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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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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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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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 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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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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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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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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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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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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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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We are standing on the shoulders of giants. In the same vein as her glorious I Am My Ancestors’ Wildest Dreams, Tanisia Moore has mixed powerful affirmations with the strength of examples of those who have gone before. Robert Paul has put these children right alongside, holding the hands of, carrying on the work of our mentors and role models. This is a book that makes you feel stronger just by reading it.
When Black Girls Dream Big by Tanisia Moore, (List Price: $19.99, Scholastic Press, 9781338776201, October 2024)
Reviewed by Lisa Yee Swope, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
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Fútbol is the most important thing in twelve-year-old Valeria Salomón’s life, especially when life feels like it’s turning against her. But when Val gets her first period in the middle of the most important soccer game of her life (so far), the fallout slide tackles her into a summer harder than she’d ever imagined. In this delightful middle-grade read full of attitude, Val is forced to dig deep, figure out who she is as a teammate, friend, and daughter, and- most importantly- learn to play like a girl.
The Beautiful Game by Yamile Saied Méndez, (List Price: $16.99, Algonquin Young Readers, 9781643753980, September 2024)
Reviewed by Morgan Holub, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia
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Puberty has brought about the wildest change for Adèle; she can now see ghosts! Adèle now finds herself stuck between her desire to help and her Grandma’s absolute HATRED of ghosts. Armed with new ghost friends, medium powers, and some unexpected assistance, Adèle finds herself in the middle of a fight to save her city from predatory real estate developers. Sounds a bit wacky, but I promise you, you’re gonna love this one.
Taxi Ghost by Sophie Escabasse, (List Price: $13.99, Random House Graphic, 9780593565971, September 2024)
Reviewed by Jamie Kovacs, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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How much trouble can four tweens and a senior citizen get into in a summer? A lot, as readers discover in The Sherlock Society! It turns out that investigating Al Capone and contemporary thieves does come with some risks…. Luckily, Alex, Zoe, Yadi, and Lina are good sleuths, and Alex and Zoe’s grandfather has a lot of connections! A fun romp through puzzles, riddles, and history. For fans of Chasing Vermeer, Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library, and Hoot.
The Sherlock Society by James Ponti, (List Price: $18.99, Aladdin, 9781665932530, September 2024)
Reviewed by Monie Henderson, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi
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