South Main Book Company

Squirrel Lock Holmes #1: The Pet Rock Mystery by Ashley Belote

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Squirrel Lock Holmes #1: The Pet Rock Mystery by Ashley Belote
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Ashley Belote has a tremendous gift for connecting with children of all ages through her incredible illustrations and simple messages. I particularly love her how-to lessons on drawing and problem-solving at the end of this short chapter book, perfect for emerging readers. Great length; it will give kids the confidence they can read longer books with ease, and the perfect mystery to keep parents engaged as a read-aloud. I hope this is a series!!!

Squirrel Lock Holmes #1: The Pet Rock Mystery by Ashley Belote, (List Price: $10.99, Random House Graphic, 9780593897829, March 2026)

Reviewed by Alissa, South Main Book Company in Salisbury, North Carolina

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They Stole a City by Lauren Collins

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They Stole a City by Lauren Collins
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As a child born and educated in Wilmington, North Carolina, who—like so many others—knew nothing of this massacre until adulthood, I am always grateful to see new scholarship on this topic. The author’s care in tying history to present conditions for descendants of the massacre makes this a particularly noteworthy document. Even the Philly Deli makes an appearance. Excellent work, which gives me hope more will eventually come to light in my lifetime.

They Stole a City by Lauren Collins, (List Price: $32, Penguin Press, 9781984878816, July 2026)

Reviewed by Alissa, South Main Book Company in Salisbury, NC

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Dear Monica Lewinsky by Julia Langbein

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Dear Monica Lewinsky by Julia Langbein
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Rambunctious energy throughout. Saint Monica triumphs!

Dear Monica Lewinsky by Julia Langbein, (List Price: $30, Doubleday, 9780385551502, April 2026)

Reviewed by Alissa, South Main Book Company in Salisbury, NC

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And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson, Peter Parnell, Henry Cole (illus.)

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And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson, Peter Parnell, Henry Cole (illus.)
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So glad to see a new edition of this classic at such an important time for diverse stories to be told widely.

And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson, Peter Parnell, Henry Cole (illus.), (List Price: $19.99, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 9780689878459, June 2005)

Reviewed by Alissa, South Main Book Company in Salisbury, North Carolina

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Nani and the Lion by Alicia D. Williams

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Nani and the Lion by Alicia D. Williams
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Everything Alicia D. Williams does is gorgeous, and this picture book is no exception. The illustrations are phenomenal, and the message of a young girl’s strength and the power of music and community is exceptional. Loved it!

Nani and the Lion by Alicia D. Williams, (List Price: $19.99, Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, 9781665914222, February 2026)

Reviewed by Alissa, South Main Book Company in Salisbury, North Carolina

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Beth Is Dead by Katie Bernet

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Beth Is Dead by Katie Bernet
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Fantastic update to the classic story of Little Women – with modern sisters searching for Beth’s killer (which definitely wasn’t natural causes this time around). Great debut, excited to see what Katie Bernet does next.

Beth Is Dead by Katie Bernet, (List Price: $19.99, Sarah Barley Books, Simon & Schuster Books for Yo, 9781665988698, January 2026)

Reviewed by Alissa, South Main Book Company in Salisbury, North Carolina

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The Four Spent the Day Together by Chris Kraus

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The Four Spent the Day Together by Chris Kraus
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I had no idea what I was reading for the longest time – memoir? True crime? But I was sucked into this (I eventually discovered) novel from the first page. And it was incredibly inventive. I am somewhat obsessed with three-part narratives, and this hit harder than Hernán Díaz’s Trust.

The Four Spent the Day Together by Chris Kraus, (List Price: $29, Scribner, 9781668098684, October 2025)

Reviewed by Alissa Redmond, South Main Book Company in Salisbury, North Carolina

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Aggie and the Ghost by Matthew Forsythe

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Aggie and the Ghost by Matthew Forsythe
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Lovely illustrations and wonderful tale of a girl’s trials living in a haunted house with a ghost who never follows her rules.

Aggie and the Ghost by Matthew Forsythe, (List Price: $19.99, Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, 9781534478206, August 2025)

Reviewed by Alissa Redmond, South Main Book Company in Salisbury, North Carolina

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Home by Matt de la Peña

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Home by Matt de la Peña
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I’m weeping openly in my store after reading this gorgeous book about what makes a home. As more families are displaced due to trauma, conflict, and climate change, this is a necessary picture book to help anyone processing a difficult transition in life.

Home by Matt de la Peña, (List Price: $19.99, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, 9780593110898, March 2025)

Reviewed by Alissa Redmond, South Main Book Company in Salisbury, North Carolina

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The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

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The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
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I am a former diplomat who worked on immigration to the U.S. for years, and this book spoke to me on so many levels. I haven’t been so moved by a fantasy novel since The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab, maybe even Exit West by Mohsin Hamid, both of which I will use as a basis of comparison while handselling the hell out of this book. The premise is not simple, but this world is incredibly easy to enter. The UK government of the near future has discovered time travel and is testing its impact on the bodies and minds of five “expats,” rescued from certain deaths in large-scale calamities of history. Each expat is assigned a “bridge,” a civil servant who will help them acclimatize to modernity (while reporting on their every move to the Ministry). At its heart, this novel is an often hilarious romance between one bridge and her expat. But the depth of world-building around their relationship, the back stories of each character, and the tremendous emotion on display through Ms. Bradley’s exquisite way with words make this anything but your run-of-the-mill love story. Come for the Bond-like moments of adventure. Stay for the pearls of wisdom Ms. Bradley drops on how our futures are truly built, one sealed door of possibility, hope, and forgiveness at a time.

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley, (List Price: $28.99, Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster, 9781668045145, May 2024)

Reviewed by Alissa Redmond, South Main Book Company in Salisbury, North Carolina

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Rabbit Heart by Kristine S. Ervin

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Rabbit Heart by Kristine S. Ervin
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I could never anticipate how satisfying the ending of this story unfolded. Reading this reminded me of The Postcard by Anne Berest; jaw-dropping simplicity and sincerity directly from a person who survived a major trauma inflicted on their family as truth is revealed that you assume would be lost to the passage of time… Books like this give me hope that beauty can truly overcome even the direst of circumstances. How proud her mother would be of her for pulling together such a triumph of a book: to honor memories of the before, to allow space to heal, and to give voice and power back to those who deserve it.

Rabbit Heart by Kristine S. Ervin, (List Price: $27, Counterpoint, 9781640096370, March 2024)

Reviewed by Alissa Redmond, South Main Book Company in Salisbury, North Carolina

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Today by Gabi Snyder

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Today by Gabi Snyder
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Beautiful illustrations reminding kids (and their families) to appreciate the fleeting moments of perfection life allows in an imperfect world. Pause and make memories – what a gorgeous book for magical read-a-longs.

Today by Gabi Snyder, (List Price: $18.99, Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, 9781665924856, January 2024)

Reviewed by Alissa Redmond, South Main Book Company in Salisbury, North Carolina

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The Little Tiger by Nicola Killen

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The Little Tiger by Nicola Killen
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Gorgeous illustrations, visible occasionally thru clever cutouts – what a sweet birthday tale!

The Little Tiger by Nicola Killen, (List Price: $17.99, Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, 9781665940986, December 2023)

Reviewed by Alissa Redmond, South Main Book Company in Salisbury, North Carolina

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Dogtown by Katherine Applegate

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Dogtown by Katherine Applegate
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My eight-year-old daughter and I are savoring this sweet book. What a lovely tale of friendship triumphing in the face of competition for scarce resources. Very short chapters, and adorable characters, make this a great confidence booster for a reluctant reader. Wonderful messages about adopting animals into family for life as well.

Dogtown by Katherine Applegate, (List Price: 17.99, Feiwel & Friends, 9781250811608, September 2023)

Reviewed by Alissa Redmond, South Main Book Company in Salisbury, North Carolina

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