The books Southern indie booksellers are recommending to readers everywhere!

School Education

The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson

Jackson really gets better with every book! I was hooked from page one on this updated version of Carrie, and I think Stephen King would be proud to have inspired this. Maddy is biracial and outcast from her peers and miserable at home with her abusive father. Racial tensions dividing the town of Springville come to a head on prom night, and the results are…explosive. Do not miss this amazing YA thriller!

The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson, (List Price: $15.95, Quill Tree Books, 9780063029156, September 2023)

Reviewed by Andrea Richardson, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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The First Week of School by Drew Beckmeyer

I love a story where an “outsider” helps those around them to see themselves in a new and hopeful light. School can be hard, and the first day is hard enough, with all the doubts that we can have about ourselves. This is a reminder that we each have something worth celebrating inside of us. Sometimes it just takes Nobody to notice.

The First Week of School by Drew Beckmeyer, (List Price: $18.99, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 9781665940429, June 2024)

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

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A Smart, Smart School by Sharon Creech

A Smart, Smart School by Sharon Creech is the perfect book for students, teachers and administrators to read and reread throughout the school year. It serves as a very important reminder that test scores aren’t everything, and that there is SO much more that matters when building up the morale of your school. Great storyline and beautiful illustrations too!

A Smart, Smart School by Sharon Creech, (List Price: $19.99, HarperCollins, 9780063059610,June 2023)

Reviewed by Barb Rascon, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina

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The Queen of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes

The Queen of Kindergarten had new braids, a sparkly tiara, dresses, and a chariot (well, a pickup truck) to take her to school on the first day. She is caring and kind and brightens every room she enters. The first day will be a breeze for the Queen of Kindergarten! This wonderful little book should be required reading for every new kindergartner!

The Queen of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes, (List Price: $18.99, Nancy Paulsen Books, 9780593111420, May 2022)

Reviewed by Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina

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Recess by Lane Smith

Another SPECTACULAR entry from Lane Smith, all about our favorite subject, recess! Its colorful imagery and interactive elements make this the perfect back-to-school read for elementary school classrooms.

Recess by Lane Smith, (List Price: $19.99, Harry N. Abrams, 9781419776892, July 2025)

Reviewed by Jamie Kovacs, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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Chronicles of Whetherwhy: The Age of Enchantment by Anna James

What a fun beginning for Anna James’s new series! The beautiful seasonal magic system, nefarious plotting, and adventure at Thistledown Academy were reminiscent of some of my favorite series growing up, while still surprising and delighting me every step of the way. I can’t wait for the next wave of young fantasy readers to get their hands on this one!

Chronicles of Whetherwhy: The Age of Enchantment by Anna James, (List Price: $9.99, Flamingo Books, 9780593691915, April 2025)

Reviewed by Tori Finklea, Union Avenue Books in knoxville, Tennessee

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In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner

This book is classic Zentner. With lovely prose, it make you laugh, cry, and appreciate the family you have—both by birth and by choice.

In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner, (List Price: $13.99, Ember, 9781524720278, August 2022)

Reviewed by Amanda Gawthorpe, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina

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Unhallowed Halls by Lili Wilkinson

I loved the Gothic setting of a castle with ancient roots on a desolate Scottish moor. I’m not really one to go after books about demons because I feel they can hem in the plot, but I loved the way Oak described them as elementals, and how he could see everything alive on the empty-looking moor just by knowing how to look. He was probably my favorite character. I also liked how Page took her chronic pain and made it her superpower later in the book. A big theme of the book is physical bodies versus the mind, and I think Wilkinson did an excellent job weaving that theme through every aspect of the book. From the lessons the Agathion professors taught, to Page’s endometriosis, to the LGBTQ characters, and to the ancient stories of the gods.

Unhallowed Halls by Lili Wilkinson, (List Price: $19.99, Delacorte Press, 9780593810989, February 2025)

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

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Spotlight on: Greenwild by Pari Thomson

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Pari Thomson, photo credit Pari Thomson

I’m lucky enough to live near Kew Gardens, a huge botanical garden in London, and I’ve always loved walking through its magnificent glasshouses. Some of the plants there are stranger than fiction – tiny hairy pink bananas, giant lily-pads big enough for a person to lie down on, and poisonous flytraps that sense movement in the air around them. I’ve always thought that plants are a little bit magic, and I wanted to take that idea and run with it. What if plants really WERE magic? What would a magical garden look like? Writing Greenwild was an opportunity for me to explore that world and make it feel real. ― Pari Thomson, Interview, MacKids School & Library

Greenwild by Pari Thomson

What booksellers are saying about Greenwild

  • Greenwild is pure magic in every sense of the word. From the immediate ‘hook’ in the prologue, the story grabs you and never lets go for an instant. The world-building of the Greenwild is reminiscent of Harry Potter (in all the best ways), but the plant magic wielded by the Botanists was refreshingly original and utterly captivating.
      ― Kate Snyder from Plaid Elephant Books in Danville, KY | Buy from Plaid Elephant Books

  • Greenwild is a brilliant magical adventure that gave me the Harry Potter feelings in all the best ways. The characters are lovable and diverse. The magic is novel and timely. The illustrations are gorgeous. My only complaint is that I need the next book stat.
      ―Melissa Taylor from E. Shaver, bookseller in Savannah, GA | Buy from E. Shaver Booksellers

  • There are so many magical middle grade novels out there, but this one felt so unique and so beautiful. Greenwild is a combination of the power of nature, community, and found family. The world building was fast, easy, and addicting. I wanted more and more of Mallowmarsh! It was the type of world that makes you want to jump right in and make it your home as well. Then you have Daisy, who is a main character , in search of her mother and ancestry. Daisy is confident, smart, and someone you want as your best friend. Greenwild was fantastic! Can’t wait for number two! 
      ―Olivia Schaffer from The Bookshelf in Thomasville, GA | Buy from The Bookshelf

  • Go green gets a whole new meaning in this Botanical Fantasy where a stray cat, a missing mother, and a dandelion paperweight are Daisy Thistledown’s ticket into a world of green magic…. even without a grassport. This one is just perfect for fans of Morrigan Crow, Keeper of Lost Cities and The Marvellers.
      ―Angie Tally from The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, NC | Buy from The Country Bookshop

About Pari Thomson

Pari Thomson works as a Senior Commissioning Editor for picture books at Bloomsbury Children’s Books. Half Persian, half English, she lived in many places while she was growing up, including India, Pakistan, the USA, the UK and Belgium. She studied at Oxford University and now lives near the river in London, not far from Kew Gardens. @PariThomson on Twitter.

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Salat in Secret by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow

"Daddy’s joy is bigger than him. It’s a wide, gap-toothed smile and a deep rumbling laugh that shakes the dinner table kind of joy."How can a book that begins this way not be wonderful? And it is. Muhammad receives a prayer rug for his 7th birthday and is nervous about what others will think of him observing salat at school. Heartwarming and significant, this is picture book perfection.

Salat in Secret by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, (List Price: $18.99, Random House Studio, 9781984848093, June 2023)

Reviewed by Elese Stutts, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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The Kindest Red by Ibtihaj Muhammad

So often, when people are asked what they would wish for, they reply “World Peace.” In The Kindest Red, Faizah wishes for “World Kindness,” and isn’t that really the first step to world peace? This simple picture book with a big message is just perfect for families or classrooms looking to celebrate diversity and personal responsibility.

The Kindest Red by Ibtihaj Muhammad, (List Price: $19.99, Bloomsbury YA, 9780759555709, February 2023)

Reviewed by Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina

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Counting in Dog Years and Other Sassy Math Poems by Betsy Franco

Multiplying mice, sugary shapes, and family fractions star in this charming collection that practically shouts : Math is FUN!

Counting in Dog Years and Other Sassy Math Poems by Betsy Franco, (List Price: $18.99, Candlewick, 9781536201161, October 2022)

Reviewed by Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina

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Accomplished by Amanda Quain

We all know about Lizzie Bennet and Darcy — but what about Darcy’s sister, Georgiana, and her sordid history with Wickham? If you’re a Pride and Prejudice fan, you’ll recognize several characters in this contemporary spin, but Georgiana Darcy gets the main character treatment. She has to deal with what Wickham did last year that almost got her expelled from prestigious boarding school Pemberley, a brother who’s both more and less absent than he should be, and everyone in school hating her for various reasons. Her one saving grace is her band friend Avery, who is the only one who doesn’t treat her as an outcast and so might be able to help her with her mission to get her life back on track. A fun take on Pride and Prejudice that is familiar enough to be enticing but new enough to keep your attention.

Accomplished by Amanda Quain, (List Price: $18.99, Wednesday Books, 9781250817815, July 2022)

Reviewed by Melissa Oates, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

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That’s Not My Name! by Anoosha Syed

I love this book!! And I’m so glad it exists. My first grader is having all kinds of big thoughts about her name and how it is spelled or pronounced and the same for all of her friends’ names, too. It’s a great conversation starter for discussing how fun and vibrant it is to embrace our differences and how important it is to ask for and give respect to each other, too..

That’s Not My Name! by Anoosha Syed, (List Price: $17.99, Viking Books for Young Readers, 9780593405178, July 2022)

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

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Becoming Vanessa by Vanessa Brantley-Newton

That first day of school can be hard on anyone, but especially if your name is looonnng, AND has two s’s, and if your style is a little more colorful than your new classmates. But no matter what, it is important to be yourself. Stunning illustrations reminiscent of the brilliant Molly Bang bring this important ‘first day of school” book to life This one is a Must-have for rising kindergartners.

Becoming Vanessa by Vanessa Brantley-Newton (List Price: $17.99, Knopf Books for Young Readers, 9780525582120, 6/15/2021)

Reviewed by Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina

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