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Moon Cat by Casi Cole

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Moon Cat by Casi Cole
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A unique bedtime story for the space explorer and the feline-lover. This is a story about a little girl being told a story about the Moon Cat. She gets to join Moon Cat as it moves through the night and space, sharing so much of the quiet glittering world with her. The illustrations took my breath away. This is not one I’ll be forgetting soon.

Moon Cat by Casi Cole, (List Price: $19.99, Paw Prints Publishing, 9781223189239, November 2025)

Reviewed by Morgan DePerno, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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The Last Ember by Lily Berlin Dodd

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The Last Ember by Lily Berlin Dodd
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With magical prose and a fun cast of quirky characters, middle-grade readers are sure to be swept away by this heartfelt adventure story.

The Last Ember by Lily Berlin Dodd, (List Price: $19.99, Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), 9780374393120, November 2025)

Reviewed by Cindy Otis, The Stacks Bookstore in Savannah, Georgia

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Winging It: A Graphic Novel by Megan Wagner Lloyd

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Winging It: A Graphic Novel by Megan Wagner Lloyd
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Go on Luna’s journey of self-growth as she navigates a life-changing move across the country with her father, surviving a new middle school while still mourning her long-deceased mother and getting to know her seemingly aloof grandmother, along with her very rigid rules. I devoured Winging It by Megan Wagner Lloyd and Michelle Mee Nutter in one sitting because the character development was so good that I was instantly invested in Luna’s well-being, relationships, and her nature-hunting ways. Beautiful illustrations, great storyline, and a satisfying feel-good ending! Now I’m off to search for the ever elusive Luna Moth…

Winging It: A Graphic Novel by Megan Wagner Lloyd, (List Price: $14.99, Graphix, 9781338818529, October 2025)

Reviewed by Barb Rascon, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina

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Dragonborn by Struan Murray

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Dragonborn by Struan Murray
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Absolutely loved this. What a great twist for readers who love dragons but are moving on to books with heavier themes and twists. Loved the strong female lead and the perfect balance of being the new girl and learning about yourself. Honestly, probably a great read for friends who loved KPop demon hunters (I can’t think of higher praise than that!). Female lead, family secrets, welcoming the darkness within.

Dragonborn by Struan Murray, (List Price: $19.99, Dutton Books for Young Readers, 9798217113217, October 2025)

Reviewed by Stacey Sanford, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi

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Broken by X. Fang

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Broken by X. Fang
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Broken is a gentle story of a little girl with big feelings rendered in soft layered colored pencil. This story is simple, but soothing, and a reminder that what’s broken can always be fixed (and to perhaps not trust cats, who are always up to something).

Broken by X. Fang, (List Price: $18.99, Tundra Books, 9781774882009, October 2025)

Reviewed by Julie Jarema, Hub City Bookshop in Spartanburg, South Carolina

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Overdue by Stephanie Perkins

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Overdue by Stephanie Perkins
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Overdue is such a delight to read. Even with Ingrid’s crazy “we’re on a break” plan, I thought the characters were fun, fleshed out, and people I would want to be friends with. Her curmudgeon-y co-worker Macon is adorable – I love everything about him. Plenty of solid tropes in this one … friends to lovers, grumpy/sunshine, workplace romance. Slowburn and lots of good fun. I adored all of the library and bookstore references. A book about books!!!

Overdue by Stephanie Perkins, (List Price: $31, Saturday Books, 9781250313461, October 2025)

Reviewed by Christina Tabereaux, The Snail On the Wall in Huntsville, Alabama

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In a Distant Valley by Shannon Bowring

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In a Distant Valley by Shannon Bowring
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I inhaled this book! I have loved all of the Dalton series books, and the end to the series did not disappoint. Spending time with the same characters and getting in the heads of the other minor characters from previous books gives you a giant hug that gets you through the day. Shannon has a way in her writing that makes you feel like you are a part of the story. She makes the place in Maine seem like its own character. I am going to miss Tru, Bev, Nate, Rose, and all the town folk who make this story so vivid. The line “With each mouthful of champagne, Trudy feels lighter and fuller at the same time” Is just an example of the beauty of her writing. There is so much more to love in her newest book, and I can’t wait to see what she does next! Amazing

In a Distant Valley by Shannon Bowring, (List Price: $19, Europa Editions, 9798889661405, October 2025)

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

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Girl Warrior by Joy Harjo

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Girl Warrior by Joy Harjo
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In Girl Warrior, Joy Harjo shares advice, wisdom from her life experiences, and a belief in our spiritual connection to our ancestors, to our world, and to one another. Her words uplift and encourage, offer empathy and understanding, provide perspective and healing. This is a book you keep close. Read these words when you need a friendly reminder that you can move forward, that you can take step after step into the future you desire, that you can always ask for help, that you deserve and can find happiness. Give this book to those you love and treasure.

Girl Warrior by Joy Harjo, (List Price: $21.99, W. W. Norton & Company, 9781324094173, October 2025)

Reviewed by Lera Shawver, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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Red City by Marie Lu

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Red City by Marie Lu
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The balance Lu crafted between Sam and Ari is pure perfection, you could even say it’s alchemical. I should have prepared myself for how entranced by this world that I would be, but I was taken off guard in the best way. A fresh addition to fantasy that I can’t and won’t stop thinking about.

Red City by Marie Lu, (List Price: $29.99, Tor Books, 9781250885678, October 2025)

Reviewed by Sarah Hudson, M. Judson Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina

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The Wayfinder by Adam Johnson

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The Wayfinder by Adam Johnson
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Epic in scope, epic in size and epic in ambition: The Wayfinder, by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Adam Johnson, is a masterful and immersive wonder of a novel, one that – despite its heft – I raced through in a matter of days. Set hundreds of years ago, at the height of the Tongan empire in the South Pacific, it focuses on two groups of people – Korero and her people, on the brink of starvation on their isolated island, and the family of the Tongan leader, engaged both in a feud amongst themselves and a wider war across the region – whose fates become intertwined across the seas. Blending myth, storytelling, and historical fact, and touching on themes of over-consumption, power, family, and individual autonomy, The Wayfinder is brilliantly realised and impeccably researched. It is a mark of Johnson’s skill that he makes a story so remote in time and geography feel wholly alive and relevant to today’s world. Highly recommended.

The Wayfinder by Adam Johnson, (List Price: $30, MCD, 9780374619572, October 2025)

Reviewed by Jude Burke-Lewis, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi

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Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy

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Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
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This was my first McConaghy title to read, and it did not disappoint. The intrigue and intensity built earlier as an unknown woman washed up on the shore of a remote island at the far end of the world. It becomes clear there are secrets to be unearthed and truths hidden. I found the first third a bit slow … it took more time than perhaps necessary to get to some real action, but the author does do a great job in the process of creating relationships and trust among the inhabitants of the island, given how little they truly know of each other. I felt all the feelings with this read: grief from the loss of loved ones, wonder at the fierceness of nature, and fear of a coming climate crisis. It will be a solid book for readers who enjoy suspense and complicated family dynamics, with a touch of climate crisis thrown in.

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy, (List Price: $28.99, Flatiron Books, 9781250827951, March 2025)

Reviewed by Christina Tabereaux, The Snail On the Wall in Huntsville, Alabama

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Witchkiller by Ashlee Latimer

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Witchkiller by Ashlee Latimer
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Ashlee Latimer’s Witchkiller takes the story of Hansel & Gretel and completely flips it on its head with siblings who are increasingly at odds, witches who aren’t what they seem, and romance that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Gretel’s journey into learning who she is and who she wants to be is one that will resonate with young readers everywhere. Plus, it’s the perfect spooky season read!

Witchkiller by Ashlee Latimer, (List Price: $19.99, Scholastic Press, 9781546137689, October 2025)

Reviewed by Tori Finklea, Union Avenue Books in Knoxville, Tennessee

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War Games by Alan Gratz

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War Games by Alan Gratz
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Loved this one. A heist, a girl, international characters and some insight into what was going on before the war. And I learned about Black Sunday!

War Games by Alan Gratz, (List Price: $18.99, Scholastic Press, 9781338736106, October 2025)

Reviewed by Wilson Robbins, Novel. in Memphis, Tennessee

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Make Me a Monster by Kalynn Bayron

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Make Me a Monster by Kalynn Bayron
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Growing up in a family of morticians, Meka isn’t exactly squeamish about death, but when her world is turned upside down by tragedy, life after death takes on a very different meaning. A Frankenstein reimagining with bittersweet romance and a menacing cult, this is well worth a read.

Make Me a Monster by Kalynn Bayron, (List Price: $19.99, Bloomsbury YA, 9781547615865, September 2025)

Reviewed by Matilda McNeely, Little Shop of Stories in Decatur, Georgia

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A Snow Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead

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A Snow Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead
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Amos McGee is back in this winter picture book! Amos is so excited about the first snow, so he knits all of his animal friends various accessories to prepare for the cold. A delightful and heartwarming read that I can’t wait to read to my kids for winters to come!

A Snow Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead, (List Price: $19.99, Roaring Brook Press, 9781250324733, September 2025)

Reviewed by Claire McWhorter, River & Hill Books in Rome, Georgia

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