The Wild Robot on the Island is colorfully illustrated, depicting the earth‘s seasons along with the gentle message of “helping others.” It’s an early stepping stone to the original Wild Robot Series.
The Wild Robot on the Island by Peter Brown, (List Price: $19.99, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 9780316669467, June 2025)
Reviewed by Judith Lafitte, Octavia Books in New Orleans, Louisiana
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The Trouble with Heroes follows Finn on a journey to heal from the loss of his dad as he discovers, for better or worse, who his dad really was. All while climbing 46 mountain peaks as reparations for a bit of graveyard vandalism. Messner works her magic in this heartfelt story of family and coming of age in a time just post-COVID, which is still all too real. I fell in love with Finn and his K9 hiking companion! Having lost my dad at a young age, I truly felt Finn’s anger, confusion, and need to find out more about his dad. As a fun bonus recipes are sprinkled throughout the book as Finn bakes up cookies inspired by the peaks he climbs.
The Trouble with Heroes by Kate Messner, (List Price: $17.99, Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 9781547616398, April 2025)
Reviewed by Rayna Nielsen, Blue Cypress Books in New Orleans, Louisiana
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Everything We Never Had will bring you on an in-depth journey of generations you’ll never want to leave! These stories weave together in the most beautiful way, allowing you to jump between decades so naturally and feels, in a way, magical. This book offers the reader a look into the past with the true historical context, and a look into the future, as the reader is able to find themselves in one, or all, of the characters. Flip through these pages and allow yourself to become inspired by Francisco’s dreams. Surprise yourself with your understanding of Emil. Or find a personal memory in Enzo’s experience of the COVID pandemic. Read along to watch this exceptional set of characters find their way in the world, and with each other.
Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay, (List Price: $18.99, Kokila, 9780593461419, August 2024)
Reviewed by Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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In The Trouble with Heroes, we meet Finn, a seventh grader whose world revolves around baking. Finn’s passion for the kitchen is his escape, his joy, and his identity. Yet, he feels overshadowed by the towering legacy of his father, a firefighter who became a local hero after saving lives on 9/11. His father’s bravery and selflessness are celebrated by the community, leaving Finn feeling inadequate and wondering why his own talents go unnoticed. Struggling with these emotions, Finn makes a regrettable choice in a moment of misguided anger and confusion. He vandalizes an old lady’s headstone, only to discover it belongs to one of the pioneering women who conquered all the Adirondack High Peaks. Instead of pressing charges, the woman’s daughter offers Finn a chance at redemption. She proposes a deal: Finn must climb all 46 peaks over the summer, accompanied by her loyal dog. Completing this challenging journey will absolve him of his mistake. This quest becomes more than just a physical challenge for Finn. As he scales each peak, he learns about the remarkable woman whose grave he defaced, deepening his understanding of courage and perseverance. The journey also becomes a path of self-discovery, where Finn grapples with his faith, confronts his feelings of inadequacy, and ultimately finds his own identity outside of his father’s shadow. The Trouble with Heroes is a powerful and uplifting tale, perfect for today’s teenagers who are navigating a world filled with drama and the pressures of social media. The book encourages readers to find their own “peak” to climb, to learn more about themselves, their families, and their friends. It is a heartfelt recommendation for all teens seeking inspiration and a deeper understanding of their place in the world.
The Trouble with Heroes by Kate Messner, (List Price: $17.99, Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 9781547616398, April 2025)
Reviewed by VaLinda Payne-Miller, Turning Page Bookshop in Goose Creek, South Carolina
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I absolutely LOVED when our parents went out on date nights. This book invokes all the memories of these times and highlights the love between parents. Not something you see often in kids books. Very positive and completely fun.
At Night, They Danced by Victoria Scott-Miller, (List Price: $19.99, Denene Millner Books/Simon & Schuster Books for Yo, 9781665927819, March 2025)
Reviewed by Suzanne Lucey, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina
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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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Deep in the land of Norendy is the Hotel Balzaar where Marta and her mother live, waiting for Marta’s father to return from the war. Marta’s life is quiet and dull until the day that a mysterious Countess and her parrot arrive. The Countess says she has come to tell Marta seven tales. The tales teach Marta about hope and light, and take her on a fabulous journey of the imagination. A delightful read for anyone who enjoys being swept away by a dreamlike story!
The Hotel Balzaar by Kate DiCamillo, (List Price: $17.99, Candlewick, 9781536223316, October 2024)
Reviewed by Monie Henderson, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi
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The Hotel Balzaar reminds me a bit of a Wes Anderson film. The story plays out as collection of highly stylized scenes, gathered into Acts, with the artifice on full display alongside the narrative. Not unlike watching a play unfolding upon a stage, and all to a very pleasing effect! The Hotel Balzaar brings an experienced reader a familiar setting and a familiar character in Marta, a curious young girl living out of sight in an old but posh hotel where her mother is a maid and her father is away at war. The hotel and its denizens are described in just enough rich detail to make it real but not so much as to get in the way of its magical story. Marta and the mysterious Countess, who arrives one day with a glorious parrot upon her shoulder and stories to share, are quite dynamic and engaging characters for a novella-length book.A great companion piece to the first of the Norendy Tales, The Puppets of Spellhorst.
The Hotel Balzaar by Kate DiCamillo, (List Price: $17.99, Candlewick, 9781536223316, October 2024)
Reviewed by Tracy Billing, Carmichael’s Bookstore in Louisville, Kentucky
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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.
Lonely Places by Kate Anderson, (List Price: $14.99, Flux, 9781635831016, October 2024)
Reviewed by Marcia Honeycutt Roseman, Editions Book Store in Kannapolis, North Carolina
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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.
Sync by Ellen Hopkins, (List Price: $13.99, Nancy Paulsen, 9780593463260, August 2025)
Reviewed by Suzanne Lucey, Page 158 Books in , North Carolina
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Certain themes really choose writers. Addiction is a theme I never really chose to write about, but I cannot escape it. I’ve been sober for eight years and I come from a family of addicts and alcoholics, almost all of whom are sober as well, so I was interested in writing about addiction in families. I’m also interested in sobriety in families and how that can get passed down through generations. What does it look like to be long-term sober but still self-destructive? What does it look like to be newly sober and starting to heal? What does it look like to have never drunk or done drugs, but still have the impulse to escape yourself, which I think Bonnie has.
–Coco Mellors, Interview, The Guardian
What booksellers are saying about Blue Sisters
About Coco Mellors
Coco Mellors grew up in London and New York, where she received her MFA in fiction from New York University. Her debut novel, Cleopatra and Frankenstein, was a Sunday Times bestseller, has been translated into over fifteen languages, and is currently being adapted for television. She lives with her husband and son in New York.
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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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I have waited for this book for 10 years. In 2014 I read I’ll Give You the Sun and it changed my life from the very first page. Since its release, I have patiently waited for the next book that I would adore from Jandy Nelson–When the World Tips Over is that book. The correct word does not exist for how incredibly beautiful this story is. Jandy Nelson’s talent for creating characters that feel like your own peers (even at the age of 26) is completely unmatched–throughout the progression of this story, I felt like I was traveling through Northern California as a close confidant to each of the Fall siblings. As a young reader, I’ll Give You the Sun felt like home to me (and it always will). I felt understood, adored, appreciated, and like there was a little bit of magic inside of me. When the World Tips Over now gets to provide all those exact same feelings to young readers today–though that does not take away from adult readers like myself, who are also incredibly touched, moved, and changed by this story. Told through many different perspectives, readers are able to latch on to and understand each character and what makes each individual story important for the narrative that is being told. Dizzy, Miles, Wynton, and Cassidy are characters that make sure they will never be forgotten even after the last page is turned.
When the World Tips Over by Jandy Nelson, (List Price: $21.99, Dial Books, 9780525429098, September 2024)
Reviewed by Abbie Cyr, Sassafras on Sutton in Black Mountain, North Carolina
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A cute cautionary tale with beautiful art. I love how the wolf follows Millie around in the illustrations, and how Millie was able to outsmart the traps. The narration was easy to understand and fun. A great read for children.
Into the Goblin Market by Vikki VanSickle, (List Price: $18.99, Tundra Books, 9780735268562, July 2024)
Reviewed by Kamilah Wong, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia
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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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