The books Southern indie booksellers are recommending to readers everywhere!

Comics & Graphic Novels

Cat & Cat Adventures: The Quest for Snacks by Susie Yi

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Cat & Cat
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If my kids were cats and had access to magic they would be Squash and Ginny. We read this cute little graphic novel over a few sittings and they absolutely loved it. The art style is bright and happy and the story is easy to follow while not being too simplistic.

Cat & Cat Adventures: The Quest for Snacks by Susie Yi, (List Price: 8.99, HarperAlley, 9780063083806, September 2021)

Reviewed by Faith Parke-Dodge, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina

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The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess by Tom Gauld

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Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess
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Count on me to fall in love with a quirky fairy tale any day of the week. But I mean, what in the world cannot be achieved by a girl who becomes a log when she’s asleep, her robot brother, a sweet family of beetles, and a clever witch? I adore this graphic novel-style picture book full of sibling love and weird vibes that manages to feel cozy-classic and totally brand new at once.

The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess by Tom Gauld, (List Price: 18.99, Neal Porter Books, 9780823446988, August 2021)

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

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Amelia Erroway: Castaway Commander: A Graphic Novel by Betsy Peterschmidt

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Amelia Erroway
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Any headstrong, capable, smart kid who is misunderstood by adults will see themselves in Amelia Erroway. Amelia is a brilliant girl who wants to follow in her pilot father’s footsteps–against her father’s wishes. When her first attempt at piloting takes her off course, she is introduced to a curious place and a family of people who know she can do whatever she puts her mind to. Peterschmidt’s world is as immersive and entrancing and alien as Treasure Planet, Avatar, and the like, and her story is one to behold.

Amelia Erroway: Castaway Commander: A Graphic Novel by Betsy Peterschmidt, (List Price: 26.99, Graphix, 9781338186147, August 2021)

Reviewed by Cat Chapman, Oxford Exchange in Tampa, Florida

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Seek You by Kristen Radtke

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Seek You
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Like many other people, I’ve spent the last year questioning how we differentiate between loneliness and aloneness. Kristen Radtke’s SEEK YOU is a gorgeous fully-illustrated meditation on the often stigmatized epidemic of loneliness and an investigation into how we form bonds with others. Not since Olivia Laing’s LONELY CITY have I felt such kinship with an author. I’m so grateful that this book exists.

Seek You by Kristen Radtke, (List Price: 30, Pantheon, 9781524748067, July 2021)

Reviewed by Lindsay Lynch, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee

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The Okay Witch and the Hungry Shadow by Emma Steinkellner

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The Okay Witch
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What an awesome sequel! So much of the first was about Moth learning her history, but this new installment is more about learning herself, which I adore. Her mom’s romantic subplot is also a great addition, and the added strength of the three Hush women is a sight to behold.

The Okay Witch and the Hungry Shadow by Emma Steinkellner (List Price: $12.99, Aladdin, 9781534431485, 7/6/2021)

Reviewed by Amber Brown, Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, North Carolina

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Measuring Up by Lily LaMotte, Ann Xu (Illus.)

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Measuring Up
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My daughter and I loved this graphic novel about a girl who moves to Seattle from Taiwan. Like many immigrant stories, this one had multiple examples of the prejudices immigrant children can experience. Cici made friends, but there were times they thought they needed to speak slowly to her (they didn’t), that her lunch was gross (because it wasn’t “American”), and there were multiple times when people referred to her as Chinese and didn’t bother to remember her correction to “Taiwanese.” Cici’s struggles to both fit in as well as maintain her delight in her culture came through in the pages. My daughter, six, loved the cooking aspects and the story segued into a good discussion about culture and identity.

Measuring Up by Lily LaMotte, Ann Xu (Illus.) (List Price: $12.99, HarperAlley, 9780062973863, 10/27/2020)

Reviewed by Jenny Luper, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina

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Katie the Catsitter by Colleen AF Venable, Stephanie Yue (Illus

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Katie the Catsitter
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This graphic novel is perfect for anyone who loves cats! I love a good superhero comic, but this one was extra special in that the line between superhero and supervillain was blurred. Katie is just trying to make enough money to attend camp, but she soon starts to speculate about what her new boss might be doing on her night shift. 217 cat sidekicks make this comic a purr-fect read!

Katie the Catsitter by Colleen AF Venable, Stephanie Yue (Illus (List Price: $12.99, Random House Books for Young Readers, 9781984895639, 1/5/2021)

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

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Beak & Ally #1: Unlikely Friends by Norm Feuti, Norm Feuti (Illus.)

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beak & Ally
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A funny friendship book with great illustrations!

Beak & Ally #1: Unlikely Friends by Norm Feuti, Norm Feuti (Illus.) (List Price: $12.99, HarperAlley, 9780063021570, 1/5/2021)

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

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A Cat Story by Ursula Murray Husted

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a cat story
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This graphic novel follows two strays as they journey to find a utopian garden for cats. A quiet garden where all cats are welcome, there’s enough food for all, and the humans are kind. I also want to find that garden, honestly. The moral of the middle grade is that home and happiness are wherever you make it. It’s both sweet and optimistic. Kids will love the devotion between the two “catagonists,” and I enjoyed the art.

A Cat Story by Ursula Murray Husted (List Price: $12.99, Quill Tree Books, 9780062932044, 10/6/2020)

Reviewed by Jenny Luper, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina

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