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Trey and Bree on paper are the perfect couple. 2.5 children, happy, comfortable and living a nice life. But is Bree losing her mind or is there a “witch” stalking her? Who stole her infant? Joshilyn Jackson invokes her trademark humor and her fierce voice for justice in this thrilling new book. Not one to shy away from social issues they are present here in a story ringing true to today’s issues. Fast-paced with a great storyline, this is one for a road trip and the beach!

Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson (List Price: $27.99, William Morrow, 9780062855343, 4/6/2021)

Reviewed by Suzanne Lucey, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina

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When I read Prison By Any Other Name, I knew that it was one of the most important books of 2020. In fact, if you read only one work of nonfiction this year, please consider this brilliant exploration of “alternatives” to policing and incarceration! It’s a meticulously researched exploration of popular reforms that centers the stories of real people to craft a highly readable but utterly devastating critique. Importantly, it also offers transformative, community-based solutions.

Prison by Any Other Name by Victoria Law and Maya Schenwar (List Price: $26.99, New Press, 9781620973103, 7/20/2021)

Reviewed by Libertie Valance, Firestorm Books, Coffee & Community in Asheville, North Carolina

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I really really enjoyed this book! It’s perfect fans of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and Frankly in Love! There’s fake dating, and you will absolutely love it! I couldn’t get enough of this book!

Rent a Boyfriend by Gloria Chao (List Price: $18.99, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 9781534462458, 11/10/2020)

Reviewed by Brittany Bunzey, Read With Me, A Childrens Book & Art Shop in Raleigh, North Carolina

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Lovers of books and dragons will rejoice at this imaginative tale of how dragons learned to breathe fire.

Once Upon a Dragon’s Fire by Beatrice Blue (List Price: $17.99, Clarion Books, 9780358272427, 3/2/2021)

Reviewed by Jill Hendrix, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

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This book about Scott Joplin is beautifully written and even more beautifully illustrated. I loved the historic details, like the inclusion of the real 1911 sheet music cover of “Maple Leaf Rag”! Scott Joplin is an iconic part of American music history and every child deserves to know his story.

King of Ragtime by Stephen Costanza, Stephen Costanza (Illus.) (List Price: $17.99, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 9781534410367, 8/24/2021)

Reviewed by Kate Storhoff, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina