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Gunnar the Viking’s Great Pizza Adventure by Diego Vaisberg

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Gunnar the Viking's Great Pizza Adventure by Diego Vaisberg
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As a pizza lover, I was drawn to this book when it mentioned a “pizza adventure,” and this book did not disappoint! Gunnar the Viking is a cute story about a conqueror who is missing something and finds his missing piece when he tries a slice of pizza! The illustrations are hilarious: the snake with the knife, the pizza disaster, the wave of tomato sauce and the Viking boat on an actual wave scene is amazing. I wish the Raven was featured more, especially since he is named a supporting character in the beginning, but that is just me being a fan of ravens and wanting more pet action.

Gunnar the Viking’s Great Pizza Adventure by Diego Vaisberg, (List Price: $18.99, duopress, 9781464233630, April 2026)

Reviewed by Kait, The Haunted Book Shop in Mobile, Alabama

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The Unlikely Tale of Chase and Finnegan by Jasmine Warga

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The Unlikely Tale of Chase and Finnegan by Jasmine Warga
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A delightful tale of rescue dog Finnegan and cheetah cub Chase. Finnegan’s new family includes zookeeper Basma. When she needs a friend for the cheetah cub she’s training, Finnegan accompanies her to the zoo, finding friendship in an unlikely place. This is a story of soaring hope and kindness.

The Unlikely Tale of Chase and Finnegan by Jasmine Warga, (List Price: $18.99, Balzer + Bray, 9781250387189, March 2026)

Reviewed by Rae Ann, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee

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Judgy Bunny and the Terrible Beach by Scott Rothman

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Judgy Bunny and the Terrible Beach by Scott Rothman
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Judgy Bunny will steal your heart with her cuteness, even though she’s very, VERY grouchy. She insults everything and wants no part of the fun other kids are having on the beach, but it turns out that an unrelentingly cheerful friend can pull even the judgiest bunny out of the grumps. Adorable, relatable, with bright, fun illustrations that are sure to turn any sour mood around. Perfect for a read-aloud!

Judgy Bunny and the Terrible Beach by Scott Rothman, (List Price: $18.99, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, 9781728296722, March 2026)

Reviewed by Amanda, Pearl’s Books in Fayetteville, Arkansas

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Loops by Jashar Awan

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Loops by Jashar Awan
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Loops is such a cute story about a child learning how to become a “big kid” and the importance of not losing their shoe. I loved how the book gently teaches kids how to tie their shoelaces in a fun, simple way. The title is extra funny because the story itself goes into a loop, which kids will enjoy noticing. This is a great, sweet book for toddlers who are growing up, learning new skills, and starting to take on little responsibilities.

Loops by Jashar Awan, (List Price: $19.99, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 9781665974943, March 2026)

Reviewed by Erika, Righton Books in St Simons Island, Georgia

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Shrinking Violet by Laurel Snyder

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Shrinking Violet by Laurel Snyder
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Gorgeous, and a helpful context for young readers about anxiety and worry. How do we do big things when we feel small? How do we shore ourselves up when the occasion demands it? Snyder, as always, provides gentle, reflective solutions to hard questions.

Shrinking Violet by Laurel Snyder, (List Price: $18.99, Chronicle Books, 9781797200729, April 2026)

Reviewed by Amelia, Long Story Books in Atlanta, Georgia

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Ramin Abbas Has MAJOR Questions by Ahmad Saber

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Ramin Abbas Has MAJOR Questions by Ahmad Saber
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Ramin is a Pakistani-Canadian boy who just wants to get through his senior year at his Muslim high school without anyone finding out that he’s gay. Is it possible for him to love Allah and also boys? When he has to join the soccer team to make up for a missing gym credit, he makes an unexpected friend and starts to question his assumptions about faith, family, and queerness. Ramin’s sincerity, questions, and earnest attempts to find a path that honored all parts of himself captured my heart.

Ramin Abbas Has MAJOR Questions by Ahmad Saber, (List Price: $21.99, Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, 9781665960694, March 2026)

Reviewed by Fisher, Carmichael’s Bookstore in Louisville, Kentucky

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Whidbey by T Kira Madden

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Whidbey by T Kira Madden
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T Kira Madden has written a unique and highly compelling story that kept me turning the pages as quickly as possible to find out what happened while also feeling the heartbreak, rage, and helplessness that haunt the story’s characters. The best thing about this book was how nuanced it is while still telling a story that never excuses horrific behavior. She manages to capture the gray in every character, showing us the full range of humanity in both the victim and the perpetrator, as well as the people who love each.

Whidbey by T Kira Madden, (List Price: $30, Mariner Books, 9780063289680, March 2026)

Reviewed by Kandi, WordsWorth Books in Little Rock, Arkansas

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A Suit or a Suitcase by Maggie Smith

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A Suit or a Suitcase by Maggie Smith
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This beautiful poetry collection looks at the connection between mind and body and the ways our sense of self shifts over time. Moving through questions of memory, meaning, and connection, it asks how time shapes who we are and how we are seen. A quiet, powerful read that stays with you.

A Suit or a Suitcase by Maggie Smith, (List Price: $25, Washington Square Press, 9781668090053, March 2026)

Reviewed by Sandra, Hills and Hamlets Bookshop in Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia

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The Creek, The Crone, and the Crow by Leah Weiss

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The Creek, The Crone, and the Crow by Leah Weiss
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It’s a gift and a joy to read one of Leah Weiss’s books. Her descriptions of the natural world and well-crafted characters stay with you for years. She writes intelligently yet lovingly about Appalachia and the people who live in the small community of Baines Creek. In her new novel, the author weaves together the story of Kate and Lydia — two women at crossroads in their lives who help each other heal familial wounds and move forward to futures they hadn’t imagined. This powerful and moving story is one you don’t want to miss.

The Creek, The Crone, and the Crow by Leah Weiss, (List Price: $17.99, Sourcebooks Landmark, 9781464250590, March 2026)

Reviewed by Mary, The Little Bookshop in Midlothian, Virginia

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In the Days of My Youth I Was Told What It Means to Be a Man by Tom Junod

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In the Days of My Youth I Was Told What It Means to Be a Man by Tom Junod
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In the days before caustic masculinity was recognized as such, when men could be men, and women could be, well, dismissed, abused, and ignored, along with so many other choice words. Thankfully, though, the public-school systems and Universities taught us to think for ourselves, and, with the help of our mothers, sisters, and friends, we were able to see past that dark tunnel of masculinity. But our fathers were still our fathers, and we loved them regardless of their foibles as this elegant and elegiac memoir shows. Tom Junod took me back to my childhood, and I saw my father, and with an honesty I don’t have, shares with us his father warts and all.

In the Days of My Youth I Was Told What It Means to Be a Man by Tom Junod, (List Price: $32, Doubleday, 9780375400391, March 2026)

Reviewed by Pete, McIntyre’s Books in Pittsboro, North Carolina

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Honeysuckle by Bar Fridman-Tell

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Honeysuckle by Bar Fridman-Tell
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I haven’t been able to stop thinking about Honeysuckle since I read it. A Frankenstein-esque spirit haunts the pages through Daye’s love for Rory, which is woven and tangled with her existence. Fridman-Tell writes characters whose thoughts, worries, and flaws spill off the page into people and experiences I’m sure most readers know in some way. This was a simultaneously familiar and altogether unique reading experience. I highly, highly recommend!

Honeysuckle by Bar Fridman-Tell, (List Price: $28.99, Bloomsbury Publishing, 9781639736737, March 2026)

Reviewed by Tori, Union Avenue Books in Knoxville, Tennessee

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