The books Southern indie booksellers are recommending to readers everywhere!

Children

Umami by Jacob Grant

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Umami by Jacob Grant
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Super cute picture book that introduces the five tastes — salty, sour, bitter, sweet, and umami! Umami the Penguin loves food and wants to liven up her continent’s diet of cold fish (ew). Her adventurousness is delightful, and I loved that this is such an unconventional take on a “getting kids to be more curious about food” theme. Plus, it’s just good fun!

Umami by Jacob Grant, (List Price: $18.99, Viking Books for Young Readers, 9780593624067, October 2024)

Reviewed by Kate Storhoff, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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Bert, the Bowerbird by Julia Donaldson

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Bert, the Bowerbird by Julia Donaldson
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Bert the Bowerbird is just the sweetest little guy. All he wants is a wife to share his bower with. But Annette, the bird he’s set his sights on, is demanding, and never satisfied with Bert’s efforts to win her affection. He journeys far and wide to find more offerings for Annette, but always ends up hurt by her lack of interest. Can Bert find a bird who loves him for who he is? With adorable rhymes from Julia Donaldson (author of The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom) and gorgeous illustrations by Catherine Rayner, Bert, the Bowerbird is a wonderful tale of bird-based romance and self-acceptance. Don’t settle, Bert!!!

Bert, the Bowerbird by Julia Donaldson, (List Price: $18.99, Boxer Books, 9781915801845, December 2024)

Reviewed by Charlie Marks, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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Brown Girl, Brown Girl by Leslé Honoré

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Brown Girl, Brown Girl by Leslé Honoré
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Brown Girl, Brown Girl deserves a permanent spot on every family’s bookshelf. A powerful message with beautiful illustrations.

Brown Girl, Brown Girl by Leslé Honoré, (List Price: $18.99, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 9780316314039, November 2024)

Reviewed by Jessica Nock, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina

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Bye Forever, I Guess by Jodi Meadows

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Bye Forever, I Guess by Jodi Meadows
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Being invisible and lonely is better than being seen and ridiculed, right? Warmth, caring, and cozy were all knit together to make this book. Middle school relationships are hard and are often made that much worse with miscommunication. Meadows handles it in a way that I think anyone can relate to and appreciate. Not to mention me giggling and kicking my feet at how sweet this romance is.

Bye Forever, I Guess by Jodi Meadows, (List Price: $18.99, Holiday House, 9780823456383, November 2024)

Reviewed by Lana Repic, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

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Wake Up, Moon! by Lita Judge

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Wake Up, Moon! by Lita Judge
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A delightful picture book about a moonlight romp through the snow.

Wake Up, Moon! by Lita Judge, (List Price: $18.99, Antheneum Books for Young Readers, 9781665939256, October 2024)

Reviewed by Rae Ann Parker, Parnassus Books in Nashville , Tennessee

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Mr. Lepron’s Mystery Soup by Giovanna Zoboli

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Mr. Lepron's Mystery Soup by Giovanna Zoboli
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Stunning illustrations. Mr. Lepron is a handsome hare who makes extraordinary soup from farmers’ vegetables. He opens a factory but mass production makes people declare his soup has changed and is not extraordinary. So what’s a hare to do?

Mr. Lepron’s Mystery Soup by Giovanna Zoboli, (List Price: $18.99, Candlewick Studio, 9781536233391, October 2024)

Reviewed by Ashby Rushing, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee

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In Praise of Mystery by Ada Limón

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In Praise of Mystery by Ada Limón
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U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón and acclaimed illustrator Peter Sís have joined forces to craft one of the most impactful children’s books I’ve read all year. In Praise of Mystery started as a poem from Limón that will be inscribed onto NASA’s newest spacecraft, planning to orbit Jupiter and its moons in the Fall of 2024. Translated onto the page, the poem becomes a story of hope and guidance, teaching the reader to accept and invite the unknown rather than fear it. At times prayer-esque, the love and comfort surrounding this story, paired with gorgeous sketches, will make this a bedtime staple. Timeless and transcendent, Limón’s venture into children’s literature, paired with Sís’ illustrations will be cherished for generations to come.

In Praise of Mystery by Ada Limón, (List Price: $18.99, Norton Young Readers, 9781324054009, October 2024)

Reviewed by Grace Sullivan, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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In Praise of Mystery by Ada Limón

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In Praise of Mystery by Ada Limón
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I love seeing more poems become children’s books. This one by Ada Limon captures her magic of reminding us of the wonder around us and the wonder within ourselves.

In Praise of Mystery by Ada Limón, (List Price: $18.99, Norton Young Readers, 9781324054009, October 2024)

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

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At Our Table by Patrick Hulse

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At Our Table by Patrick Hulse
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At Our Table is a must-buy for your Thanksgiving displays and deserves a permanent spot on your bookshelves. A story about family, home as a safe space to be yourself, and gathering around a table that has room for everyone, all in a way that honors Indigenous Peoples and land. I can’t recommend this one enough!

At Our Table by Patrick Hulse, (List Price: $18.99, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 9780316537056, October 2024)

Reviewed by Jessica Nock, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina

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Bye Forever, I Guess by Jodi Meadows

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Bye Forever, I Guess by Jodi Meadows
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Never want to say goodbye to Bye Forever I Guess! The perfect middle-grade novel about the changing nature of friendship, finding your fit while remaining true to yourself, and where to sit at lunch. Plus, a focus on Nerdy Girls rock!

Bye Forever, I Guess by Jodi Meadows, (List Price: $18.99, Holiday House, 9780823456383, October 2024)

Reviewed by Susan Williams, M. Judson Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina

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The Night Mother Vol. 1 by Jeremy Lambert

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The Night Mother Vol. 1 by Jeremy Lambert
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Souls in lanterns. An eternal moon. A land with no time. This is reality during the reign of the current Night Mother. The title is held for those who guide lost souls to the moon and is passed down mother to daughter. But what if this mother is separated from her daughter? What if she takes souls that aren’t ready and thus not hers to take just yet? This gorgeous graphic novel is oozing with detail and keeps the reader wanting more. I know I’m ready for volume two already!

The Night Mother Vol. 1 by Jeremy Lambert, (List Price: $14.99, Oni Press, 9781637154946, October 2024)

Reviewed by Lana Repic, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

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The Witching Wind by Natalie Lloyd

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The Witching Wind by Natalie Lloyd
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Natalie Lloyd’s books are the literary equivalent of your grandmama’s blueberry crunch cobbler fresh out of the oven. They’re warm, a little bit magic, and a whole lotta heart. Roxie and Grayson will tug at your heartstrings with their inner strength and innate kindness, even when the world is throwing hard things at them. And that pilfering Witching Wind will definitely steal your heart and fill it up with hope, though not before sending you on a whirlwind first.

The Witching Wind by Natalie Lloyd, (List Price: $17.99, Scholastic Press, 9781338858600, September 2024)

Reviewed by Candice Conner, The Haunted Book Shop in Mobile, Alabama

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Islandborn by Junot Díaz

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Islandborn by Junot Díaz
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It means the world that stories like this exist throughout children’s literature these days, and Islandborn is a book that tells the tale so wonderfully. This is the story of an immigrant who moved here as a baby, or maybe even a child born in the States, who is surrounded by talk of “home” and of the “old days” all their life. This is the story of how that can be alienating and painful and how learning more about where and who you’re made of can bring you strength and joy untold. The illustrations are vibrant and lovely, each page full of story and tiny, beautiful details.

Islandborn by Junot Díaz, (List Price: $17.99, Dial Books, 9780735229860, March 2018)

Reviewed by Cristina Russell, Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida

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Lunar Boy by Jes and Cin Wibowo

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Lunar Boy by Jes and Cin Wibowo
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This story is truly out of this world! It imagines a future where there are civilizations both on Earth or “New Earth” as well as space stations. At its core, this is a story of belonging and finding your place, and IF there is a place for you? These things are hard for Indu because he is 1) from the moon and 2) he’s transgender. This story is a slow burn and has you rooting for all the characters! Themes of love, learning, family and courage.

Lunar Boy by Jes and Cin Wibowo, (List Price: $15.99, HarperAlley, 9780063057593, May 2024)

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

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Bog Myrtle by Sid Sharp

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Bog Myrtle by Sid Sharp
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Two sisters, friendly oddball Beatrice and fiercely unhappy Magnolia, seek something special from the forbidden forest, come face to face with its magic silk-spinning monster, Bog Myrtle, and learn about environmentalism, labor rights, and anti-capitalism along the way, in this creepily-cute and razor-sharp fable that has all the old-school deadly morality of the Brothers Grimm. A challenging (in both content and vocabulary), dark, yet adorable picture book for fans of Jon Klassen’s The Skull.

Bog Myrtle by Sid Sharp, (List Price: $19.99, Annick Press, 9781773218922, October 2024)

Reviewed by Megan Bell, Underground Books in Carrollton, Georgia

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