Literaticast

59: Predictions and prognostication with guest librarian Betsy Bird

1/18/2023

Librarian, author, blogger, podcaster -- our guest Betsy Bird wears a lot of hats. She is not only a bona fide children's book expert but also has a great knack for predicting ALA Awards! As the awards are being given out at the end of this month, Betsy's going to take us behind the scenes and talk about the mysterious process of how the awards are even chosen, and what books MIGHT take home some hardware this year! (Will we be right? WHO KNOWS! But it will be fun to find out!) She also answers some listener questions about library etiquette, book banning, what she'd like to see more of in the picture book space, and more.

Show Notes

* The Literaticast has a Patreon! Throw in a buck and help keep the podcast going.
* Visit Betsy on the web.
* Follow Betsy Bird's blog Fuse #8 - This is her final award prediction post for the year, but she also does tons of book reviews, talks about bookish news, fun random kid lit stuff and more! It's a MUST READ blog for kids book creators.
* Betsy also has a podcast where she and her (non-kid-lit-world) sister discuss picture book classics hilariously.
* This article set off "scrotumgate" - the controversy surrounding the Newbery winner the year Betsy was on the committee.
* Will the winners of the Walter Dean Myers award this year be any indication of what wins at ALA?

WATCH THE ALA AWARD ANNOUNCEMENTS LIVESTREAM
AT 8am CENTRAL TIME ON JANUARY 30th, 2023

Books We Talked About

Caldecott Predictions

Newbery Predictions

Wild Card Predictions - Long-shots that Betsy loves!

Calde-notts - Books that SHOULD win but are ineligible

Books we're reading now

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58: The Art of Being Present, with author-illustrator Cindy Derby

12/9/2022

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Caldecott Honor winning illustrator and author Cindy Derby joins me to discuss her unusual path to an illustration career, getting inspired, dealing with burnout, navigating social media, what she learned from dog finishing school, and so much more. We also celebrate Cindy's latest picture book, BLURP'S BOOK OF MANNERS, about a sentient ink blot that needs etiquette lessons, which is brand new from Roaring Brook.

This is the last podcast of 2022. I hope your holidays are joyful and you get to have a lovely break and recharge -- 2023 is going to be a big year, I can feel it! <3

Show Notes

cutest author photo ever???

* The Literaticast has a Patreon -
throw in a buck and help support the podcast! <3

* Visit Cindy Derby on Instagram

* Visit Cindy Derby's website

* Check out Cindy's ADORABLE video about Blurp!

* This is the link to the amazing Ginger Veggie Soup TikTok I talked about at the end. It's SO good. I personally blend about 3/4ths of it and leave some chunky for texture. This is the link to the full written recipe: Yum yum, I want to make it right now!

Books We Discussed

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57: The Great Big Holiday Gift Guide, 2022

11/9/2022

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The annual Great Big Holiday Gift Guide is BACK, baby! Booksellers Nicole Brinkley from Oblong Books in Rhinebeck, NY and Kassie King from the Novel Neighbor in St Louis, MO are joining to give their recommendations. If you're looking for holiday gifts for the kids in your life (or, for your own cozy winter reading), this episode is a must! Please remember to order your holiday books as early as possible - continued supply chain issues, etc, mean that it might be tough to get some of these at short notice. Please support your local independent bookstores whenever possible. Happy reading!

Show Notes

* The Literaticast has a Patreon - throw in a buck and help support the pod.
* Follow Oblong Books on Insta, or visit their website!
* Follow The Novel Neighbor on Insta, TikTok, or visit their website!
* Nicole hosts the Misshelved Podcast - a podcast for book lovers!
* Kassie even guested on Misshelved - listen to her episode, with author Nina LaCour!
* Oblong Books Book Angel program gets books to kids in need for the holidays
* The Noble Neighbor is the non-profit program Kassie's store runs that gets books to underserved communities
* If you want to shop my client books -- the full list of 2022 books is here!
* Interview with Sophie Blackall about creating the art for FARMHOUSE
* Indies Introduce book list - Kassie & Nicole were both on the committee for this!
* Libro.Fm - if you listen to audio books, the Libro.Fm app allows you to support indie bookstores while doing so!
* Meowsterpiece Puzzles to go with the book recommended below!
* I'm obsessed with Derry Girls on Netflix
* Kassie is obsessed with Taylor Swift's MIDNIGHTS (and recs books with the same vibe, too)
* Nicole is obsessed with Dimension 20 on YouTube

Books We Talked About

For more info on any book below, or to buy, click the book jacket. Note that these are affiliate links, a small portion of the proceeds go to support the podcast and independent bookstores. By the way - I ordered the books by age range, so if there were "wildcard picks" that were picture books, they are in with the regular picture books, etc. But within the categories they are roughly in the order they appeared in the pod. x JL

Picture Book Fiction & Nonfiction & Whole Family Reads

Kids Fiction, Graphic Novels & Nonfiction

Young Adult Fiction, Graphic Novels & Nonfiction

Grownup Books

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56: Meet the Agent: Jemiscoe Chambers-Black!

10/5/2022

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We're back from hiatus, and excited to chat with Jemiscoe Chambers-Black. Jem is one of the newer agents at Andrea Brown Lit, and a rising star who has had many awesome deals (and even a NYT Bestseller) in her two years at the agency -- especially amazing considering the fact that she started in the midst of the Pandemic. We'll talk about what she's looking for in a manuscript (and a client!), how to establish a great author-agent relationship, and how she keeps her sanity and focus in a wild time, among other topics.

Show Notes

* The Literaticast has a Patreon! Throw in a buck a month and help keep the podcast running.

* Follow me on Twitter. Follow Jem on Twitter.

* Follow my Instagram (especially stories) where I post lots of pics of Poppy the Puppy!

* Jem's official ABLA page (including wishlist and link to query!)

Books We Discussed

* BONUS! * At the end of the podcast, we talk about the Dora the Explorer movie, and I remembered the movie novelization, which is HILARIOUS. I promised an excerpt, so here ya go:

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55: Into the Creative Labyrinth with Sara Zarr

4/20/2022

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Award-winning YA author (and podcast host!) Sara Zarr joins me to talk about the joys and challenges of crafting a sustainable writerly life. She has practical and inspirational insights for newbies and mid-career authors alike in her new book, This Creative Life: A Handbook for Writers, from the myth of "genius", to best practices for getting feedback, to the realities of dealing with procrastination and burnout -- and we discuss all of it. We also chat about her brand-new middle grade novel, bonus Pirates, dead eyes, Harry Styles and MORE!

Click to download transcript

Show Notes

* The Literaticast has a Patreon! Throw in a buck and help support the pod.

* Follow me on Twitter! Follow Sara on Twitter!

* Sara Zarr's website

* Watch Elizabeth Gilbert's TED talk about "genius"

* Listen to This Creative Life: The PODCAST!

* SPECIAL FOR PODCAST LISTENERS: Buy the ebook of This Creative Life: A Handbook for Writers for 30% off!
Go here and enter the TOP SECRET COUPON CODE: QWBODLO8MX

Books We Discussed

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54: Meet the Agent! with ABLA Associate Agent Paige Terlip

3/31/2022

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New agents can be great to query, as they have a lot of energy and are actively building their lists! Paige Terlip is an Associate Agent at ABLA. She's been an agent for just over a year and she's already making a splash with great clients and sales. Paige and I talk about her philosophy of agenting, her feelings about rejection, and what she is looking for in a client. Plus, she helps me answer some listener questions about everything from query tips to the state of publishing.

Click to download transcript

Show Notes

* The Literaticast has a Patreon - throw in a buck and help keep the podcast going!

* Follow me on Twitter. Follow Paige on Twitter or Instagram!

* Paige's personal website with lots of details about stuff she likes!

* The official ABLA website page about Paige, including a Link to query her!

* This is the twitter thread (by me) that Paige referenced about the importance of reading in your category, and how to get a "free MFA."

* Paige is currently reading SAVVY SHELDON FEELS GOOD AS HELL, a grownup romance! (And I read it too, it's so fun!)

Some of Paige's Favorite Books

Click the book jackets for more information or to buy from Bookshop.Org -- note that these are affiliate links, so a few cents from each sale through these links goes toward helping the podcast. Thanks!

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53: Keeping it Honest, with guest author Maggie Tokuda-Hall

2/18/2022

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My guest today is author Maggie Tokuda-Hall, who writes picture books, graphic novels, YA, fiction, non-fiction... basically a little bit of everything! She talks about her experiences with an MFA program (and questions you might ask yourself if you are thinking of going to such a program). She also discusses how she juggles writing in multiple categories, managing creative ebb and flow, and how (in the words of MT Anderson), "a change of pace is the same as taking a break." We also talk about her latest picture book, LOVE IN THE LIBRARY, which is especially close to her heart as it is the true story of her grandparents and how they met as prisoners in an Incarceration Camp. She's a genius and I'm so excited for you to get to know her!

Click to download transcript

Show Notes

* The Literaticast has a Patreon - throw in a buck and help keep the podcast going!

* Follow me on Twitter. Follow Maggie on Twitter!

* Maggie has Podcasts - Failure to Adapt is all about book-to-film adaptations. / Drunk Safari is no longer updating, but is super fun / Let's Not Panic is no longer updating, but was the saga of Maggie and her husband driving a van from San Francisco to Patagonia (and lots of other places in between).

* Maggie's obsession is the Normal Gossip podcast

* My obsession is the cool Lego Bookstore (and more!)

* LOVE IN THE LIBRARY has an amazing illustrator in Yas Imamura - check out her work!

>>> You can get signed copies of LOVE IN THE LIBRARY Mrs Dalloways by clicking this link.

Speaking of LOVE IN THE LIBRARY -- is this gorgeous or WHAT? One of Maggie's favorite spreads in the book:

Clicking on any of the book jackets will take you to Bookshop.Org. These sales go toward helping independent bookstores. Additionally, they are affiliate links, and a small portion of each sale made through these links goes toward supporting the podcast.

HEAR MY VOICE is a vital resource for speaking to children about the plight of immigrant youth. It's the real words of the real kids who have been detained at the borders.

More Books We Talked About...

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52: So... what'd we miss? With guest Book Expert Alison Morris

12/18/2021

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My guest for this end-of-year show is Alison Morris. She's a book expert, and the Senior Director of Title Selection at FirstBook, a non-profit that provides literally millions of books to underserved kids (and so much more) -- we'll talk about it, and how YOU can support their vital mission. She's also here to give us a heads up about Books We Might Have Missed while we were all SOMEWHAT busy with other things, like, you know, a global pandemic. I'm going to ask her about trends she's seeing, award predictions, and SO much more. Join us, won't you?

Click to Download Transcript

Show Notes

* The Literaticast has a Patreon. Throw in a buck and help support the show.
* Listen to the Book Friends Forever podcast, which often has guest star Alison Morris!
* Learn more aboutFirstBook and the FirstBook Marketplace
* We name-dropped Jess Keating - check out her books (and life coaching!)
* PW "Pandemic Missed Connections": Spotlighting special books you might have missed!
* Alison really did make a list of all the recent TREE books and ... whoo boy, that's a lotta trees!
* Check out the comic book store Jenn is obsessed with: Silver Sprocket in San Francisco!
* Alison's Podcast Rec: "Films to be Buried With"
* Jenn's Podcast Rec: "The Plot Thickens"
* Love Ted Lasso? Check out this cute keychain

Books We Discussed: Click covers to buy from Bookshop.Org

(not a 2020 or 2021 title - just a bonus!)

Award Predictions

(not a 2020 or 2021 title - just a bonus!)

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51: The Art of Graphic Novel Adaptation, with guest Gareth Hinds

11/14/2021

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My guest this month is graphic novelist Gareth Hinds. He's famous for doing amazing Graphic Novel reinterpretations of classics like the Odyssey, the Iliad, Shakespeare, Poe and more... and we'll talk about how he chooses projects, and how he adapts them for modern readers and a graphic format, tips for aspiring graphic novelists, and so much more. We'll also get into his NEWEST project -- a modern classic -- GRACELING, THE GRAPHIC NOVEL, adapted from the YA fantasy by Kristin Cashore, which is on shelves now.

Click to Download Transcript

Show Notes

Gareth Hinds and Kristin Cashore are doing a virtual event
through Oblong Books Friday, November 19th
Click here for more info, and a link to registration, and to buy autographed copies of GRACELING, THE GRAPHIC NOVEL!

Click book cover to get an autographed copy of Graceling, while supplies last!

* The Literaticast has a Patreon - throw in a buck and help support the show!

* Follow me on Twitter! Follow Gareth Hinds on Twitter!

* Gareth's website has ALL his awesome titles, including links to the early, self-published work

* Check out Gareth's other social media - like process videos on YouTube, Insta, and TikTok!

* Here's a link to that TikTok I talked about with the art teacher!

Books We Discussed - Click on book covers to purchase from Bookshop.Org

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The Holiday Gift Guide, 2021 Edition

10/28/2021

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It's almost Holiday Time already (yeah, I know, yikes!) - and I want to encourage people to get their bookish gift shopping done early this year, and to pre-order books if you want them before Hanukkah or Christmas. To that end, it's time for the annual Holiday Gift Guide! Bookseller Melissa Posten joins me to give some great recommendations of beautiful Fall 2021 books for giving (or, hoarding for yourself!).

Click to Download Episode Transcript

Show Notes

* The Literaticast has a Patreon - throw in a buck and help support the Pod
* Visit Melissa Posten on Twitter! Visit me on Twitter!
* TheNovel Neighbor Bookstore in St Louis, Missouri
* The Novel Neighbor on TikTok
* Order a Mystery Box from The Novel Neighbor! (Such a cool idea!)
* TV shows we talked about : WE ARE LADY PARTS - ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING - TED LASSO

The 2021 Holiday Gift Guide

Baby Books & Picture Books

Deceptively "simple"... with new things to enjoy on every read.

A year-round treat, and great for kids who are ready for longer stories, too!

For families who want something strictly about GRATITUDE for Thanksgiving (and throughout the year!)

Move over, weak tea "finger puppet" books - this Hand Puppet book is baby approved!

Cozy as can be...

Perfect for vehicle-obsessed kiddos!

Celebrate Diwali, the five-day-long Festival of Lights that begins Nov 4th this year!

For littles and not-so-littles - gorgeous mythic beasts from around the world!

Take a deep breath and sink into this one...

For anyone who LOVES bookstores and booksellers! Think "84, Charing Cross Road in the 100 Acre Wood"

One of the cutest PBs ever, new in board book form!

Perfect for junior foodies!

Kind of a picture book, kind of for early readers - an adorable vocabulary-expander!

Chapter Books, Middle Grade & MG Graphic Novels

The whole series is great for kids who like the "Who Was" series but are ready for MORE - MAYFLOWER is perfect for this time of year!

An early graphic novel series about the popular Catstronauts, back when they were kittens!

A contemporary MG novel about finding your voice and fitting in.

The latest History Smashers book tells it all - the gross, the weird, and the true stuff you DEFINITELY don't learn in school. Check out the whole series!

A fun GN about a garlic with anxiety who saves the day!

Quite simply, the MG fantasy of the year.

Fans of Mercy Watson will love this adorable friendship story for kids just becoming confident readers.

Perfect, sweet artwork in this GN - for kids who like friendship stories and sports!

About siblings who run a MONSTER MORTUARY! Funny, spooky, and surprisingly heartfelt.

The whole series is so laugh-out-loud funny and charming! (Book 3 comes out in February!)

A highly illustrated MG about the coolest superhero you've never heard of... it's extraordinary! Out 11/30, preorder now!

For the kid who loves Star Wars *and* Wings of Fire!

Young Adult & YA Graphic Novels

A fiercely feminist tale that turns fairy tales upside down and inside out. And has WERE-BEARS!

HEATHERS meets TEEN WOLF in this YA graphic novel about a group of "it girls" that has a little secret...

THE HUNGER GAMES for a new generation.

The modern classic fantasy GRACELING by Kristin Cashore gets a deluxe GN adaptation - great for both fans of the book, and those new to the story.

A bright and joyful queer romance!

A delightful gender-swapped queer and nerdy version of Merlin and King Arthur - pure FUN!

All-Ages Gifty Books & Adult

A lyrical medieval fable - technically a MG, but would be a great all-family read aloud.

Fun fairy tales for all ages that will make you look at the stories you thought you knew in a new light...

Technically for grown-ups, but kids and teens will like it too as it is irresistible to page through - if you've ever planned a trip based on things to eat, it's a must-buy, from the folks at Atlas Obscura.

The whole family will love poring through this MASSIVE and lavishly illustrated book of animal poems, one for every day of the year.

For grownups and older teens who like popular science non-fiction books - hilarious true stories about what happens when animals break the law.

Hilarious! For anyone who likes English Murder Mystery books or TV shows. Watch out for the Vicar, he's surely up to no good!

Looking for ways to entertain the kids this holiday season that DON'T involve screens? Look no further than this gigantic book of ideas for young makers and explorers!

For grownups and older teens who want to keep Spooky Season going allll winter long with creepy ghost stories!

For grownups & older teens who like screwball rom-coms, nerdy banter and... the devil?! - SO fun, for spooky season and beyond! Book two, DATE FROM HELL, comes out in Spring 22.

Like the previous book, this one is chock full of artistic and crafty inspiration that will keep kids - or the whole family - busy and inspired!

For adults and older teens who loved THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA or GOOD OMENS - a warm hug of a sci-fi/fantasy book

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<<Previous

Show Notes

Books We Talked About

Caldecott Predictions

Newbery Predictions

Wild Card Predictions - Long-shots that Betsy loves!

Calde-notts - Books that SHOULD win but are ineligible

Books we're reading now

Show Notes

Books We Discussed

Show Notes

Books We Talked About

Picture Book Fiction & Nonfiction & Whole Family Reads

Kids Fiction, Graphic Novels & Nonfiction

Young Adult Fiction, Graphic Novels & Nonfiction

Grownup Books

Show Notes

Books We Discussed

Show Notes

Books We Discussed

Show Notes

Some of Paige's Favorite Books

Show Notes

More Books We Talked About...

Show Notes

Books We Discussed: Click covers to buy from Bookshop.Org

Award Predictions

Show Notes

Books We Discussed - Click on book covers to purchase from Bookshop.Org

Show Notes

The 2021 Holiday Gift Guide

Baby Books & Picture Books

Chapter Books, Middle Grade & MG Graphic Novels

Young Adult & YA Graphic Novels

All-Ages Gifty Books & Adult

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