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The week of November 5, 2024 Southern Book Prize: The Young Readers Finalists 
There are eighteen finalists for the Southern Book Prize. Here are the six finalists for the Young Readers category, along with a brief comment from a Southern bookseller who loved the book. Readers are invited to visit The Southern Book Prize and vote for the books they think deserve to be called "The best Southern book of the year." Everyone has a chance to win a collection of some of the finalists, as well as a $100 gift card to their favorite indie bookstore. Readers can also give a shout out to their bookstore, and it will be shared by SBR. Say something nice about your local bookshop! Vote here. Not Like Other Girls by Meredith Adamo [Bloomsbury YA] A mystery full of heart and at times deeply unsettling. Teenagers are messy, but they are wholly human with all the pain that often includes. ― Rayna Nielsen, Blue Cypress Books in New Orleans, Louisiana A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal [Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)] The world building is intricate and vivid and the characters are wonderful. I’m already ready for the sequel. ― Winter Goldsmith, E. Shaver, Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia In Praise of Mystery by Ada Limón, Peter Sís (illus.) [Norton Young Readers] One of the most impactful children’s books I’ve read all year. The poem becomes a story of hope and guidance, teaching the reader to accept and invite the unknown rather than fear it. ― Grace Sullivan, Fountain Books in Richmond, Virginia Millie Fleur’s Poison Garden by Christy Mandin [Orchard Books] Every neighborhood needs a girl like Millie. Check out Millie’s unique, and yes, somewhat creepy garden and you just might find yourself starting a trend in your own community! ― Barb Rascon, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina The Secret Dead Club by Karen Strong [Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers] This is a lovely story about friendship, grief, and starting over. I appreciated the level of diversity in this book, as well as the portrayal of what a modern family can look like. ― Becca Naylor, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White [Peachtree Teen] Andrew Joseph White delivers an edge-of-your-seat thriller that will keep readers hooked until the final page. Equal parts blood-soaked and beautiful, a testament to the resiliency and power of community organization. ― Charlie Williams, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi For the next couple months the SBR newsletter will include features and bookseller reviews of the finalists. Winners will be announced on February 14th. Visit The Southern Book Prize Ballot on Friday and cast your vote for your favorite Southern books.
You can help! 
Independent bookstores in the South are still struggling in the wake of Hurricane Helene, and now Hurricane Milton. You can help: Donate to Binc; a relief organization for booksellers and comic book sellers. Visit the SIBA Hurricane Relief Resources page to donate directly to store fundraisers. And shop online at a store that has been impacted. Read This Now | Read This Next | Book Buzz | The Bookseller Directory |
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Read This Now! Recommended by Southern indies… |
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James by Percival Everett Adult Fiction,, Historical
2025 Southern Book Prize Finalist A necessary look into the life of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn‘s Jim, or James, told with Percival Everett’s unflinching, poetic, and entertaining prose. The story gives insight into the titular character’s perspective while also serving as a damning look at the deep-seated racial injustices of slavery and the way marginalized characters are portrayed in American fiction. The pages fly by, leading to a triumphant finale that is as impactful as anything I’ve read in years. Reviewed by James Harrod, Malaprop’s in Asheville, North Carolina |
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Pony Confidential by Christina Lynch Adult Fiction, Animals, Cozy, Fiction, Mystery& Detective 
A November Read This Next! Title Pony Confidential galloped straight into my heart from page one. This cozy mystery is narrated by an ornery pony trying to clear the name of his beloved former owner Penny. It features rats, cats, birds, and dogs aiding our hero in his redemptive quest, and – oh, did I mention – this is based on The Odyssey? Easter eggs galore for the clever classicist. If you enjoyed playing spot-the-character in Demon Copperhead, just wait until you meet Circe the goat. Perfect for lovers of Remarkably Bright Creatures and Lessons in Chemistry. Reviewed by Maggie Robe, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina |
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Bookseller Buzz |
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What the Chicken Knows by Sy Montgomery 
kind of think it’s a waste of a perfectly good friendship to cook and eat them. But chickens are the one bird that even if you can’t recognize a crow, even if you can’t recognize a robin, people can identify a chicken. But even though we recognize them, and everyone thinks they know a chicken, people underestimate them all the time. Chickens have a lot of wonderful things about them, but to me, the most wonderful of all is their company, and being able to travel in the chicken universe, and be able to see that even in this, you know, commonest of creatures that everyone can recognize, there is still like mystery and excitement. There’s still a soul there. Each animal is highly individual, and we have so much to learn from them. ― Sy Montgomery, Interview, Living on Earth What booksellers are saying about What the Chicken Knows 
Sy Montgomery is a naturalist, adventurer, and author of more than thirty acclaimed books of nonfiction for adults and children, including The Hummingbirds’ Gift, The Hawk’s Way, the National Book Award finalist The Soul of an Octopus, and most recently, Of Time and Turtles, which was a New York Times bestseller. The recipient of numerous honors, including lifetime achievement awards from the Humane Society and the New England Booksellers Association, she lives in New Hampshire with her husband, writer Howard Mansfield, and a border collie. |
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The Heartbeat Library by Laura Imai Messina Adult Fiction, BIPOC, Literary “Preserving our memory….because people come back to life only in the memory of others.” The Heartbeat Library is about those we have lost but remember with grief and healing and good memories. It is a book that will never be forgotten but remembered as all readers live their lives with hopes and dreams and pain and grief and loves and sorrows. This book will touch the soul of all who turn its pages. Shuichi, a 40-year-old illustrator, returns to his hometown to ready the house of his recently deceased mother for sale. He meets Kenta, an 8-year-old boy who wanders his mother’s house like a shadow. The two help each other through difficult days of their lives. Hearing the heartbeat of his mother and deceased son, Shingo will forever impress these beats on all readers and have all thinking about happiness and memories and loss and hopes. Reviewed by Nancy Pierce, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia |
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Gather Me by Glory Edim Adult Nonfiction, African American & Black, Biography & Autobiography, Literary Figures, Memoirs Heartbreaking and heartwarming, this is a powerful tale of the power of the right book at the right time and of perseverance. If you love books, this is a must-read. Edim’s Well-Read Black Girl clubs are a gift to the world, and her memoir makes that gift even more meaningful. Reviewed by Jan Blodgett, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina |
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Lonely Places by Kate Anderson Fairy Tales & Folklore, Family, Horror, Young Adult Fiction Chase and Guthrie are two sisters who essentially grew up traveling the country with their parents and living in a renovated school bus after a tragedy occurred in their lives. After another accident happens to Guthrie, the family decides they need stability. Settling in Pando, they take up residence in a fire lookout in the middle of a forest. Not long after, Guthrie becomes obsessed with some of the trees and begins talking to herself. The significance? Guthrie’s past tragedy rendered her mute. Trying to save money for college and escape from the "hippie" lifestyle, Chase takes a summer job at a nearby camp. Even though she tries to resist, she soon makes friends and has a summer crush. Throughout the summer, strange things continue to occur in the forest – trees appear to have faces, Guthrie brings home collections of bones, and the summer is overshadowed by the story of a girl who went missing in the same forest decades ago. Next – Guthrie goes missing, and the family must find her before it’s too late. To find Guthrie, Chase and her family must face their past and the trauma that brought them to Pando. Lonely Places is a "slow burn" YA horror novel that mixes the past with the present and presents a psychological plot twist that will keep the reader guessing to the very end. Reviewed by Marcia Honeycutt Roseman, Editions Bookstore in Kannapolis, North Carolina |
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Wake Up, Moon! by Lita Judge Animals, Children, Juvenile Fiction A delightful picture book about a moonlight romp through the snow. Reviewed by Rae Ann Parker, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee |
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Leap by Simina Popescu Comics & Graphic Novels, Coming of Age, Young Adult Fiction
A November/December Read This Next! Kids Title I loved everything about this story! This touched on typical dancer struggles, like eating disorders, cruel instructors, and envy among the student but it was done in a way that I feel lots of people who aren’t in dance can relate to. But much more than just a story about dancers we are following Ana who is struggling with her identity, her relationships, being queer, and her struggle to figure herself out. I also really appreciated the color pallet that was chosen for this story and for the times when the artist utilized other brighter colors as part of the story telling. Reviewed by Sarah Blackwell, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
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Decide for Yourself Books that appear on PEN America’s list of challenged books. |
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Sync by Ellen Hopkins Banned Books, Family, Novels in Verse, Orphans & Foster Homes, Siblings, Young Adult Fiction Loved this book. It had a really engaging plot and it is my favorite realistic fiction book I have ever read. This book is great for older teens and young adults. This book did a really good job of keeping the reader engaged and entertained. Whether you like cliffhangers or not, you’ll love this book! I can not wait for the sequel to come out, and I definitely recommend this book to all young adult readers. Reviewed by Suzanne Lucey, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina |
Southern Bestsellers What’s popular this week with Southern Readers. |
[ See the full list ] |
Parting Thought “Books train your imagination to think big.” |
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Publisher:
The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance /
siba@sibaweb.com |
SIBA | 51 Pleasant Ridge Drive | Asheville, NC 28805
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