How One Book List Became 500+ Recommendations

A podcast interview with Bianca Schulze about 101 Books to Read Before You Grow Up. Listen on The Growing Readers Podcast, a production of The Children’s Book Review.

Switching Seats: Bianca Schulze Gets Interviewed About Her Revised Edition of 101 Books to Read Before You Grow Up!

In a delightful role reversal, The Growing Readers Podcast host Bianca Schulze finds herself in the “hot seat” as publicist Mel Schuit from Quarto Kids takes over hosting duties. They delve deeply into Bianca’s newly revised 101 Books to Read Before You Grow Up, examining how children’s literature has evolved since the original 2016 edition. From the 30% of titles that were swapped out to reflect today’s diverse publishing landscape to Bianca’s surprising confession about not being a childhood reader herself, this conversation reveals the passion and intentionality behind curating books that prioritize joy, representation, and bridging the gap between picture books and novels.

Whether you’re a parent building a home library or an educator seeking reading inspiration, this episode offers valuable insights into what makes a book truly essential for young readers.

Subscribe to The Growing Readers Podcast to ensure you never miss an episode celebrating the creators shaping young readers’ lives.

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Read the Transcript

Growing Readers Podcast: Interview with Bianca Schulze

Bianca Schulze: Well, hey everyone, today is kind of an interesting day because you know me as the host of the podcast, but I’m not going to be hosting today. I have the amazing publicist Mel Schuit from Quarto Kids. And she’s been helping with support for my new book, 101 Books to Read Before You Grow Up. It’s a revised edition. And like I have to get ready to be uncomfortable in the opposite seat because for 16 years I’ve been talking about other people’s books and I think so many authors will tell you it’s so awkward talking about your own book. So I’m ready to get into the hot seat and see what questions Mel has for me. So Mel, take it away.

Mel Schuit: That’s so funny. Those are the exact words I was going to use. Hot seat. I’m really excited to talk to Bianca. Thank you so much for having me as your guest host. This is truly an honor. And I’m so excited to sort of just dig into what I think is an incredible book and just the perfect book to talk about with your audience. So I’d love to start our chat with the thing that sort of precipitated me being on your podcast. 101 Books to Read Before You Grow Up comes out September 9th. What can you tell listeners about this book? What inspired you to make it? And why do you think it’s an essential sort of book or tool for people looking to promote family reading time and encourage lifelong reading habits?

Bianca Schulze: Yeah, well, so like, I feel like that’s such a loaded question because there’s so much that—how did this book even come to be? And essentially, I’ve been working on The Children’s Book Review, my website for 16 years where I review books. I was a bookseller before that. I’m also a mom of three kids. And I just believe so wholeheartedly in the importance of reading for joy, reading for pleasure, because when you do that, then you just become, I think, a wiser person. You are more empathetic. And there’s so much evidence, and I’m not a scholar of any kind, so I’m not going to give you specific statistics, but there is so much evidence and so many reports out there that prove that kids that read for joy and read for pleasure do better in their school setting because we know that reading is that fundamental skill behind every kind of learning. I like—because this is a listening platform, Mel is snapping her fingers, you guys.

Mel Schuit: Snapping my fingers over here. I didn’t want to interrupt because I just wholly agree.

Bianca Schulze: So what was really cool, so this is the revised edition and the first edition came out in 2016 and honestly the editor at Quarto at the time reached out and asked me to put together this book and you know I immediately said yes because it was the perfect extension of what I had been doing for so long at that point. So that’s kind of how the book came about and the passion and thought that goes almost behind everything I do, even this podcast, like why do I even do the podcast? So yeah, that’s kind of it in a nutshell. And what is in the book? Well, of course, there’s 101 Books to Read Before You Grow Up. But I’m going to also tell you there’s—so for each book that is in this book that I recommend, I have about four more suggestions. So if a kid picks up one of the books that I suggest, there’s four more books now that are either by the same author, a similar illustration style, or something within that theme, that genre that they can keep on reading. Because once we hook a reader, we just need to keep feeding them with what’s next. So it’s kind of a lie. It’s not really 101 books. I mean, I don’t know what the total is, but there’s probably, yeah.

Mel Schuit: Over 500, that’s wild, yeah.

Bianca Schulze: Yeah, so there’s a lot in there. And then what’s really great is that there’s a little journaling spot at the bottom of each book recommendation where, you know, you check the box to say that you read the book. Kids can rate it out of five stars themselves. They can make a note of who the favorite character was and just write anything else they want to about the book. It’s a small space. Anybody that’s a super book nerd like me can also hand them a separate journal if they want to keep writing to fill up a page about what they loved with their own book review. But yeah, that’s basically it.

Mel Schuit: It’s nice to be able to jot down your initial thoughts because I don’t know about you, I forget everything the moment that I’m done. The second I start the next book, it’s hard for me to remember what I’ve read. So being able to sort of jot down my thoughts is absolutely perfect. I love that space.

Bianca Schulze: Yeah, and you might be like me, Mel, where if somebody asks me what’s the book about, I’m more likely to tell you how the book made me feel. And maybe there’s a specific takeaway from the book that I hold close to my heart, that it’s usually about how the book made me feel. So yeah, that’s kind of where I’m at.

Mel Schuit: Same. I love that. Whether you’re looking at it as 101 books or 500 plus books, it’s still really not that many books when you really think about the extent of, you know, what’s out there. So how did you whittle down what to include and what efforts did you take when you created this revised edition to reflect the current children’s book space?

Bianca Schulze: Yeah, I love that question because, you know, anybody that’s been in this space for as long as we have Mel, and there’s people that have been in this space longer than us too. You know, there was such a push, particularly, I think it started around 2015, 2016 with the We Need Diverse Books. And thankfully, I feel like publishers have listened and creators have felt brave enough to share their stories and to bring out diverse joy. So, so much changed between what went into the list when I created the book that came out in 2016 versus this version. So I think in 2016, the way I looked at it was like, what are the books? And I did put some current titles in. What are the books that are, you know, essentially every grown-up’s like, you absolutely would have to read this book in your childhood. And that was my original approach. I definitely was looking for some diverse voices and there were some diverse titles in there as well because I really believe in representation. But it was kind of mostly that like, what’s that classic? And I did a lot of research upfront. Like I grew up in Australia. This book did come out in Australia. It came out in the United States. It was out in the UK. So I did a lot of crowd sourcing to find out, okay, these are my favorite books, but I want so many kids to find favorite books. And so that was how the first one came around. For this one—

Mel Schuit: I love that you did all that crowd sourcing. That’s fantastic.

Bianca Schulze: Yeah, well, like, I mean, that’s I think that’s the important part about representation. If we just think about what we like, we’re only ever going to reach a certain group of people. Right. So that’s just in everything I do, even with The Children’s Book Review when I’m writing my reviews. It’s like, you know, I might not be an athlete, but I’m going to try and find some books for our athlete readers. And, you know, I know what makes a good story. And so anyway, I do believe in that crowd sourcing. And so for this time around, like we’re in 2025, I mean, gosh, I feel like there’s been so much going on in the world. And I think publishers have been answering the call. Is there always work to do? 1000% there’s always work to do. But I was so excited when I pitched the idea for this revised edition and Quarto like I think the day I emailed and pitched it, I think I got a response the same day that, yes, we are into this book. And so we switched out about 30% of the titles. And so what does that 30% represent? Well, I also noticed not just in voice, but I noticed a great expansion in illustrated chapter books that are bridging that gap between picture book and novels. I feel like we were losing a lot of readers who loved sitting on the lap with their parents and picking up a book and learning those repetitive phrases and some rhyming books. And then it would go into school with some pretty basic early readers that just weren’t very interesting. And then to pick up a novel that has no illustrations, smaller print, it was overwhelming. And so we were losing a lot of readers. And so, you know, I feel like I just wanted that 30% to really be what kids are reading. So there’s more illustrated chapter books, there’s great early reader books, there’s graphic novels. So I think, I don’t think there was one graphic novel in the first version. And, you know, there’s a lot of parents that are like, no, but I’m trying to get my kids away from reading graphic novels. Well, if they love graphic novels, you’re actually taking them away from loving reading. So yes, I put graphic novels in there and yeah, so that 30% is 30% joy for me as a book nerd and somebody who just, you know, spends their days hoping to help others raise readers. So yeah, I hope that answered the question.

Mel Schuit: It did, and I think that’s very interesting because now I have a question for you that is more off the cuff that I don’t have written down. And that is sort of about the trends that you’ve noticed. Because you wrote this nine years ago, am I doing the math right? You wrote this about nine years ago and you’ve been doing what you’ve been doing, your blog, this podcast for 16 years now. So what other trends have you noticed and how do you feel like you’ve sort of worked to fit those into this book?

Bianca Schulze: Yeah, you know, I think, gosh, off the top of my head, that the trend that I’ve noticed is just more highly illustrated books across all formats, right? I’ve noticed in picture books just so much more variation in the style of artwork that we see. I see early readers that are taking on the graphic novel format, so it’s not like the longer, you know, around 170 to 200 page graphic novels. We’ve now got these like mini 60 to 80 page little graphic novels too. I’ve seen like there seems to be an understanding that people want joy. And so while like the history books are important and we need to keep telling those stories. You know, I feel like a trend that I’m seeing is a focus on bringing joy and what joy looks like for people of so many different backgrounds and skin colors and beliefs. And that feels good to me. I do think it’s really important to make sure that, I guess, own voices and diversity is not considered a trend. So I just want to clarify that when I’m saying that, I’m saying the trend of joy. And that feels special to me.

Mel Schuit: Absolutely, diversity should just always be woven in and the trend should be, well, you know, things that those communities experience like joy. Absolutely. What would you say was the most challenging part of putting this book together? And what would you say was the most rewarding part of putting this book together? And you can talk about both putting it together originally and, you know, exploring a whole new nine years worth of children’s books for the revised edition.

Bianca Schulze: Yeah, I mean, I think for me, I’ll start with joy, because that was the topic we were just on. I mean, when I set about and started working as a bookseller and then started my little blog that became the Children’s Book Review, I wanted to be a children’s book author myself. And I was working away at the craft. And so simply like the best part about it was being offered this project just in general. I mean it just started my career and you know now I think I have eight—eight books published that are out in the wild, it could be nine and I should know that number, it’s not very big.

Mel Schuit: I mean, eventually it just gets away from you when you’re so prolific.

Bianca Schulze: But you know, like, so that in itself was like the best part, was just getting to do the project. And the hardest part about it is that this particular list, the original list, this current list, it’s never going to satisfy every single person because you brought up the point, you know, like there’s 500 and so titles listed in the book, but there’s so many more books out there. So that’s the hardest part for me is knowing that I’ve done my best and I love the books that I’ve featured in here and I believe readers will too. But I know that’s the hardest part, It’s never gonna satisfy everybody.

Mel Schuit: Yeah. And things are always changing too, which makes it tricky. There’s just always new stuff publishing and there’s always, you know, books that you’re like, oh my gosh, how did that, you know, that book not come by me or something like that. So there’s books you miss out on and it’s fun to like catch up with people and just hear about the books that somehow you missed and be like next, the next revised edition. Those are going in.

Bianca Schulze: Yeah, exactly. Like already when this book came out or like when it went to the publisher, so like I’m like hands off, can’t touch it anymore. You know, I encountered a couple of books that would have been so perfect for the what to read next section. But yeah, I mean, I think I think what I mean by like I’m—I know this book is never going to satisfy every single person is because I think along with that title, the 101 books to read before you grow up and essentially how I attacked it the first round was what are the classics? And so there’s people that love Little House on the Prairie and will probably be, you know, why is that book not in there? Well, for those of us that aren’t particularly thrilled with how Little House on the Prairie sits today, you know, that’s why it’s not in there. But there will be people that feel like they’re still attached to those specific titles that meant so much to them as children. And when they don’t see their favorites in there, I can, you know, I feel like that’s the part that’s hardest for me. Because I’m like, it’s okay. Like hopefully this book will encourage others to create their own lists of favorite books. And you know, maybe in the revised revised edition, we’ll add in a separate like blank note page where you can add in what would you have included next?

Mel Schuit: I love that. And I also love just having that, you know, sort of handy for people too, to add their own as they read and things like that, which you basically have that little space for reviews. So that’s perfect. You are the author, as you mentioned, of eight or nine books somewhere in between there, including ones about our favorite dragon. So can you talk a little bit more about your journey, you know, to becoming an author and what guides you in creating books for children?

Bianca Schulze: Yeah. You know, I ask this question of creators all of the time and I rarely sit and like focus on what that is for me. But I think it’s simply that I have a need to create and I love—I’ve worked with children a lot in previous careers and I just love the way I get to engage with them in a playful way. And if I can influence kids through a story to just love life a little bit more, then that’s all I need. So I think, I don’t know, I need to sit with this longer Mel and it’s so funny because I ask everybody this question, but I just, we don’t write stories to influence. But if you can influence a kid through your story to feel okay about their life or to look at something with a little bit of humor or to find some area of joy, then I think that’s what drives me.

Mel Schuit: I love that it always comes back to joy with you. I think that that’s, I think it’s beautiful to have just sort of like that central, like almost mantra of wanting to create joy and perpetuate that joy and pass that joy on to others. And I think that’s beautiful.

Bianca Schulze: I, you know, but I feel like it’s also important. And I think, you know, this is when you get into the craft of writing a story. You know, there has to be these action moments or like parts where you think the character is going to fail to be intriguing to the reader and whatnot. But that is life, right? We can hope for joy. But when we identify that life actually isn’t perfect and there’s going to be ups and downs, but in the end we can find joy, then, you know.

Mel Schuit: And finding those moments as, you know, sometimes when things are harder, carving out time to find those moments or make those moments of joy is absolutely important. So what is, to go back to 101 books for a second, what’s the one book from 101 books that you think adults need to read more than kids need to read? And I’m very interested in the why part of this question.

Bianca Schulze: Okay, I mean, this is so easy for me and I have my digital copy up in front. I’m scrolling right to the very, very last book. So give me one second. So, yeah, it’s the 101st and it’s listed as the 101st because it’s a novel and it’s probably the book that skews for the oldest audience. And I’m making you all wait for the title here. But so when I, I encountered Dr. Edith Eva Eger on Oprah’s Super Soul Sundays, and she is one of the last remaining Holocaust survivors. And she had a memoir that was titled The Choice. And hands down, if anybody ever says what’s one book that you think everybody should read in their life? It’s as an adult, it’s The Choice by Dr. Edith Eva Eger for so many reasons, because it’s empowering to know what we’ve already talked about today. Sometimes life can feel so hard, but we always have a choice on what we do next. We can choose to forgive so we’re not carrying the baggage of others. Well, anyway, I could talk about that book for a long time, and every adult should read The Choice. Well, they made a young adult version, a memoir for young adults, and it’s called The Ballerina of Auschwitz. And I just think everybody needs to read it. I have a quote here that’s actually printed on the page in the book. We can’t ever change what’s happened to us. We can’t alter the past or control what’s coming around the next corner, but we can choose how we live now. And I just think it’s so powerful. And that was definitely one of the new titles that I got to include in this version.

Mel Schuit: Yeah, that is very powerful. So to talk a little bit more about you as a reader, you know, they say to be a writer that you need to be a reader first. So I’m wondering if for you, you can remember a pivotal moment in your life that you sort of like light bulb moment, realize that you were a reader. And if you sort of remember a time, again, if you can, when you were like, I want to pass that love of reading on to others.

Bianca Schulze: Yeah, I have been dying for somebody to ask me this question because again, I ask this question so often. And what I’m discovering is that so many of us that end up in these sort of literacy advocate roles, or even like a lot of authors, they were not readers themselves. And I am in that group. There’s the other group that were like, yeah, I was reading from age three. I was never without a book in my hand. I’ve been writing stories from the moment I could put a sentence together. That was not me. I would say the light bulb moment where I became a reader was in my young 20s when somebody said, this book reminded me so much of you and you have to read it. And it was somebody that I trusted and respected. I can’t even, I don’t even remember what the title was now. I don’t. But I remember—

Mel Schuit: Oh, that’s so key. I wanted to know what it was so badly.

Bianca Schulze: I know. But I just remember loving that I was influenced by somebody who got me and understood me. And I did. I connected with the book. What it was now, I don’t know, but I remember the moment. So it was kind of that was when I think I became a reader, was when people started saying, oh, you have to read this book. And they would always be right. But as a kid, I never considered myself as a reader. I’ll look back and I think it was because my mom always had her nose in a book. She read Mills and Boon romance novels. They were like the ones I think you would just pick up at the supermarket. She was obsessed with those. But I was modeled reading. I mean, she always read. And my dad was a lithographic printer.

Mel Schuit: I love that.

Bianca Schulze: And he had some great clients in Australia and one of them was Viking, which is Penguin. And I don’t know what he printed for them. It wasn’t the books. I think it was more like marketing materials or whatnot. And so they would often gift him books. And so I had tons of golden books and I would create homes for my Barbie dolls out of the golden books. Like I’d make sliding doors and all sorts of things. And then during school. I think it was like Where’s Waldo, which we call in Australia Where’s Wally. And we have this amazing illustrator in Australia, Graeme Base and he had this great picture book called Animalia. So I was more into the pictures and looking, but I didn’t consider myself a reader. But I look back and I can connect the dots that I was modeled reading, there were books surrounding me. And then, you know, I found my way into it eventually as an adult and love it. But I think secretly I always did. I just didn’t realize I could identify as a reader.

Mel Schuit: Yeah, and do you remember a moment maybe where you were like, I maybe want to write for other people.

Bianca Schulze: So I remember in third grade, not that I ever imagined I could become an author. I didn’t know that I could. But I have this really fond memory of my third grade teacher, Mrs. Moxon, giving us an assignment about losing a tooth. And we had to write it to fit in this piece of paper that was cut out like a big giant tooth. And that’s—I don’t know why, I loved that. There was so much creativity in it and I couldn’t tell you why it stayed with me, but that was when I did find a joy of writing and telling a story, was when Mrs. Moxon gave us that specific assignment.

Mel Schuit: I mean, it’s kind of like a picture book. You have very limited space to tell your story and that’s so funny. It’s like you said, sort of connecting the dots right there. That’s very—

Bianca Schulze: Yeah, and I did make a picture book in high school. Well, I think technically it would be middle school here in the US, but it was probably like seventh or eighth grade. And we call that high school then. But for an art project, for art class, I made an ABC book. And back to like my love of Graeme Base’s Animalia and Where’s Wally slash Waldo. It was like you had to find the worm, which was maybe attached to my love of Lowly the worm from Richard Scarry’s books. I don’t know. But I did create my own alphabet hidden worm picture book in in like seventh or eighth grade.

Mel Schuit: Of course you did. I hope you held on to it because I feel like there’s something there. Especially if… All of the letters are made out of like… I don’t know, things that worms would actually like dig through. A is for apple, then you’ve got like a little worm coming out. I feel like there’s something there.

Bianca Schulze: Yeah, you know, right? Maybe that’s my next book and I’ll like just revamp it. I don’t know. My mom has boxes of stuff, so maybe it’s around somewhere.

Mel Schuit: You’ve gotta hold on to that old stuff. That’s one of the things I regret the most is letting my parents throw out all of my old stuff, being like, I’m too cool for it now. And you’ve gotta hold on to everything. You never know when it’s gonna spark a children’s book idea. What is the one thing you do in your day-to-day practices that you feel would be either the most surprising or most relatable to your listeners?

Bianca Schulze: Let’s just go with sort of relatable. I start with a coffee every single morning, but it’s a lavender latte. It has to have my lavender syrup in it. But yeah, that’s my day today. Like I don’t do anything. Well, I make sure the kids are all taken care of and off to school. But like then it’s mom’s lavender latte time. And then I hack into my emails and that’s that’s kind of that’s it. It’s just relatable.

Mel Schuit: Yeah, that is very relatable. That sounds like my exact morning every morning. If you could only save five books from your collection during a zombie apocalypse, which ones would you grab and why?

Bianca Schulze: Okay, well because this is a hypothetical question, I’m giving you my hypothetical answer and it’s a— So yeah, exactly. So it’s like—

Mel Schuit: Right, it’s probably hypothetical, probably. By the time this airs, it’s probably still hypothetical.

Bianca Schulze: Pro— maybe, yeah, hopefully. So I’m gonna cheat and be like, well, of course, you know, I already have my bunker under my house and I have all 500 and so titles from 101 books to read like stashed away. So I won’t have to be with just three or five titles. I’ll have them all in my bunker.

Mel Schuit: Okay, but what happens when you have to go out for fresh water and you find a zombie, you have to grab five books and your bucket of water, your bucket for water, and you have to trail out to get fresh water. So you’ve got your five books under your arm and your bucket for your fresh water. What are those five books?

Bianca Schulze: Okay, alright, alright. You’re gonna make me answer it. Okay.

Mel Schuit: There’s no cheating. It’s a zombie apocalypse. You gotta answer.

Bianca Schulze: I’m going to say I’m a huge Hobbit fan. So I would take The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. I think I would probably for sort of inspiration of, you know, like maybe I’d do A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park just because I need that inspiration of like, OK, this is doable. Obviously different scenarios. And then I think not listed in my book, I think I’d want a joke book. Like, I don’t know. Yeah, and I don’t own a ton of joke books, so I can’t put a title, but I think that’s what I would want. I would want a joke book. Just let’s go back to the joy.

Mel Schuit: Earn some levity.

Mel Schuit: Sure, yeah, and it could maybe slow the zombies down. If they’re like the slow moving zombies, it could slow them down even more because they’re like processing the joke or something. So you never know how that could come in handy. Kill them with laughter. I’ve got one final question for you, and I think it comes up on a lot of your podcasts, so you’re not going to be surprised by it. What is the most important point you would like the growing readers listeners to take away from this interview?

Bianca Schulze: Yeah, yeah, exactly. We’ll kill them with laughter.

Bianca Schulze: Okay, I’m gonna cheat and I’m gonna read, I’m gonna read my author’s note from the beginning of the book. And yeah, let me just pull it up.

Mel Schuit: I think that’s a great idea.

Mel Schuit: Since you’re gonna edit this out anyway, my cat is being so needy only right now.

Bianca Schulze: Always, right, that’s always the way. All right. Okay, so it’s the author’s note. And before I read the author’s note, I just wanna give a shout out to like the art direction team at Quarto because I think the way they’ve laid this book out, I mean, this came stemmed from the team in 2016. So I don’t know names to give, but I just kudos. And then the way that, you know, the team just kept the continuity from the first book into this book. It’s so great. And so I also want to shout out to Shaw Nielsen and Clemence—I’m probably going to say your last name wrong, but Clemence Langervin. I believe it’s a French name. Beautiful. But there, so Shaw Nielsen did the illustrations in the first version and then Clemence came along to illustrate the all the 30% of the new books. And like you cannot tell that this was two different illustrators. And it’s it’s incredible. Anyway, I love I love the layout and I get to brag about that because I I didn’t do it that had nothing to do with me. All right. So so what do I want to leave everybody with? And it’s definitely the author’s note from the beginning of the book. And it says, or I wrote, there are so many amazing books to be discovered and read, and far too many to list in one fun book. The 101 awesome books contained in these pages have one collective message. Be kind, be brave, and make good choices. Remember the struggles of those who came before you. Always dream of the fantastical future ahead of you and those who will come after you. Be true to yourself and with every page you turn, live your life like an epic adventure.

Mel Schuit: Wow, there’s no topping that. End of interview. That was amazing. I can’t wait for this book to be out in the world and for people to get a chance to take a look at what you’ve put together. It’s truly an incredible package and, you know, it’s just a beautiful compendium of books for everyone to read before they grow up. So thank you so much for putting it together and for sharing all of the knowledge that you have gained in the past 16 plus years with us. So we’re so grateful.

Bianca Schulze: Mel, thank you. It was such a treat to be interviewed by you. You made it so easy. I’m excited to go back to the opposite side out of the hot seat. I’ll get back into the cool seat. But yeah, thank you so much. Yeah.

Mel Schuit: I’m excited to go back to listening.

Bianca Schulze: And I feel like I also just need to give a shout out to my editor on this second version, which is Michelle Bredesen. And I mean, she was such a champion to work with and kept me true to deadlines. And yeah, it was great. Go team Quarto and everybody listening. Thank you for always being such an amazing supporter. I love getting your messages that you DM me through Instagram and emails. And I feel so loved and supported. And thanks for your support with this book, too. It means a lot.

Mel Schuit: We love working with you anytime, as I like to say.

Show Notes

Publisher’s Book Summary: Discover new books, document your favorites, learn fun facts about books and authors, and develop a lifelong reading habit.
101 Books to Read Before You Grow Up (Revised Edition) is the ultimate reading guide for kids ages 4 to 12+, packed with 101 kid-friendly book recommendations and interactive features to inspire young readers. This revised edition includes diverse voices and graphic novels and reflects current educational trends, making it a modern and inclusive reading guide for young readers today. From classics like Where the Wild Things Are, Beezus and Ramona, and The Phantom Tollbooth to newer favorites such as Big, New Kid, and Brown Girl Dreaming, this inspiring guide covers every stage of a young reader’s journey.

Designed as an engaging journal, this book allows you to document your reading journey by noting which books you’ve read, why you love them, and how you rate each one.

Each book entry includes:

• Brief description and quote: Provides insight into the book’s story, theme, and style.
• Engaging illustrations: Feature characters or key elements from each book.
• “Did you know?” facts: Fun tidbits about the book or author to spark curiosity.
• “What to read next?”: Recommendations to help you find more books you’ll love.
• Interactive rating and note space: A place for you to rate and write about your experience with each book.

Organized by book format (picture books, early readers, chapter books, and more) and cross-indexed by subjects like fairy tales, fantasy, sports, and nonfiction, 101 Books to Read Before You Grow Up.

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About the Author

Award-winning author Bianca Schulze has captivated young readers worldwide with her beloved picture books, including the international bestseller Don’t Wake the Dragon. As the founder and editor-in-chief of The Children’s Book Review, she has established herself as a trusted voice in children’s literature, championing literacy and quality storytelling for over a decade. As host of the popular The Growing Readers Podcast, Bianca connects authors, educators, and families, sharing her passion for books that inspire young minds. Originally from Sydney, Australia, she now creates, writes, and raises her three children with her husband near Boulder, Colorado.

For more information, check out biancaschulze.com.

Other Books Mentioned:

About Bianca Schulze: Bianca Schulze is the founder of The Children’s Book Review and host of The Growing Readers Podcast. A former bookseller turned author, she has published eight books and has been championing children’s literature for over 16 years. As a mother of three and passionate literacy advocate, she believes in the transformative power of reading for joy.

Credits:

Guest Host: Mel Schuit

Guest: Bianca Schulze

Producer: Bianca Schulze

Episode Sponsor: Cody’s Whisper by Mailia Grace. For more information, visit ⁠