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Silver Elite by Dani Francis

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Silver Elite by Dani Francis
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I’m not usually a fan of dystopian books, but I really enjoyed this one! I think in part because this world doesn’t feel overtly dystopian. The dystopian elements felt subtle but clearly defined. The writing is very good and was done in a way that allowed the plot to shine. The characters felt consistent in their behaviour, which I really appreciated. I read it in one day, and the cliffhanger left me intrigued and wanting to know what happens next.

Silver Elite by Dani Francis, (List Price: $32.99, Del Rey, 9780593875469, May 2025)

Reviewed by Savannah Laughlin, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina

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Rosarita by Anita Desai

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Rosarita by Anita Desai
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Setting out on a journey, one often sees the path forward as clear and straight, but when that journey intersects with the past, ghosts, sideways pathways, and surprising intersections may appear. Pull up a chair, pour yourself a drink, and dive straight into fiction master Desai’s brief and powerful journey into the pathways both forward and back into a world of family, country, art, and possibility.

Rosarita by Anita Desai, (List Price: $22, Scribner, 9781668082430, January 2025)

Reviewed by Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina

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Victor, the Wolf with Worries by Catherine Rayner

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Victor, the Wolf with Worries by Catherine Rayner
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Victor, The Wolf With Worries, immediately stole my anxious heart. A beautifully illustrated book with an important message. Having the courage to share our worries can make us feel braver, and bigger, and fiercer. With a few great tools to help keep worries away, and the bigger message of realizing that everyone worries, this book is sure to help some littles, and their parents, feel much more wolfish.

Victor, the Wolf with Worries by Catherine Rayner, (List Price: $18.99, Boxer Books, 9781915801838, January 2025)

Reviewed by Mary Salazar, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina

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To See an Owl by Matthew Cordell

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To See an Owl by Matthew Cordell
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To hear an owl takes patience, to see one- well, that’s magical. Caldecott winning author/illustrator Cordell brings the magic of the woods to life in this stunning picture book just perfect for those nature lovers in your life.

To See an Owl by Matthew Cordell, (List Price: $18.99, Random House Studio, 9780593649893, January 2025)

Reviewed by Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina

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On Our Way! What a Day! by JaNay Brown-Wood

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On Our Way! What a Day! by JaNay Brown-Wood
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A birthday! A gift? Hmmm… A delightful journey ends with a celebration of found things, group effort, and a very happy Gran. A perfect read-together for those families who delight in the joys of nature, music, and time together.

On Our Way! What a Day! by JaNay Brown-Wood, (List Price: $18.99, Nancy Paulsen Books, 9780593110751, January 2025)

Reviewed by Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina

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Ingrained by Callum Robinson

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Ingrained by Callum Robinson
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A beautiful memoir about the importance of making things with your hands and how a point of crisis can bring what is important back into focus.

Ingrained by Callum Robinson, (List Price: $30, Ecco, 9780063350830, December 2024)

Reviewed by Holly Wunsch, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina

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A Stickler Christmas by Lane Smith

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A Stickler Christmas by Lane Smith
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There’s always that one book that’s so weird it’s wonderful. If that’s your holiday jam, Stickler will definitely stick with you. And yeah, we all know that one kid who really might just love a really cool stick for Christmas.

A Stickler Christmas by Lane Smith, (List Price: $18.99, Random House Studio, 9780593815281, October 2024)

Reviewed by Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina

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Frostfire by Elly MacKay

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Frostfire by Elly MacKay
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Those etchings you see on frozen windows, that’s frostfire — snow dragon breath — you know. Of course they live in snowbanks and happily dine on pinecones, and if you’re quiet and if you believe, maybe you’ll see one. I am absolutely in LOVE with this magical snowy title, and if you believe, maybe you should invite a snow dragon onto your bookshelf.

Frostfire by Elly MacKay, (List Price: $18.99, Tundra Books, 9780735266988, October 2024)

Reviewed by Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina

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Canoes by Maylis De Kerangal

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Canoes by Maylis De Kerangal
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I love dragons and a good historical fiction as much as anyone, but lately I find myself seeking good old realistic fiction, and there’s no one better for that than Maylis DeKerangal. Following her English language publication of Eastbound, comes Canoes, a delicious, delightful collection of stories of women living life. Strange, funny, sad, curious, beautiful. The stories of Canoesoffer pinhole insights into lives lived, and will absolutely leave readers changed for the good.

Canoes by Maylis De Kerangal, (List Price: $19, Archipelago, 9781953861962, October 2024)

Reviewed by Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina

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A Really Strange and Wonderful Time by Tom Maxwell

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A Really Strange and Wonderful Time by Tom Maxwell
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This book is a rapid fire entrance into the moment when punk rock merged into indie music and a creative community was blossoming in North Carolina. Not only a memoir of one of the Squirrel Nut Zippers, this is a drop into the coolest spots in the 1990s. The musicians, venues, record stores, promoters, sound people. artists for posters and albums and indie labels were all part of a collective moment of creativity- A Really Strange and Wonderful Time.

A Really Strange and Wonderful Time by Tom Maxwell, (List Price: $30, Hachette Books, 9780306830587, April 2024)

Reviewed by Kimberly Daniels, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina

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Twenty-Four Seconds from Now . . . by Jason Reynolds

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Twenty-Four Seconds from Now . . . by Jason Reynolds
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What can’t he do? After opening conversations about gun violence, the importance of belonging, bravery, and superheroes, now Jason Reynolds has turned the conversation to what real love looks like as navigated by sweet, kind, confused, scared (of dogs!) insightful 17-year-old Neon. This honest book is basically Judy Blume’s Forever written for today’s teen and should absolutely be required reading for every freshman English class.

Twenty-Four Seconds from Now . . . by Jason Reynolds, (List Price: $19.99, Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, 9781665961271, October 2024)

Reviewed by Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina

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Leon: Worst Friends Forever: A Graphic Novel (Leon #2) by Jamar Nicholas

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Leon: Worst Friends Forever: A Graphic Novel (Leon #2) by Jamar Nicholas
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“Make good Choices, Leon” is something Leon hears on the way to school every morning. As much as he tries, Leon knows he sometimes messes up and sometimes is conflicted about just what the best choices are. Sometimes things are just too much, but maybe figuring it all out is Leon’s superpower.

Leon: Worst Friends Forever: A Graphic Novel (Leon #2) by Jamar Nicholas, (List Price: $12.99, Graphix, 9781338744200, October 2024)

Reviewed by Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina

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Puppy Talk by Penelope Dullaghan

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Puppy Talk by Penelope Dullaghan
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Kids raised with pets in the home just instinctively know how to interact with animals. For others, there’s a bit of a learning curve, and this fabulous new book is simple enough for the youngest readers while detailed enough to remind anyone that animals DO talk, if people know how to listen.

Puppy Talk by Penelope Dullaghan, (List Price: $14.99, Nosy Crow, 9798887771021, September 2024)

Reviewed by Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina

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Blue Window by Adina Rishe Gerwirtz

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Blue Window by Adina Rishe Gerwirtz
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I Am a Candlewick Frequent Blurber! On the shortest day of the year, Max, Susan, Nell, Jean, and Kate tumbled through Mrs Grady’s cobalt blue window. On the other side, things were the same (there were animals, people, and chicken for dinner) but at the same time very very very different. In this mesmerizing new portal fantasy from the author of Zebra Forest, five children learn who they are, discern how they fit into an ancient prophecy, and learn just what they can do when they set their minds to it.

Blue Window by Adina Rishe Gerwirtz, (List Price: $18.99, Candlewick, 9780763660369, April 2018)

Reviewed by Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina

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The Quacken by Justin Colón

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The Quacken by Justin Colón
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Every summer camp has legendary creepy campfire tales, but this tale just might quack you up in addition to creeping you out just a little bit. Read the book, tell the story, but whatever you do, DONT feed the ducks… Silly scariness for fans of the Creepy Carrots series.

The Quacken by Justin Colón, (List Price: $18.99, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 9781665922487, July 2024)

Reviewed by Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina

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