You Still Listen to the Spice Girls

Are counting down till the end of the school year or need a new kid's book

Hi friends,

Happy belated Independent Bookstore Day! Did you partake in any of the festivities?

I was (ahem) booked on Saturday but hit up the Libro.fm sale and now have months’ worth of audiobooks loaded on my phone.

And, now, what to read if…

You Believe Every Playlist Needs a Spice Girls Song

Wannabe by Aisha Harris

I put together a playlist for a friend’s baby shower last week, and when I listened through it I realized three of the 60 songs were by the Spice Girls. (Say You’ll Be There, Viva Forever and Mama, if you’re curious.) I was pretty sure the mom-to-be would approve, but I know Aisha Harris, author of Wannabe: Reckonings with the Pop Culture that Shapes Me, would.

In her debut essay collection, Harris examines how a … chance encounter with Chance the Rapper caused an investigation into her own name. The essay bring together her own family history, respectability politics, Another Bad Creation’s “Iesha” and “Isn’t She Lovely” from Stevie Wonder. Other chapters explore the role of the Black Best Friend in everything from “New Girl” to the Spice Girls and toxic online fandoms. Blending memoir and criticism, Harris shows how the culture she consumed shaped her and how her experiences affect her view of books, TV, music and more.

Considering I write a newsletter about how books help me understand the world and my life, I’m probably the target reader for Wannabe. Unsurprisingly, I loved it. It probably helps that Harris and I are roughly the same age, so have many of the same references. So, if you are a Spice-Girls-loving millennial (or want to get to know one), put this at the top of your list.

You’re Ready for the End of the School Year

All the Other Mothers Hate Me by Sarah Harman

All the Other Mothers Hate Me starts with a line that I’ve put on my favorite first sentences list: “The missing boy is 10-year-old Alfie Risby, and to be perfectly honest with you, he's a little shit.” In a single sentence, Sarah Harman tells us who Florence Grimes, her main character, is and establishes the book’s central conflict. Perfection.

Obsessed with this cover.

A decade earlier, Florence was forced out of a band just as they made it big. Now, she’s broke, single and delivering fancy balloon set-ups to high-end parties in an attempt to earn a few dollars. The one bright spot in her life is her ten-year-old son Dylan, a quirky, animal-obsessed kid. But when Alfie Risby, Dylan’s bully and the heir to a frozen food fortune, disappears on a school field trip, her son becomes the police’s top suspect. Terrified of losing her son, Florence sets out to find Alfie and clear Dylan’s name. Clad in her party-girl outfits, she chases leads and tries to convince the other school parents to open up to her, even as she grows increasingly concerned her kid is hiding something.

I read a lot of mysteries so it’s exciting when I find something that feels new. All the Other Mothers Hate Me clears that bar. It’s “Fleabag” meets Big Little Lies, and Florence’s voice is so distinct I feel like I could have a conversation with her on almost anything. I’m hoping this is the start of a series.

You’ve Got a Little One in Your Life

Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin, Illustrated by Daniel Salmieri

I was at a first birthday party a few weeks back where the kids and parents both raved about Dragons Love Tacos. I was delighted to hear the fantastic reviews because it’s one of my favorite books to give to kids.

Dragons Love Tacos is a charming, whimsical picture book complete with watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil cartoon illustrations. The book opens by explaining that, well, dragons love tacos — chicken tacos, beef tacos, big tacos and little tacos. They’d love to attend any and all taco parties (as would I) but if there’s any spicy salsa on their delicious meals, they will breathe fire.

I adore Dragons Love Tacos, and not just because I, too, can’t handle spicy food. It’s a fun and fresh children’s book with art that will amuse kids and parents alike. I know children often want to read the same five books at bedtime, so if you’re trying to add a new one to the rotation, break out Dragons Love Tacos. (If you’re already a fan and looking for more taco-goodness, there’s now a sequel and a board book prequel.)

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