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My Side of the River by Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez

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My Side of the River by Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez
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My Side of the River tells the poignant story of Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez, a fifteen-year-old honors student abruptly separated from her family by immigration policies. Alone in the United States, she is forced to navigate the challenges of finding shelter and resources while relentlessly pursuing academic excellence. Highly recommended for readers who appreciate Dear America and looking to explore topics of immigration and identity.

My Side of the RiverMy Side of the River by Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez, (List Price: $29, St. Martin’s Press, 9781250277954, February 2024)

Reviewed by Beth Seufer Buss, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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Slow Noodles by Chantha Nguon

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Slow Noodles by Chantha Nguon
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Slow Noodles is the gripping memoir of a child navigating the devastating impact of Pol Pot’s genocide in the 1970s. Nguon recounts the heartbreaking separation from family, escape to another country, and the enduring grip of memories centered around recipes from her mother’s kitchen. This book is a powerful blend of sorrow and hope, terror and optimism, all interwoven with the significance of food and the potency of memories, making it an ideal choice for book clubs looking to delve into history alongside discussions on family dynamics, the role of food, and the complexities of immigration.

Slow Noodles by Chantha Nguon, (List Price: $29, Algonquin Books, 9781643753492, February 2024)

Reviewed by Beth Seufer Buss, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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Tales of the Celestial Kingdom by Sue Lynn Tan

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Tales of the Celestial Kingdom by Sue Lynn Tan
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Tales is the perfect, sweet wrap-up for the beautiful world Sue Lynn Tan welcomed us into with Daughter of the Moon Goddess. With stunning art, and little tidbits that explain so much of the story we didn’t know before, it’s everything we readers could have asked for and more. A gift to treasure.

Tales of the Celestial Kingdom by Sue Lynn Tan, (List Price: $24.99, Harper Voyager, 9780063326699, February 2024)

Reviewed by Caitlyn Vanorder, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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Ink Girls by Marieke Nijkamp

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Ink Girls by Marieke Nijkamp
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Ink Girls is a beautifully illustrated, sweet story about a group of girls in a Renaissance-inspired word who are determined to fight for truth. It shows firsthand how deeply important it is that truth comes first, above the discomfort of change. Everything else will fall into place, and friends deserving of you will flock to you. I can’t wait to push this graphic novel into everyone\’s hands!

Ink Girls by Marieke Nijkamp, (List Price: $15.99, Greenwillow Books, 9780063027107, November 2023)

Reviewed by Caitlyn Vanorder, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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Soy Sauce! by Laura G. Lee

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Soy Sauce! by Laura G. Lee
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They. drew. with. Soy. Sauce. Soy sauce is such an integral part of seasoning… everything! (Even my taco meat gets a healthy zotz of soy sauce!). The cooking onomatopoeia in big comic book-style bubbles and splats reminds me of Ramen for Everyone. Truly, these are life principles. Food means love.

Soy Sauce! by Laura G. Lee, (List Price: $18.99, Algonquin Young Readers, 9781523528387, January 2025)

Reviewed by Lisa Yee Swope, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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Say You’ll Be Mine by Naina Kumar

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Say You'll Be Mine by Naina Kumar
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Say You’ll Be Mine is an adorable romance with 90s/00s rom-com vibes. It’s also the perfect example of why fake dating (in this case a fake engagement) is one of my favorite romance tropes. Karthik and Meghna are deeply relatable characters who will capture your heart.

Say You’ll Be Mine by Naina Kumar, (List Price: $18, Random House Publishing Group, 9780593723883, January 2024)

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

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The End of the World Is a Cul de Sac by Louise Kennedy

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The End of the World Is a Cul de Sac by Louise Kennedy
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Jaw dropping collection of short stories! The difficult situations women find themselves is front and center here. Come for the characters, stay for the prose.

The End of the World Is a Cul de Sac by Louise Kennedy, (List Price: $28, Penguin Publishing Group, 9780593540923, December 2023)

Reviewed by Teresa Dampier, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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José Feeds the World by David Unger

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José Feeds the World by David Unger
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This picture book tells the inspiring story of Jose Andres and his World Central Kitchen, and the many people around the world he has helped in the aftermath of disasters. This book highlights the power of one person’s idea and the way one can mobilize and inspire many. This would be a great book to share with a young reader who has questions about why disasters happen and what we can do to help those affected.

José Feeds the World by David Unger, (List Price: $18.99, duopress, 9781728279527, January 2024)

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

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The Flying Ship Volume 1 by Jem Milton

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The Flying Ship Volume 1 by Jem Milton
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The Flying Ship is the irreverent, hilarious, and pertinent graphic novel of my dreams- How Jem managed to shove absolutely everything I love into one story, I do not know, but the fact that it’s also beautifully illustrated is my favorite thing in the entire world. If you love familial curses, cracking open the gender binary, and political intrigue, I could not be more excited to put this book into your hands.

The Flying Ship Volume 1 by Jem Milton, (List Price: $24.99, Dark Horse Comics, 9781506738444, November 2023)

Reviewed by Caitlyn Vanorder, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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Airplane Mode by Shahnaz Habib

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Airplane Mode by Shahnaz Habib
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A December Read This Next! Title

It’s interesting to me that the subtitle of this book describes it as an “irreverent” history of travel, because I found this to be some of the most moving travel writing I’ve read in recent years — it’s funny, witty, sometimes scathing, but it’s also deeply sincere, personal, and imbued with a love of the world and the people who inhabit it. Each chapter is perfectly constructed and packed with gorgeous sentences. I really appreciated the perspective that the author shares in this book; it will change how I think about traveling. I want to push this book into everyone’s hands!

Airplane Mode by Shahnaz Habib, (List Price: $27, Catapult, 9781646220151, December 2023)

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

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Ruined by Sarah Vaughn

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Ruinedby Sarah Vaughn
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When I came across this historical romance in the form of a graphic novel I knew I had to read it. I fell in love with both Catherine and Andrew through the charming illustrations and heart-filled story. I think this graphic novel will charm the hearts of Bridgerton fans and I hope to see more like it in the future!

Ruined by Sarah Vaughn, (List Price: $28.99, First Second, 9781250769350, November 2023)

Reviewed by Keeshia Jacklitch, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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Emperor of Rome by Mary Beard

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Emperor of Romeby Mary Beard
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Mary Beard is a legend among historians, and a queen to history lovers. As both, I need everyone to know that this book is the perfect way to explore the psychology of what it meant to be THE Emperor of Rome. What it meant to the historical figures around them. Everything. It’s such a fascinating look at such complex figures that we realistically only know a limited amount about due to how long ago Rome was, and how often their successors attempted to erase them from history, even casually so after their deaths. If you’re looking for further exploration into the archetype of the Roman Emperor, you’ll delight in this book.

Emperor of Rome by Mary Beard, (List Price: $39.99, Liveright, 9780871404220, October 2023)

Reviewed by Caitlyn Vanorder , Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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Where Are the Aliens? by Stacy McAnulty

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Where Are the Aliens? by Stacy McAnulty
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Stacy (local-to-me author!) is like the teacher who gets passionately excited about something and her enthusiasm drags the entire class into that geekdom. The kind that when you see a oddly specific kitschy item you know it has to belong to them so you buy it and gift it to them and they tell you a story about something you had no idea about in that item you are handing them. I am delighted that her Our Universe picture books have a middle grade book for their readers to grow into.

Where Are the Aliens? by Stacy McAnulty, (List Price: 16.99, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 9780759553996, September 2023)

Reviewed by Lisa Yee Swope, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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Every Night at Midnight by Peter Cheong

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Every Night at Midnight by Peter Cheong
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Secrets, always secrets. Every night, secrets. And with the nighttime aesthetic, beautiful white on black line work to contrast with the daytime bright whites and classmates from whom he hides his truths. But with trust, surprises come out from unexpected places. A great story for talking about identity, secrets, sharing, trust, and friendships. Could be used for Halloween but certainly should not be limited to that!

Every Night at Midnight by Peter Cheong, (List Price: 18.99, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 9781665917384, August 2023)

Reviewed by Lisa Yee Swope, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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Curlfriends: New in Town (A Graphic Novel) by Sharee Miller

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10 Dogs by Emily Gravett
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Charlie is the new girl at school and making friends has not been easy for her. She wants to make new friends and be cool so she tries to be someone she’s not and makes a mess of things. I love the message in this book to always be your true authentic self and you will find your people. The illustrations are adorable and I love the all black cast. Great read!

Curlfriends: New in Town (A Graphic Novel) by Sharee Miller, (List Price: 12.99, Little, Brown Ink, 9780316591454, October 2023)

Reviewed by Keeshia Jacklitch, Bookseller, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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