Betsy Bird's Blog, page 47

31 Days, 31 Lists: 2023 Unique Biographies for Kids

A good biography is one thing. A unique biography is another thing entirely. A great many of the darn thing are published every year, and it can be just a touch difficult to wade through them. I like a good one, though. I like a biography that makes you interested in another person’s life on the one hand, while also opening their story up in some larger way on the other. Today, I’m celebrating those biographies that focus on their subjects with a bit of creativity. The ones that could only t...

31 Days, 31 Lists: 2023 Science and Nature Books

Ooog. This is my bad. When I decided to post this list on Christmas Day, I forgot how long it was going to be. Blame my library’s Blueberry Committee for that. Each year I read as many books as I can for my 101 Great Books for Kids Committee. Then, when that’s done, I switch focus and start reading the science and nature books. A LOT of science and nature books. In spite of the sheer length of this list, I assure you that this is just a tiny sliver of the total number of titles being produce...

31 Days, 31 Lists: 2023 American History for Kids

Hm. It can sometimes be difficult for me to determine what’s a trend in books for kids vs. what I actually get off my butt and read. I just went through all the titles that I read this year that I’d call “American history” related, and to my surprise I read surprisingly few middle grade novels that would fall into that category. That’s on me, I think. Surely there were a slew published in 2023 out there that I entirely missed. Then again, historical fiction used to be a much bigger percentag...

31 Days, 31 Lists: 2023 Informational Fiction for Kids

Creativity deserves commendation, wouldn’t you say? And when it comes to conveying nonfiction topics to children, such creativity isn’t just interesting. It’s downright necessary. My favorite nonfiction titles are the ones that find new ways to get kids engaged and interested in something they might not have cared about before.

But there’s a catch.

On the one hand, I adore thinking and acting in new ways. On the other hand, there’s a moment when that creativity goes from factual to fa...

31 Days, 31 Lists: 2023 Graphic Novels (Comics!) for Kids

In 2023 Jerry Craft was making the media rounds. New Kid had horribly an inevitably been banned from a number of places. People in the media discovered that Jerry was an excellent proponent not simply of his own books but of “banned” comics for kids as well. It was on one of these talk shows that he mentioned something that has stuck in my mind ever since. Jerry said that sometimes when he spoke to people, they thought that the “graphic” in the term “graphic novels” was akin to “graphic sex”...

31 Days, 31 Lists: 2023 Fantasy Books for Kids

If I had my druthers, this is probably the only genre of children’s book I’d ever read. And I could do that, sure, but to what end? Like any healthy diet, you need a bit of variety to make things interesting. Thing is, even within the fantasy books listed here today, you’ll find great gobs of variety. There are creepy novels, high fantasy world-building titles, comics, early chapter books, and even the odd spate of magical realism thrown in for spice. The one thing they have in common, aside...

31 Days, 31 Lists: 2023 Science Fiction Books for Kids

I’m not supposed to have favorites. All these lists are my babies. Each and every one of them a shining star, that I lovingly craft throughout the year. But truth? I’ve a penchant for the underdog. When I produce the Fantasy list of 2023 tomorrow, you’ll see for yourself how large and bloated it is. Folks love a little magic, but when it comes to science fiction they’ll often eschew it. Part of this is because of a longstanding belief in the American publishing industry that science fiction ...

31 Days, 31 Lists: 2023 Funny Books for Older Kids

To say that I’ve an eclectic collection of books for you here today is putting it mildly. Some lists lend themselves to a wide variety of different types of styles and genre. Nothing, though, even compares to the Funny list. Here you’re going to find graphic novel memoirs and nonfiction about sea creatures. You’ll find early chapter books, the occasional middle grade fiction title, and even poetry. Some of these you will know, but I guarantee that there will be at least one book on this list...

31 Days, 31 Lists: 2023 Older Funny Books for Kids

To say that I’ve an eclectic collection of books for you here today is putting it mildly. Some lists lend themselves to a wide variety of different types of styles and genre. Nothing, though, even compares to the Funny list. Here you’re going to find graphic novel memoirs and nonfiction about sea creatures. You’ll find early chapter books, the occasional middle grade fiction title, and even poetry. Some of these you will know, but I guarantee that there will be at least one book on this list...

Fuse 8 n’ Kate: The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree by Gloria Houston, ill. Barbara Cooney

Hiccups or no hiccups, the podcast must go on! We strive to once again provide a holiday-related picture book on our podcast. Now Barbara Cooney was much on our minds since I premiered the cover of an upcoming Barbara Cooney picture book bio coming out in 2024. Today’s little book is actually still in print (not always a given) and it’s an interesting consideration of the effect of WWI on small town Christmas celebrations. We quote So I Married an Axe Murderer, Christmas Spite (which I still...