Tune in to hear Nicole and Nusrah talk about excellent children’s literature in verse, alongside a conversation with the wonderful Charles Waters, the co-author of Can I Touch Your Hair?: Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship. For even more kidlit news and recommendations, sign up for our The Kids Are All Right newsletter! This post contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, Book Riot may earn a commission. Charles Waters Recommendations Crossover by Kwame Alexander The Land o...
Apr 15, 2021•50 min•Ep. 52
Tune in to hear Nicole and Nusrah talk about Asian American femme authors, in conversation with the wonderful Kelly Yang, author of Front Desk and Parachutes. For even more kidlit news and recommendations, sign up for our The Kids Are All Right newsletter! Books Mentioned Any Day With You by Mae Respicio Insurrecto by Gina Apostol – adult recommendation Stargazing by Jen Wang Eyes That Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park Lalani of the Distant Sea by Erin Estrada Kell...
Apr 01, 2021•49 min
This week Nicole and Nusrah are back to talk about some excellent middle-grade books with non-binary and trans leads. For even more kidlit news and recommendations, sign up for our The Kids Are All Right newsletter! Resources to curate more middle-grade books with non-binary and trans leads https://lgbtqreads.com/middle-grade/ https://www.lambdaliterary.org/2021/03/2021-lambda-literary-award-finalists Books Mentioned The Strangeworlds Travel Agency* by LD Lapinski The Witch Boy by Molly Ostertag...
Mar 18, 2021•39 min•Ep. 50
Nicole and Nusrah discuss empowering board books in honor of Women’s History Month! For even more kidlit news and recommendations, sign up for our The Kids Are All Right newsletter! This post contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, Book Riot may earn a commission. Resources for curating an inclusive selection Vilissa Thompson, Social Worker, Writer, Disability activist compiled this Black Women’s syllabus compilation. Little Feminist Bookclub is a great resource for intersect...
Mar 04, 2021•42 min•Ep. 49
Nicole and guest Jenn Northington discuss the results of the 2021 Rainbow List, fantasy chapter books, and hear from BB Alston, author of Amari and the Night Brothers. For even more kidlit news and recommendations, sign up for our The Kids Are All Right newsletter! Relevant Links The ALA’s 2021 Rainbow List BB Alston Books Discussed Amari and the Night Brothers by BB Alston Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi Storm Runner by JC Cervantes (cw: ableism) The S...
Feb 18, 2021•48 min•Ep. 48
Nicole and Matthew discuss the results of the 2021 Youth Media Awards and celebrate some of their favorite books honored by the awards. For even more kidlit news and recommendations, sign up for our The Kids Are All Right newsletter! This post contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, Book Riot may earn a commission. RELEVANT LINKS: ALA announces 2021 Youth Media Awards (press release) BOOKS DISCUSSED ON THE SHOW: All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Socce...
Feb 04, 2021•41 min•Ep. 47
Nicole and Matthew talk about current awareness of the Holocaust among Millenials and Gen Z individuals as well as antisemitic images and language present at the January 6 insurrection event at the Capital in Washington, DC. Joining us is Susan Kusel, synagogue librarian, book buyer for an independent bookstore, and author of The Passover Guest, illustrated by Sean Rubin. For even more kidlit news and recommendations, sign up for our The Kids Are All Right newsletter! This post contains affiliat...
Jan 21, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 46
Nicole and Matthew talk about the books they’re most looking forward to in 2021. Joining us is Sailaja Joshi, CEO and founder of Mango and Marigold Press. For even more kidlit news and recommendations, sign up for our The Kids Are All Right newsletter! RELEVANT LINKS: Mango and Marigold Press BOOKS DISCUSSED ON THE SHOW: PICTURE BOOKS Tag Team (El Toro & Friends) by Raúl the Third Training Day (El Toro & Friends) by Raúl the Third Zonia’s Rain Forest by Juana Martinez-Neal What You Don’t...
Jan 07, 2021•53 min•Ep. 45
Nicole and Matthew talk about the collective pandemic experience and how, despite all going through this together, we can end up feeling awfully alone. Joining us is book creator LeUyen Pham, Caldecott Honor recipient and author and illustrator of Outside, Inside. For even more kidlit news and recommendations, sign up for our The Kids Are All Right newsletter! RELEVANT LINKS: LeUyen Pham (Author Page, Macmillan Publishers) Outside, Inside (Macmillan Publishers) BOOKS DISCUSSED ON THE SHOW: PICTU...
Dec 24, 2020•49 min•Ep. 44
Nicole and Matthew talk about working with children through challenging questions with truthful answers. Joining us is special guest Jelani Memory, author of A Kids Book About Racism and co-founder and CEO of A Kids Book About. For even more kidlit news and recommendations, sign up for our The Kids Are All Right newsletter! Relevant Links: A Kids Book About (homepage) Jelani Memory and Company on making books and leaving messages for their childhood selves (The Children’s Book Podcast) Kids Meet...
Dec 10, 2020•58 min•Ep. 43
Nicole and Matthew share a selection of the books they’ve recommended most this year. This episode is sponsored by TBR, Book Riot’s subscription service offering reading recommendations personalized to your reading life. , Spacebattle Lunchtime Vol. 3 by Natalie Riess from Oni Lion Forge Publishing Group, and Odessa by Jonathan Hill from Oni Lion Forge Publishing Group. To get even more kidlit news and recommendations, sign up for our The Kids Are All Right newsletter! BOOKS DISCUSSED ON THE SHO...
Nov 12, 2020•51 min•Ep. 42
Kidlit These Days is your kidlit connoisseurs pairing the best of children’s literature with what’s going on in the world today. Join hosts Matthew and Nicole as they dig into current events and recommend books for kids from birth to middle school! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 02, 2020•2 min
Nicole and Matthew talk about the election, political leadership, and using your voice to bring about democratic change. This episode is sponsored by TBR, Book Riot’s subscription service offering reading recommendations personalized to your reading life, Julian at the Wedding by Jessica Love, and Emporia State University’s School of Library & Information Management. To get even more kidlit news and recommendations, sign up for our The Kids Are All Right newsletter! Relevant Links: PebbleGo ...
Oct 29, 2020•36 min•Ep. 41
Nicole and Matthew talk about the ancestral strength and the ability to look ahead knowing who and what has already come before you. Joining us is special guest Tami Charles, author of All Because You Matter, illustrated by Bryan Collier. This episode is sponsored by Book Riot’s mystery thriller podcast, Read or Dead, Frankie and the Creepy Cute Critters by Caitlin Rose Boyle from Oni Lion Forge Publishing Group, and Spark and the League of Ursus by Robert Repino from Quirk Books. To get even mo...
Oct 15, 2020•50 min•Ep. 40
Nicole and Matthew talk about the opportunistic and demanding world of self-publishing and why some self-published authors say that traditional publishing was never an option. Joining is special guest Suhani Parikh, author of Shreya’s Very Own Style and the founder of Modern Marigold Books. This episode is sponsored by Book Riot’s mystery thriller podcast, Read or Dead, Maya and the Rising Dark by Rena Barron, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and Frankie Comics by Rachel Dukes from Oni Li...
Oct 01, 2020•1 hr•Ep. 39
Nicole and Matthew talk about cloud-based schooling, self-organized learning environments, and school reimagined in fantasy fiction. This episode is sponsored by TBR, Book Riot’s subscription service offering reading recommendations personalized to your reading life, The Wizerd And the Potion of Dreams! from Oni Lion Forge Publishing Group, and Croaked! from Yellow Jacket, an imprint of Little Bee Books. To get even more kidlit news and recommendations, sign up for our The Kids Are All Right new...
Sep 17, 2020•45 min•Ep. 38
Nicole and Matthew talk about #ownvoices representation in comics, pocket culture, and we reflect on Black Panther and the late Chadwick Boseman. Joining is special guest Paul Meyer, co-author of Under the Cottonwood Tree: El Susto de la Curandera, a graphic novel with Carlos Meyer and illustrated by Margaret Hardy. This episode is sponsored by TBR, Book Riot’s subscription service offering reading recommendations personalized to your reading life, The Tea Dragon Tapestry by Katie O’Neill and On...
Sep 03, 2020•57 min•Ep. 37
Nicole and Matthew celebrate the 30th anniversary of the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Joining is special guest Keah Brown, a disability rights activist and journalist, creator of the hashtag #DisabledAndCute, and author of the upcoming Sam’s Super Seats. This episode is sponsored by TBR, Book Riot’s subscription service offering reading recommendations personalized to your reading life, War Stories by Gordon Korman from Scholastic, and Book Riot Insiders, the digital hangout s...
Aug 21, 2020•59 min
Nicole and Matthew discuss how the coronavirus is affecting decisions to reopen schools and what school will look like in the fall. This episode is sponsored by: Read or Dead, Book Riot’s mystery/thriller podcast Act by Kayla Miller, HMH Books for Young Readers Peng!: Action Sports Adventures from Oni Press To get even more kidlit news and recommendations, sign up for our The Kids Are All Right newsletter! Relevant Links: A School Reopens, and the Coronavirus Creeps In (NYT) Ways School Libraria...
Aug 06, 2020•52 min•Ep. 35
Nicole and Matthew discuss the creation and use of the #OwnVoices hashtag, representation of diversity in kidlit, and the value of storytelling through lived experience. This episode is sponsored by: TBR, Book Riot’s subscription service offering reading recommendations personalized to your reading life Libro.fm Book Riot Insiders, the digital hangout spot for the Book Riot community To get even more kidlit news and recommendations, sign up for our The Kids Are All Right newsletter! RELEVANT LIN...
Jul 23, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 34
Nicole and Matthew discuss historically problematic statues, how legal does not always mean moral, and we reflect on the kidlit authors whose works have helped to secure space for underrepresented voices. This episode is sponsored by: TBR, Book Riot’s subscription service offering reading recommendations personalized to your reading life Nevertell by Katharine Orton from Candlewick Press Book Riot Insiders, the digital hangout spot for the Book Riot community To get even more kidlit news and rec...
Jul 09, 2020•52 min•Ep. 33
Nicole and Matthew discuss racial literacy and implementing an anti-biased/anti-racist framework in schools, with help from a bookshelf playlist of stories to keep folks talking. Joining is special guest Tiffany Jewell, a Black biracial writer, twin, first generation American, cisgender woman, an antiracist educator and consultant, mama, and author of This Book is Anti-Racist. This episode is sponsored by: Hey YA, Book Riot’s own podcast about all things young adult lit ImtheStory Nevertell by K...
Jun 25, 2020•45 min•Ep. 32
Nicole and Matthew discuss doing the work of anti-racism, sitting with discomfort, and building children’s aptitude toward empathy and social justice with help from a bookshelf playlist of stories to keep folks talking. This episode is sponsored by: TBR: Book Riot’s service for Tailored Book Recommendations, now available as a gift! Lost Beast, Found Friend from Oni Press Bella’s Story by W. Bruce Cameron, from Starscape To get even more kidlit news and recommendations, sign up for our The Kids ...
Jun 11, 2020•46 min•Ep. 31
Nicole and Matthew discuss representation of transgender voices of color, bravery in the face of survival choices, and the strength we already possess. Joining is special guest Kai Cheng Thom, performer, cultural worker, speaker, and author of From the Stars in the Sky to the Fish in the Sea. This episode is sponsored by: TBR, Book Riot’s subscription service offering Tailored Book Recommendations for readers of all stripes Libro FM Book Riot Insiders, the digital hangout spot for the Book Riot ...
May 28, 2020•53 min•Ep. 30
Nicole and Matthew discuss how this time of safe-at-home is giving readers and bookmakers opportunity to reimagine our world through activism, design, kindness, and mindfulness. Joining is special guest Peter H. Reynolds, best-selling children’s book author, illustrator, bookshop owner, founder of FableVision, and an advocate for creativity and children of all ages. This episode is sponsored by: Lit Stitch: 25 Cross-Stitch Patterns for Book Lovers, made by Book Riot and Abrams Stepping Stones by...
May 14, 2020•52 min•Ep. 29
Nicole and Matthew discuss the creative ways books and bookmakers are connecting with readers during stay-at-home regulations. Joining is special guest Christina Soontornvat, author of A Wish in the Dark and co-founder of the Everywhere Book Fest. This episode is sponsored by: TBR, Book Riot’s subscription service offering Tailored Book Recommendations for readers of all stripes Lila and Hadley by Kody Keplinger from Scholastic Fun Fun Fun World by Yehudi Mercado from Oni Press and Simon & S...
Apr 30, 2020•47 min•Ep. 28
Nicole and Matthew discuss food insecurity, how interconnected we are, and the capacity in all of us to be a helper. This episode is sponsored by: TBR, Book Riot's subscription service offering Tailored Book Recommendations for readers of all stripes Lila and Hadley by Kody Keplinger from Scholastic Dewdrop by Katie O'Neill from Oni Press and Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers To get even more kidlit news and recommendations, sign up for our The Kids Are All Right newsletter! RELEVANT ...
Apr 16, 2020•37 min•Ep. 27
Nicole and Matthew look back on a year of the Kidlit These Days podcast and highlight some of their favorite episodes and interviews. This episode is sponsored by: Book Riot Insiders, the digital hangout spot for the Book Riot community Goldie Vance: The Hotel Whodunit by Lilliam Rivera from Little, Brown Young Readers Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. To get even more kidlit news and recommendations, sign up for our The Kids Are All Right newsletter! RELEVA...
Apr 02, 2020•41 min•Ep. 26
Nicole and Matthew discuss the COVID-19 pandemic through the lens of racism and social media, how the virus is impacting school kids and families, and how the kidlit community is responding. This episode is sponsored by: TBR: Tailored Book Recommendations Don’t Check Out This Book! By Kate Klise & M. Sarah Klise new from Algonquin Young Readers The Sunken Tower by Tait Howard from Oni Press Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. To get even more kidlit news a...
Mar 19, 2020•46 min•Ep. 25
Nicole and Matthew discuss the need for more inclusive representation of all kids of bodies in children’s literature, accepting how different does not equal wrong, and the idea of normalizing “normal”. Joining is special guest Jessica Sanders, author of Love Your Body. This episode is sponsored by: Book Riot Insiders, the digital hangout spot for the Book Riot community The Paper Bag Princess: 40th Anniversary Edition, published by Annick Press Winterborne Home by Ally Carter, published by Hough...
Mar 05, 2020•53 min•Ep. 24
