Books 

• The Good Little Mermaid's Guide to Bedtime by Eija Sumner, out 3/5
• The Book That Can Read Your Mind by Marianna Coppo, out 3/12
• Spider in the Well by Jess Hannigan, out 3/19

Graphics

• Duck and Moose: Duck Moves In by Kirk Reedstrom, out 3/5
• The Great Puptective by Alina Tysoe, out 3/19
• Poetry Comics by Grant Snider, out 3/26

Middle Grade

• The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly, out 3/5
• The Lumbering Giants of Misty Pines by Mo Netz, out 3/12
• Olivetti by Allie Millington, out 3/26

Nonfiction

• My Antarctica by G. Neri, out 3/5

SPEED ROUND:
Picture Book & Early Reader

• FOX VS FOX by Corey Tabor, out 3/5
• ANIMAL ALBUMS FROM A TO Z by Cece Bell, out 3/26
• BUBBLY BEAUTIFUL KITTY-CORN by Shannon Hale and LeYuen Pham, out 3/26
• PENELOPE REX AND THE PROBLEM WITH PETS (#4) by Ryan T. Higgins, out 3/26

Short Chapter

• BUNNY AND CLYDE by Megan McDonald, out 3/12
• HENRY AND THE SOMETHING NEW by Jenn Bailey (#2), out 3/19

Graphics

• ALL IS NAT LOST (#5) by Maria Scrivan, out 3/5
• BUNNY VS. MONKEY AND THE HUMAN INVASION by Jamie Smart, out 3/5 (#2 available in US – 6 books so far in the UK)
• EVIL SPY SCHOOL (#3) by Stuart Gibbs, out 3/5
• MAKING FRIENDS: TOGETHER FOREVER (#4) by Kristen Gudsnuk, out 3/5
• GNOME AND RAT: TIME TO PARTY (#2) by Lauren Stohler, 3/12
• UNICORN BOY by Dave Roman, 3/12
• WARRIORS: THE RISE OF SCOURGE by Erin Hunter, 3/12 (full color rerelease of Manga editions of Warriors books)
• DOGMAN: THE SCARLET SHREDDER (#12) by Dav Pilkey, 3/19
• GO, GHOUL, GO (Spirited, Book 2) by Liv Livingston, out 3/26 

Middle Grade

• COYOTE LOST AND FOUND by Dan Gemeinhart (#2), out 3/5
• FERRIS by Kate DiCamillo, out 3/5
• LEGENDS OF LOTUS ISLAND: CITY OF WISHES (#3) by Christina Soontornvat, out 3/5
• CECE RIOS AND THE QUEEN OF BRUJAS by Kaela Rivera (#3), out 3/12

Nonfiction

• STAY CURIOUS AND KEEP EXPLORING: NEXT LEVEL (#2) by Emily Calandrelli, out 3/5
• THIS DAY IN HISTORY FOR KIDS by Dan Bova, out 3/5 

Be sure to subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts. You can follow the show on Instagram @bookdelightpod, follow Chrissie on Instagram @librarychrissie, and subscribe to Chrissie's kidlit newsletter at librarychrissie.substack.com.

If you want to support the show, please consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack. For $7/month, you are helping to pay the costs of the show and receive exclusive content like extra booklists, roundups of kidlit books that have received starred reviews, reviews of books Chrissie did not like, and more.

In this Reading Raves episode, Chrissie shares her favorite kidlit she read during February 2024.

FEATURED BOOKS
Graphic Novels

• Break by Kayla Miller
• Poppy and Sam and the Mole Mystery by Cathon
• Ellie in First Position by Brian Freschi and Elena Triolo
• The Adventures of Invisible Boy by Doogie Horner
• Ink Girls by Marieke Nijkamp
• Bunny vs. Monkey by Jamie Smart
• Spirited: Day of the Living Liv by Liv Livingston

Middle Grade

• The Misfits by Lisa Yee and Dan Santat
• The Curse of Eelgrass Bog by Mary Averling

Be sure to subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts. You can follow the show on Instagram @bookdelightpod, follow Chrissie on Instagram @librarychrissie, and subscribe to Chrissie's free monthly kidlit newsletter at librarychrissie.substack.com.

If you want to support the show, please consider upgrading to become a paid subscriber on Substack. For $7/month, you are helping to pay the costs of the show and receive exclusive content like extra booklists, roundups of kidlit books that have received starred reviews, reviews of books Chrissie did not like, and more.

On this week's "Help! My kid needs a book!" episode, Chrissie responds to listener requests for funny books for kids.

FEATURED TITLES

Funny Picture Books to Read Aloud in Storytime

• CHEZ BOB by Bob Shea
• LLAMA DESTROYS THE WORLD by Jonathan Stutzman, illustrated by Heather Fox
• FLUFFY MCWHISKERS, CUTENESS EXPLOSION by Stephen W. Martin, illustrated by Dan Tavis
• ARE YOU A CHEESEBURGER? by Monica Arnaldo
• KITTIES ON DINOSAURS by Michael Slack
• GREAT, NOW WE'VE GOT BARBARIANS by Jason Carter Eaton, illustrated by Mark Fearing

Funny Books About Butts

• BUTTS ARE EVERYWHERE by Jonathan Stutzman, illustrated by Heather Fox
• DOES A BULLDOZER HAVE A BUTT? by Derick Wilder, illustrated by K. Fai Steele
• BUTT OR FACE by Kari LaVelle
• DOES IT FART? by Nick Caruso and Dani Rabaiotti, illustrated by Alex Griffiths

Funny Short Graphics for Ages 5-8

• SMELL MY FOOT by Cece Bell
• PIZZA AND TACO series by Stephen Shaskan
• TATER TALES series by Ben Clanton
• GNOME AND RAT by Lauren Stohler
• REGGIE: KID PENGUIN by Jen de Oliveiro
• THE HUNGER HEROES by Jarrett Lerner
• ROVER AND SPECK by Jonathan Roth
• WAFFLES AND PANCAKE by Drew Brockington

Funny Books for a Gifted 7yo  who wants complex humor but still a good time

• OTTO by Jon Agee
• K IS IN TROUBLE by Gary Clement
• LAST LAUGHS: ANIMAL EPITAPHS by J. Patrick Lewis and Jane Yolen, illustrated by Jeffrey Steward Timmins
• THE BOOK THAT NO ONE WANTED TO READ by Richard Ayoade
• THE FIRST CAT IN SPACE ATE PIZZA and THE FIRST FAT IN SPACE AND THE SOUP OF DOOM by Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris

Be sure to subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts. You can follow the show on Instagram @bookdelightpod, follow Chrissie on Instagram @librarychrissie, and subscribe to Chrissie's free monthly kidlit newsletter at librarychrissie.substack.com.

If you want to support the show, please consider upgrading to become a paid subscriber on Substack. For $7/month, you are helping to pay the costs of the show and receive exclusive content like extra booklists, roundups of kidlit books that have received starred reviews, reviews of books Chrissie did not like, and more.

In this Forecast episode, Chrissie shares the ten kidlit releases she is most looking forward to in Feburary 2024. She also shares a speed round of ten more next-in-series that the kids in her library can't wait to read.

FEATURED TITLES:

Picture Books

• The Door That Had Never Been Opened Before by Mrs. and Mr. MacLeod, out 2/6
• Lucky Duck by Greg Pizzoli, out 2/6
• The Teeny-Weeny Unicorn by Shawn Harris, out 2/6
• I Do Not Eat Children by Marcus Cutler, out 2/20
• Pretty Ugly by David Sedaris, out 2/27

Middle Grade

• Across So Many Seas by Ruth Behar, out 2/6
• Heroes by Alan Gratz, out 2/6
• The Liars Society by Alyson Gerber, out 2/6
• Max in the House of Spies by Adam Gidwitz, out 2/27

Graphics

• Wildfuli by Kengo Kurimoto, out 2/6

SPEED ROUND (Next in Series)
Middle Grade

• City Spies: Mission Manhattan by James Ponti, out 2/6
• Finally Heard by Kelly Yang, out 2/27
• Finding Bear by Hannah Gold, out 2/27
• The Last Bookwanderer by Anna James, out 2/27

Graphics

• Waverider (Amulet 9) by Kazu Kibuishi, out 2/6
• Eowulf: Of Monsters and Middle School by Mike Cavallaro, out 2/13
• The Love Report, Volume 2 by Beka and Maya, out 2/13
• Agents of SUIT: From Badger to Worse by John Patrick Green, out 2/20
• Wombats! Go to Wizard's Wharf by Maddie Frost, out 2/20
• Hilo: Rise of the Cat by Judd Winick, out 2/27

Be sure to subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts. You can follow the show on Instagram @bookdelightpod, follow Chrissie on Instagram @librarychrissie, and subscribe to Chrissie's kidlit newsletter at librarychrissie.substack.com.

If you want to support the show, please consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack. For $7/month, you are helping to pay the costs of the show and receive exclusive content like extra booklists, roundups of kidlit books that have received starred reviews, reviews of books Chrissie did not like, and more.

In this Reading Raves episode, Chrissie shares the standout books she read during January 2024.

This episode features 10 titles: 7 graphic novels, and 3 middle grade.

FEATURED TITLES
Graphics

• A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat
• Poppy and Sam and the Leaf Thief by Cathon
• Stories of the Islands by Clar Angkasa
• The Untimely Passing of Nicholas Fart by Josh Crute
• K Is in Trouble by Gary Clement
• Alterations by Ray Xu
• Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham

Middle Grade

• The Liars Society by Alyson Gerber
• Something Like Home by Andrea Beatriz Arango
• 15 Secrets to Survival by Natalie D. Richards

Be sure to subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts. You can follow the show on Instagram @bookdelightpod, follow Chrissie on Instagram @librarychrissie, and subscribe to Chrissie's kidlit newsletter at librarychrissie.substack.com. 

If you want to support the show, please consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack. For $7/month, you are helping to pay the costs of the show and receive exclusive content like extra booklists, roundups of kidlit books that have received starred reviews, reviews of books Chrissie did not like, and more.

In this "My kid needs a book!" episode, Chrissie responds to 5 listener requests for kidlit they want more of in 2024.

Middle Grade Novels in Verse:

• Alone by Megan E. Freeman
• Moo  by Sharon Creech
• A Work in Progress by Jarrett Lerner
• The Deepest Breath by Megan Grehan
• Something Like Home by Andrea Beatriz Arango

Nonfiction for an 8 Year Old who likes learning about topics:

• Packing for Mars for Kids by Mary Roach
• Yummy: A History of Desserts by Victoria Grace Elliott
• Melissa LaSalle's 2023 list of browseable nonfiction
• Return of the Wild by Dr. Helen Scales
• Tales of World War II by Dr. Hattie Hearn
• Pizza, Pickles, and Apple Pie by David Rickett

Chapter Books About History

• I Survived series by Lauren Tarshis
• Ranger in Time series by Kate Messner
• Unsolved Case Files series by Tom Sullivan

Graphic Novels for Fans of Raina Telgemeier and Invisible Emmie

• Duel  by Jessixa Bagley and Aaron Bagley
• Cross My Heart and Never Lie by Nora Dasnes
• Click series by Kayla Miller
• Berrybrook Middle School series by Svetlana Chmakova
• Cupcake Diaries graphic novel adaptations
• PAWS series by Nathan Fairbairn and Michelle Assarasakorn
• Animal Rescue Friends series by Gina Loveless, Meika Hashimoto, and Genevieve Kote
• Sweet Valley Twins graphic novel series by Nicole Andelfinger and Francine Pascal

For a reader who just finished the Harry Potter series

• The Harry Potter Wizarding Almanac
• Winterhouse trilogy by Ben Guterson
• Greenwild by Pari Thomson
• Pages & Co series by Anna James
• Skandar and the Unicorn Thief by A. F. Stedman

Be sure to subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts. You can follow the show on Instagram @bookdelightpod, follow Chrissie on Instagram @librarychrissie, and subscribe to Chrissie's monthly kidlit newsletter at librarychrissie.substack.com. 

In today's booklist episode, Chrissie shares 8 favorite backlist picture books that can be described as dark, weird, and funny.

FEATURED TITLES: DARK // WEIRD // FUNNY

• The Barnabus Project by the Fan Brothers
• Fortunately by Remy Charlip
• The Great Zapfino  by Mac Barnett and Marla Frazee
• How Dinosaurs Went Extinct by Ame Dyckman and Jennifer Harney
• The Incredible Book-Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers
• The Pineapple Princess by Sabina Hahn
• Pokko and the Drum by Matthew Forsythe
• The Rock from the Sky by Jon Klassen

BONUS RECS

• It's a Secret by John Burningham
• Duckworth the Difficult Child by Michael Sussman
• The Three Billy Goats Gruff  and The Wolf, the Duck, and the Mouse by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen
• How to Eat a Book by Mrs. and Mr. MacLeod
• What If One Day by Bruce Handy and Ashleigh Corrin
• Dinosaurs Don't Exist by Mark Janssen
• Ten Word Tiny Tales by Joseph Coelho

ABSURD // PLAYFUL // WEIRD RECS

• TOASTY by Sarah Hwang
• CAROL AND THE PICLE-TOAD by Esme Shapiro
• DIM SUM PALACE by X. Fang
• THE WELCOME HOME by Amy June Bates
• INVISIBLE THINGS by Andy J. Pizza and Sophie Miller

2024 RELEASES

• PEPPER AND ME by Beatrice Alemagna (1/16)
• THE TEENY-WEENY UNICORN by Shawn Harris (2/6)
• I DO NOT EAT CHILDREN by Marcus Cutler (2/20)
• PRETTY UGLY by David Sedaris and Ian Falconer (2/27)
• SPIDER IN THE WELL by Jess Hannigan (3/19)
• MILLIE FLEUR'S POISON GARDEN by Christy Mandin (7/2)

Be sure to subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts. You can follow the show on Instagram @bookdelightpod, follow Chrissie on Instagram @librarychrissie, and subscribe to Chrissie's monthly kidlit newsletter at librarychrissie.substack.com. 

In this deep dive episode, Chrissie shares what she wants more of in kidlit in 2024.

Resources mentioned on the show:

• ALA Newbery Terms & Criteria
• Moonbow: A Conversation with Jon Klassen

Books mentioned on the show:

• The Skull by Jon Klassen
• Maurice  by Jessixa Bagley
• Dinosaurs Don't Exist by Mark Janssen
• What If One Day by Bruce Handy
• The Rock from the Sky by Jon Klassen
• Carol and the Pickle-Toad by Esme Shapiro
• Pineapple Princess by Sabina Hahn
• Tumble by Adriana Hernandez Bergstrom
• Fungi Grow by Maria Gianferrari

Be sure to subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts. You can follow the show on Instagram @bookdelightpod, follow Chrissie on Instagram @librarychrissie, and subscribe to Chrissie's monthly kidlit newsletter at librarychrissie.substack.com.