Cheryl B. Klein
@cherylklein
I notice things for a living. Editorial director, Workman Kids; author of THE MAGIC WORDS: WRITING GREAT BOOKS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS and five picture books, most recently IT’S HARD TO BE A BABY; 6yo mom; Virgo/goofball. Opinions my own.
Thieves stole the bowls and hardware out of multiple water fountains in Prospect Patk, probably for the metal. Truly antisocial behavior, especially in hot weather.
At the airport, I finished the first of the six books I brought on this trip: SAVE THE DATE by Mallory Kass (aka Kass Morgan), a really unique & smart romcom with three love stories set around one disastrous wedding in Maine. Highly recommend for a light, funny read!
Seeing Kate Beaton & Sydney Smith’s luminous REBECCA at ALA made me think about literary works in which D/death is a primary subject or named character — a category I love, actually. What would you add to this list?
If you’re loving the World Cup and want to keep the vibes going, don’t miss this incredible YA novel — it’s earthy, romantic, smart, passionate (about fútbol and Argentina), and will make you want to stand up and cheer. FURIA by @yamilesmendez.bsky.social !!!
We are going on vacation next week, so I’m now in the strange position of trying to line up a pet sitter for the 6yo’s stick bug. Pros: enclosure easily transportable; only needs a daily lettuce leaf & a squirt of water water Cons: lettuce must be organic; a little hard to tell if it’s alive.
I feel like there is a BACKROOMS-style horror movie to be written about anodyne hallways like these. Or a version of the Danny sequences in THE SHINING, but set in a corporate office building.
As we head into #alaac26 week, a reminder! Kidlit Happy Hour next Saturday at 3:30! Feel free to spread the word.
I wondered this morning: Was Father’s Day in the US founded because someone got mad about Mother’s Day & said “Won’t someone think of the MEN?”? You’ll never guess the answer… 🙄
Sometimes I come across a Biblical passage that makes me feel both delighted and depressed about the continuity of human behavior across millennia -- in this case, 2 Kings 2:23-35. (Here the specificity of the insult AND the death number made me laugh.)
A really lovely book from @leeandlow.bsky.social about pregnancy loss & recovery — tender, wise, & beautifully illustrated. Perfect for families who experience such a loss w/ older children. As one of the 33% of women who have had a miscarriage, I cried reading it, but they’re good tears.
Bonus: I always try to theme the bookmark to the book, and I made this bookmark for my senior-year English major comprehensive-exams study group, which we called the Brain Trust. We determined the theme of our reading list (as with most literature) was “Sex and death — but mostly death.”
My #FridayReads is THE END OF ROMANCE by Lily Meyer. If you enjoy adult literary fiction about very smart people making stupid (but comprehensible & entertaining!) relationship decisions, like HEART THE LOVER or THE MARRIAGE PLOT, this should be your new next read.
Brooklyn Half Marathon taking over my neighborhood this morning (complimentary). I saw an excellent supporter’s sign: RUN ALL THE TIME, 13.1 OCCASIONALLY.
Just going to say, if you want to read an adult nonfiction book that thinks deeply about the qualities of excellent children’s literature, isn’t snobby about the many types of children’s books people write & read, and will help you make your own book even better:
I am reposting this to add that BE YOURSELF AND OTHER BAD ADVICE is out TODAY! And it’s a great graduation gift for an older teen, a guide-to-life for a younger one, & a helpful reminder of the values & behaviors that are truly important for us old folk.
I admire it but the print & color make me think of Cate Blanchett in McQueen at Cannes 2010, which has never been bested.
A shoutout to LOUDMOUTH: EMMA GOLDMAN VS. AMERICA (A LOVE STORY) by @dheiligman.bsky.social, which is SO enlightening & depressingly relevant to our current age: workers vs elites, women’s rights, government overreach, assassinations, all in the story of a thrillingly brave, honest & human heroine.
Happy book birthday to FIRST NIGHT AT DAD’S by Elizabeth Rudnick & Yaara Cellier, published by @workmanpubkids.bsky.social! This lovely book follows Henry as he spends his first night at his dad’s new house after his parents’ separation, emphasizing the continuity of his parents’ love for him.
This Workman book is very RUDE to English majors but also super funny & real if you’re looking for a nice college graduation present. (Tuck another $20 inside?)
I got an award this past weekend and I am proud of it. The 1st-3rd graders in Missouri voted HAMSTERS MAKE TERRIBLE ROOMMATES their favorite picture book of the 2024-2025 year.
A Mexican restaurant near my apartment is selling “tachos” — tater tots with nachos topping — and the mere thought of this has brightened my day.