The books Southern indie booksellers are recommending to readers everywhere!

Science & Nature

When Moon Became the Moon by Rob Hodgson

The moon, as a "work in progress". Love this. A sweet and simple way to teach any young astronomer about the lunar body’s history, relationship to the sun, the earth, and us too. (All ages)

When Moon Became the Moon by Rob Hodgson, (List Price: 18.99, Rise x Penguin Workshop, 9780593523629, August 2023)

Reviewed by Jilleen Moore, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi

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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Slow Down and Be Here Now by Laura Brand

Frog tongues, dandelion puffs, snowflakes, All wonders of the world. This charming giftable nature guide/storybook encourages readers to slow down and enjoy all the amazing things in the natural world.

Slow Down and Be Here Now by Laura Brand, (List Price: 22.99, Magic Cat, 9781419765971, March 2023)

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

Brown Is Beautiful by Supriya Kelkar

I love the beauty of Brown is Beautiful. A young Indian American girl walks through nature with her grandparents, celebrating all the beauty of things that are brown – leaves and bears and canyons. The book transitions to houses and families and babies, all brown and beautiful. This is a story of joy and celebration!

Brown Is Beautiful by Supriya Kelkar, (List Price: $18.99, Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), 9780374389529, October 2022)

Reviewed by Beth Seufer Buss, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Spotlight on: Wildoak by C. C. Harrington

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I have always felt comforted and reassured by the presence of old trees and love to spend time walking in woodlands or forests whenever I can. It might sound strange, but I really do feel a kind of connection, or perhaps access, to a different way of being when I’m immersed in the natural world.” ―C. C. Harrington, Interview,Indies Introduce

 

Wildoak by C. C. Harrington

What booksellers are saying about Wildoak

  • This is the best book about human and animal interaction I’ve read in a long time. Such a sweet and touching story.―Judith Lafitte from Octavia Books in New Orleans, Louisiana
    Buy from Octavia Books

  • This is such a sweet story that does feel like a modern classic. Maggie has a hard time speaking for herself but finds her courage when she needs to speak for others who have no voice. This book packs a punch with disability visibility, conservation, and even PTSD.
      ―Melissa Taylor from E. Shaver, bookseller in Savannah, Georgia
    Buy from E. Shaver, bookseller

  • The perfect book for fans of both The War That Saved My Life and Pax, Wildoak is a lovely debut that is sure to become a new classic and a school reading list staple. Challenged by a stutter that makes it difficult to express herself, lonely Maggie befriends and helps to rehabilitate an abandoned and injured snow leopard lost in the English countryside. When the creature is threatened, Maggie finds her voice in a most powerful way.  ―DM Capriola from Little Shop of Stories in Decatur, Georgia
    Buy from Little Shop of Stories

  • A beautifully written and deeply inspiring story of Maggie, a young girl in 1960’s England who is labeled a behavior problem due to her stutter. When she is sent to stay with her grandfather in Cornwall, she discovers an abandoned snow leopard in the woods. While helping him, she finds solace, strength and healing in nature and discovers her voice and the power it has to help others. Wonderful!!!  ―Mary Patterson from The Little Bookshop in Midlothian, Virginia
    Buy from The Little Bookshop

  • A quietly lovely novel about finding your way and using your voice. Wildoak tells the story of Maggie, Rumpus, and the importance of wild spaces and listening with your heart. Maggie finds her strength and becomes herself but the path is not easy. Fortunately, she finds hope and respite curled up with a fluffy snow leopard It’s everything I love about Middle Grade stories!  ―Susan Williams from M. Judson, Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina
    Buy from M. Judson, Booksellers

About C. C. Harrington

Christina Harrison grew up in the UK. She spent her summer holidays in Cornwall where she loved to climb trees and run barefoot along pebbly beaches. She loves the natural world and believes that stories, much like the roots of an ancient forest, are capable of connecting readers and listeners in essential ways. Wildoak is her first book. She graduated from Oxford University with a degree in English Literature and has since worked for a newspaper, taught literacy to children with learning differences and studied printmaking. She now lives in Maryland with her family and a dog who loves to eat manuscripts. You can learn more about her work at ccharrington.com

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The Golden Swift by Lev Grossman

A middle grade fantasy novel with magical trains, a magical submarine, an apartment in the sky, a missing uncle, talking animals, endangered species and rewilding? Yes, please! This series is proof that kids can learn about current day issues in novels. Not that any of us in the industry need convincing of this, but this series does it effortlessly. Brilliant! Can’t wait for more!

The Golden Swift by Lev Grossman, (List Price: $35, Little Brown and Company, 9780316283540, May 2022)

Reviewed by Jill Naylor, Novel in Memphis, Tennessee

The Ice House by Monica Sherwood

I was really drawn into the world of The Ice House, the perfect middle grade novel for kids to read as the pandemic drags on. The dramatic changes and adaptations to an altered world are completely relatable and will strike a chord for everyone stuck indoors with pesky siblings, remote schooling and parents changed by stress and grief. The touch of magic gives both escapism and hope for children, but the book also features relatable, realistic examples of growing up and changing friendships.

The Ice House by Monica Sherwood, (List Price: $16.99, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 9780316705349, November 2021)

Reviewed by Maggie Robe, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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