Book Delight with Chrissie Wright

It's here! It's time to share my favorite reads of 2023.

In this episode, Chrissie shares her 10 favorite kids nonfiction books and 10 favorite grown-up reads of 2023.

FEATURED BOOKS:

Kids Nonfiction

• ANIMALS IN PANTS by Suzy Levinson, illustrated by Kevin and Kristen Howdeshell
• BUTT OR FACE? A HILARIOUS GUESSING GAME BOOK FOR KIDS by Kari LaVelle
• FUNGI GROW by Maria Gianferrari, illustrated by Diana Sudyka
• GOOD BOOKS FOR BAD CHILDREN by Beth Kephart, illustrated by Chloe Bristol 
• READY, SET, RUN!: THE AMAZING NEW YORK CITY MARATHON by Leslie Kimmelman, illustrated by Jessie Hartland
• SEARCH FOR A GIANT SQUID by Amy Seto Forrester, illustrated by Andy Chou Musser
• STRANDED!: A MOSTLY TRUE STORY FROM ICELAND by Aevar Por Benediktsson, illustrated by Anne Wilson
• THEY HOLD THE LINE: WILDFIRES, WILDLANDS,  AND THE FIREFIGHTERS WHO BRAVE THEM by Dan Paley, illustrated by Molly Mendoza
• TUMBLE by Adriana Hernandez Bergstrom
• UNSEEN JUNGLE: THE MICROBES THAT SECRETLY CONTROL OUR WORLD by Eleanor Spicer Rice, illustrated by Rob Wilson

Grown-Up Reads

• ANOTHER MARVELOUS THING by Laurie Colwin
• COUPLETS by Maggie Milner
• EMERGENCY by Kathleen Alcott
• THE GIRLS by John Bowen
• HIJAB BUTCH BLUES by Lamya H. (audiobook)
• IN MEMORIAM by Alice Winn
• ONE WOMAN SHOW by Christine Coulson
• ROMANTIC COMEDY by Curtis Sittenfeld
• TERRACE STORY by Hilary Leichter
• TOM LAKE by Ann Patchett

Possible Usurpers (aka even more grown-up reads)

• BIRNAM WOOD by Eleanor Catton
• THE VASTER WILDS by Lauren Groff
• THE UPSTAIRS DELICATESSEN: ON EATING, READING, READING ABOUT EATING, AND EATING WHILE READING by Dwight Garner

Article mentioned in the show:

NYT - Critics Picks of 2023

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. 

It's here! It's time to share my favorite reads of 2023.

In this episode, Chrissie shares her 8 favorite middle grade books and 10 favorite graphic novels of the year.

FEATURED BOOKS:

Middle Grade

• THE BOOK THAT NO ONE WANTED TO READ by Richard Ayoade and art by Tor Freeman
• FIREFLY SUMMER by Morgan Matson
• FOREVER TWELVE by Stacy McAnulty
• THE REMARKABLE RESCUE AT MILKWEED MEADOW by Elaine Dimopoulos and art by Doug Salati
• REMEMBER US by Jacqueline Woodson
• SIMON SORT OF SAYS by Erin Bow
• THE WIDELY UNKNOWN MYTH OF APPLE AND DOROTHY by Corey Ann Haydu
• A WORK IN PROGRESS by Jarrett Lerner

Graphic Novels

• CAT KID COMIC CLUB: INFLUENCERS by Dav Pilkey
• CROSS MY HEART AND NEVER LIE by Nora Dasnes
• DUEL by Jessixa Bagley and Aaron Bagley
• THE FIRST CAT IN SPACE AND THE SOUP OF DOOM by Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris
• FOX POINT'S OWN GEMMA HOPPER by Brie Spangler
• LO & BEHOLD by Wendy Mass and Gabi Mendez
• THE MAGICIANS by Blexbolex
• SUPER MAGIC BOY: I AM A DINOSAUR by Jarrod Rosello
• THINGS IN THE BASEMENT by Ben Hatke
• WIZKIT: AN ADVENTURE OVERDUE by Tanya J. Scott

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. 

It's here! It's time to share my favorite reads of 2023.

In this episode, Chrissie shares her 10 favorite picture books and 4 favorite short chapter books of the year.

FEATURED BOOKS:

Picture Books

• 100 MIGHTY DRAGONS ALL NAMED BROCCOLI by David LaRochelle and Lian Cho
• DIM SUM PALACE by X. Fang
• DINOSAURS DON'T EXIST by Mark Janssen
• EVERGREEN by Matthew Cordell
• HOW DOES SANTA GO DOWN THE CHIMNEY? by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen
• INVISIBLE THINGS by Andy J. Pizza and Sophie Miller
• STICKLER LOVES THE WORLD by Lane Smith
• TEN-WORD TINY TALES TO INSPIRE AND UNSETTLE by Joseph Coelho
• THE WELCOME HOME by Amy June Bates
• WHAT IF ONE DAY by Bruce handy and Ashleigh Corrin

Short Chapter Books

• DORY FANTASMAGORY: CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT YOU by Abby Hanlon
• THE APARTMENT HOUSE ON POPPY HILL by Nina LaCour
• THE STORY OF GUMLUCK THE WIZARD by Adam Rex
• THE SKULL by Jon Klassen

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. 

Note: audio quality in this episode is mixed. Thank you for your understanding. Maybe Santa will bring Chrissie a new microphone…

In this Reading Raves episode, Chrissie shares her favorite kidlit that she read during the month of November.

FEATURED BOOKS
Short Chapter Book

• DORY FANTASMAGORY: CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT YOU by Abby Hanlon

Middle Grade

• THE ISLANDS OF ELSEWHERE by Heather Fawcett

Graphic Novels

• TIG AND LILY: PARTY ANIMALS by Dan Thompson
• BATCAT by Meggie Ramm
• SAVING H'NON: CHANG AND THE ELEPHANT by Jeet Zdung and Trang Nguyen
• CURLFRIENDS: NEW IN TOWN by Sharee Miller
• LOST TIME by Tas Mukanik
• DUEL by Jessixa Bagley and Aaron Bagley

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. 

This week on Book Delight we are welcoming guest Melissa LaSalle aka @thebookmommy to discuss giftable nonfiction.

Today, Melissa is book-talking high-interest, new-release browseable nonfiction. Melissa is a book blogger at www.whattoreadtoyourkids.com, and kids book buyer at Old Town Books in Alexandria, VA.

Every year, Melissa puts together a holiday gift guide of great books to give to kids. Today, she's sharing some favorites from her roundup of Browseable Nonfiction & Novelty Books for ages 2-15.

FEATURED BOOKS:

• STOMP AND CHOMP: MY FIRST BOOK OF DINOSAURS by Simon Mole
• PIZZA, PICLES & APPLE PIE: THE STORIES BEHIND THE FOOD WE LOVE by David Rickett
• RETURN OF THE WILD: 20 OF NATURE'S GREATEST SUCCESS STORIES by Dr. Helen Scales
• TALES OF WORLD WAR II: AMAZING TRUE STORIES FROM THE WAR THAT SHOOK THE WORLD by Dr. Hattie Hearn
• BRITANNICA'S ENCYCLOPEDIA INFOGRAPHICA by Andrew Pettie, Conrad Quilty-Harper, and Valentina D'Efilippo
• DAVID ATHERTON'S BAKING BOOK FOR KIDS by David Atherton
• GROWING UP POWERFUL by Nona Willis Aronowitz

Read Melissa's other guides including illustrated chapter books, picture books, graphic novels, middle grade, and YA at whattoreadtoyourkids.com.

UPDATES FROM CHRISSIE:

• Want to support the show and receive bonus content from Chrissie? Become a paid subscriber at librarychrissie.substack.com.  Paid subscribers receive a weekly Friday treat in their inbox including features like:
  • Ursula Nordstrom Would Never 
  • Starred Review Rundown
  • Bonus Reading Raves
  • and more!
• Merch! Merch! Merch! Calling all Ursula Nordstrom stans. Buy your "Good Books for Bad Children" tee or sweatshirt here. Place orders by 11/30 with arrival by 12/20.

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 recommendations for each of the 5 kinds of nonfiction as categorized by author Melissa Stewart:

• 1 - Active
• 2 - Browseable
• 3 - Traditional
• 4 - Expository
• 5 - Narrative

FEATURED BOOKS:

Active Nonfiction

• THE COMPLETE COOKBOOK FOR YOUNG CHEFS by America's Test Kitchen Kids
• THE COMPLETE BAKING BOOK FOR YOUNG CHEFS by America's Test Kitchen Kids
• MY FIRST COOKBOOK by America's Test Kitchen Kids

Browseable Nonfiction

• THE REPLAY: 25 GREATEST MOMENTS IN SPORTS by Adam Skinner
• WONDERFULLY WIRED BRAINS by Louise Gooding

Traditional Nonfiction

• Lightning Bolt Books from Lerner Books
• Internet Animal Stars Series from Lerner Books
  • SLOTH POWER
  • LLAMA DRAMA
  • OTTERLY ADORABLE OTTERS

Expository Nonfiction

• SKULLS! by Blair Thornburgh and Scott Campbell
• TUMBLE by Adriana Hernandez Bergstrom

Narrative Nonfiction

• STRANDED! A MOSTLY TRUE STORY FROM ICELAND by AEvar Por Benediktsson
• BESSIE THE MOTORCYCLE QUEEN by Charles R. Smith Jr. and Charlot Kristensen
• ALL THIRTEEN by Christina Soontornvat
• THE MONA LISA VANISHES by Nicholas Day
• UNSEEN JUNGLE by Eleanor Spicer Rice

SHOUTOUTS:

• Melissa LaSalle: @thebookmommy on IG, whattoreadtoyourkids.com
• Kit Ballinger: @kitonlit on IG
• Lillian, kids book buyer at Island Books, @island.books on IG

OTHER RESOURCES:

• Melissa Stewart 5 Kinds of Nonfiction: https://www.melissa-stewart.com/img2018/pdfs/5_Kinds_of_Nonfiction/2_5KNF_an_Update.pdf 
• America’s Test Kitchen Kids: https://shop.americastestkitchen.com/shop-all-products/cookbooks/kids-books.html 
• Evanston Public Library’s 2023 101 Great Books for Kids: https://www.epl.org/announcing-evanston-public-librarys-101-great-books-for-kids-2023/ 

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 answers the question: why does reading nonfiction matter for kids?

We explore 2 big reasons:

• # 1: Reading depends heavily on prior knowledge, and one of the best ways to build prior knowledge is by reading nonfiction.
• #2: Kids love it, and encouraging kids to read what they love makes them lifelong readers.

Articles and resources referenced in this episode:

• Daniel Willingham's blog: "School time, knowledge, and reading comprehension"
• "How Knowledge Helps" by Daniel Willingham
• Raising Kids Who Read by Daniel Willingham
• The Reading Mind by Daniel Willingham
• "Background Knowledge: A Key to Reading Comprehension" by Jan Burkins and Kari Yates
• "Hey, Grownups! Kids Really Do Like Nonfiction" by Cynthia Levinson, Melissa Stewart, and Jennifer Swanson
• Melissa Stewart's website: "Nonfiction Reading Resources"

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 Reading Raves episode, Chrissie shares her 10 favorite kidlit books she read during the month of October.

FEATURED BOOKS

Short Chapter Books

• THE APARTMENT HOUSE ON POPPY HILL by Nina LaCour
• PETS RULE!: MY KINGDOM OF DARKNESS by Susan Tan
• THE STORY OF GUMLUCK THE WIZARD by Adam Rex
• THE SKULL by Jon Klassen

Graphic Novels

• THE MAGICIANS by Blexbolex
• THE FIRST CAT IN SPACE AND THE SOUP OF DOOM by Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris
• I AM A DINOSAUR by Jarod Rosello

Middle Grade

• THE WIDELY UNKNOWN MYTH OF APPLE AND DOROTHY by Corey Ann Haydu

Audiobooks

• THE PUPPETS OF SPELHORST by Kate DiCamillo
• THE LAST BEAR by Hannah Gold

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 episode, Chrissie responds to listener requests for short chapter book recommendations.

FEATURED BOOKS
Chapter Books to Read Aloud to a First Grade Class:

• OUR FRIEND HEDGEHOG by Lauren Castillo
• CORNBREAD AND POPPY by Matthew Cordell
• FABLED STABLES by Jonathan Auxier
• THE STORY OF GUMLUCK THE WIZARD
• HENRY LIKE ALWAYS by Jenn Bailey
• SEARCH FOR A GIANT SQUID by Amy Seto Forrester
• GEEGER THE ROBOT GOES TO SCHOOL by Jarrett Lerner

Funny Short Chapter Books

• PETS RULE! series by Susan Tan
• RABBIT AND BEAR series by Julian Gough
• DORY FANTASMAGORY series by Abby Hanlon
• LULU AND THE BRONTOSAURUS by Judith Viorst
• THE GIGGLER TREATMENT by Roddy Doyle

Short Chapter Books with Speech Bubbles

• THE GREATEST IN THE WORLD by Ben Clanton
• DEAR BEAST by Dori Hillestad Butler
• Branches imprint from Scholastic
  • THE PARTY DIARIES by Mitali Banerjee Ruths
  • KUNG POW CHICKEN by Cyndi Marko

Chapter Books for 5th Graders Decoding at a 2nd Grade Level

• INFAMOUS RATSOS by Kara LaReau
• WIND RIDERS: RESCUE ON TURTLE BEACH by Jen Marlin
• GRIMWOOD by Nadia Shireen

Related Podcast episodes mentioned on the show:

• Ep 13 - Deep Dive - Chapter Books
• Ep 14 - Booklist - Short Chapter Books to Read Aloud

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 booklist episode, Chrissie shares 9 silly spooky books to read aloud.

FEATURED TITLES

New Release Not-Scary Picture Books for Spooky Season:

• SEE THE GHOST by David LaRochelle and Mike Winouhtka
• SI. NO! by Rhode Montijo
• I WILL READ TO YOU by Gideon Sterer and Charles Santoso

Backlist Spooky Season Picture Books

• ZOMBIES DON'T EAT VEGGIES by Megan Lacera and Jorge Lacera
• THERE'S A GHOST IN THIS HOUSE by Oliver Jeffers
• POULTRYGEIST by Eric Geron and Pete Oswald

Spooky Short Chapter Books

• THE SKULL by Jon Klassen
• EVIE AND THE TRUTH ABOUT WITCHES by John Martz
• RISE OF ZOMBERT by Kara LaReau and Ryan Andrews

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.