Cora and Ada are excited to embark on a wonderful expedition of the nature surrounding them and make up playful words to describe their amazing experiences. Now it’s up to you, the reader, to see what amazing words you can create!
Wildspeak by Sangma Francis, (List Price: $18.99, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, 9781464261299, April 2026)
Reviewed by Judith, Octavia Books in New Orleans, LA
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Perfect for fans of The Wild Robot. Kelly created a wonderful story about the friendship between a girl, Zuzu, and her guardian robot, Snap. The book, in only 176 pages, covers a lot of important themes, like AI, climate change, and class. In a dystopian future where the wealthiest control the population with the help of machines, a group of kids tries to get by until an old guardian robot is added to the mix. The book also teaches the power of human connection. A great read. I would not be surprised if Kelly gets another award with this one!
The Second Life of Snap by Erin Entrada Kelly, (List Price: $19.99, Greenwillow Books, 9780063485952, May 2026)
Reviewed by Erika, Righton Books in St Simons Island, GA
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Loops is such a cute story about a child learning how to become a “big kid” and the importance of not losing their shoe. I loved how the book gently teaches kids how to tie their shoelaces in a fun, simple way. The title is extra funny because the story itself goes into a loop, which kids will enjoy noticing. This is a great, sweet book for toddlers who are growing up, learning new skills, and starting to take on little responsibilities.
Loops by Jashar Awan, (List Price: $19.99, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 9781665974943, March 2026)
Reviewed by Erika, Righton Books in St Simons Island, Georgia
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Lovely illustrations and wonderful tale of a girl’s trials living in a haunted house with a ghost who never follows her rules.
Aggie and the Ghost by Matthew Forsythe, (List Price: $19.99, Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, 9781534478206, August 2025)
Reviewed by Alissa Redmond, South Main Book Company in Salisbury, North Carolina
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This fun and lighthearted young adult novel follows high school sports star Madeline through her journey to find love as well as a connection with her soon to be sister in law. She is thrust into the adult world with wedding planning and events, all while searching for love. Only love was there all along, just not where she expected it to be. Just like in life, Madeline had to learn to open her eyes and realize that our journey does not always lead us where we expected. We just have to be ready and accepting. This book also has some great lessons on not being assuming and seeing people for who they really are. All around a great read!
A First Time for Everything (Deluxe Edition) by K. L. Walther, (List Price: $14.99, Sourcebooks Fire, 9781728263144, June 2025)
Reviewed by Kristy Everette, Angel Wings Bookstore & Bistro in Oxford, North Carolina
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In every place I’ve lived bookstores have been the first places to feel like home—especially Parnassus Books in Nashville, where I led weekly storytime sing-alongs for years, and Green Bean Books in Portland, Ore., where I spent countless hours soaking in the magic of a truly community-centered shop. Bookstores are havens for readers, writers, and dreamers who crave“discovery, community, and belonging. Dear Bookstore is my love letter to them.
― Emily Arrow, Interview, Publishers Weekly
What booksellers are saying about Dear Bookstore
About Emily Arrow
Emily Arrow (she/they) is an award-winning children’s songwriter, author, and educator known for crafting meaningful stories and songs. Her music albums include Sing Along with Emily Arrow and the Storytime Singalong series. Alongside her ukulele companion, Bow, Emily Arrow aims to inspire young minds, encouraging them to embrace and share their own unique voices. She enjoys going on walks with her dog and partner and finding cozy corners in independent bookshops for reading. Emily Arrow resides in Los Angeles.
Geneviève Godbout is the illustrator of many picture books, including The Pink Umbrella by Amélie Callot, Wherever You’ll Be by Ariella Prince Guttman, and If I Couldn’t Be Anne by Kallie George. Her work has appeared in the Society of Illustrators Original Art Exhibit in New York and on Christmas and holiday stamps for the Canadian postal service. Geneviève Godbout lives in Montreal.
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I’m a hoofer. Tap has always been my dance love, and one of Vicki’s Tap Pups’ neatest dances was a compilation of dances of the 50s and 60s. Needless to say, ballroom dancing is not my strength, although a simple jitterbug has given hubs and me a surprising amount of wedding attention. Thing is, it’s not the jitterbug, it’s the connection. I’m proud to say we’ve been married for 20 years. In Instructions for Dancing, Evie receives a dubious superpower that she sees the love lives of couples — how they met, how they grew together, and, prophetically, the tragic breakups that haven’t happened yet but will. That, coupled with her parents’ ugly divorce (and not being allowed to tell her younger sister that her dad had an affair), makes her hesitant to engage in a relationship. But she accepts a challenge that “not everybody can dance good, but everybody can dance”, and ends up paired with X, who lives by a “just say yes” philosophy, and things change in ways she never expected.
Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon, (List Price: $12.99, Ember, 9781524718992, May 2022)
Reviewed by Lisa Yee Swope, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
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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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An incredibly timely read! Noor Khan has moved to a new town and is dismayed to discover that many of her new school’s library books have been pulled from the shelf. As she mobilizes her new classmates to fight back, she realizes she might actually be in danger. I loved the way Samira Ahmed cites real books that have been banned over the past few years throughout the book. Perfect for teens to read alongside Fahrenheit 451!
This Book Won’t Burn by Samira Ahmed, (List Price: $18.99, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 9780316547840, May 2024)
Reviewed by Kate Storhoff, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
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It’s impossible to say enough about this book! This is definitely being added to my top reads of 2020. There’s magic, art heists, ghosts in the house, space pirates, talking dogs, and so, so much more! It’s part Clue, part Sliding Doors, part Knives Out (before Knives Out existed though), and pure genius on Cashore’s part! It has a Choose Your Own Adventure feel to it, with lots of quirk and heart and just overall fabulousness!.
Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore, (List Price: 18.99, Little, Kathy Dawson Books, 9780803741492, September 2017)
Reviewed by Kate Towery, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia
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This picture book is so sweet. It would make the perfect book for a child whose family is going through same changes (in this case, making room for a grandfather coming to live with them). I love the message that it is ok to feel a sense of loss for the parts of life that will be different, but that making space for those we love sometimes requires us to give up things we loved in the past and replace them with things we can learn to like even more. Both the story and the pictures are filled with heart!
There’s Always Room for One More by Robyn McGrath, (List Price: $18.99, Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, 9781665925372, August 2023)
Reviewed by Kate Storhoff, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
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A September 2022 Read This Next! Title
Follow a trail of color through this book as you see where taking a step will lead. Each page follows a child as they explore the world. And even though everyone’s journey will be different, they can all make a difference. This book has a similar feel to Jacqueline Woodson’s The Day You Begin.
When You Take a Step by Bethanie Deeney Murguia, (List Price: $18.99, Beach Lane Books, 9781534473676, September 2022)
Reviewed by Jamie Southern, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
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Stamper brings his trademark storytelling, full of heart and magic, to his story of 4 boys and one incredible summer. Sal, Gabriel, Heath, and Reese are the best of friends, but they’re all headed their separate ways for the summer. Sal is headed to DC to intern for a senator. Gabriel is headed to Boston to work for a nonprofit and save the trees. Heath is headed to Daytona to work with his aunt and cousin while his parents work out their divorce. And Reese is off to Paris for a summer design school. They’ve always been inseparable, so how will they make it through the summer?
Golden Boys by Phil Stamper, (List Price: $18.99, Bloomsbury YA, 9781547607372, February 2022)
Reviewed by Jennifer Jones, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia
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What do you do when no one will talk to you? When a young man wants to talk to the bee he gets mad because the bee won’t talk back. The bee chases him. He continues on to the lion who also won’t say hello. He gets mad again. Why is everyone so rude. The tree isn’t rude. The tree says hello and teaches the boy how to talk to new friends in their own language. Soon they are all sharing stories and bringing joy to each other. Great lessons.
Do You Speak Fish? by DJ Corchin, (List Price: $17.99, Sourcebooks Explore, 9781728219226, October 2021)
Reviewed by David Lucey, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina
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