Book picks for November:
When fellow parents ask how I find time to read with a newborn and toddler at home, I tell them I read what I love! Here’s a peek at what I’m enjoying and what my children and I are reading together, because finding books they love will help your kids read more too. Both of these titles, and many more, are available as eBooks or audiobooks in KCLS’ digital collection.
What I’m Reading: “Upright Women Wanted” by Sarah Gailey
This rip-roaring dystopian story follows a band of revolutionary queer librarians as they smuggle propaganda and people through the American West. Esther stows away in the back of the librarians’ wagon to escape an arranged marriage and the execution of her best friend and lover, Beatriz. She thinks she’s joining a group of law-abiding women who deliver state-sanctioned reading materials, but Esther soon finds herself in the middle of an adventure she didn’t expect. “Upright Women Wanted” is a rollicking good time, but it’s also deeply hopeful, which is just what I need right now.
What We’re Reading: “Lift” by Minh Lê and Dan Santat
When Iris’ baby brother takes over her job pushing the elevator buttons, she is mad. Iris consoles herself with a discarded elevator button, which she tapes to the wall of her room. To her surprise, pushing it turns her closet into a magical doorway that opens into far-flung locations. Santat’s comic-book-style art is full of expressive detail, and my preschooler loves this colorful story of sibling rivalry and unexpected magic. She likes imagining places the elevator will go next. And I like that Iris and her brother embark on an adventure together in the end.
Find more book picks from Emily Calkins here
