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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

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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, (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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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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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 (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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Little Bat in Night School by Brian Lies (List Price: $14.99, HMH Books for Young Readers, 9780358269847, 6/29/2021)

Reviewed by Jill Hendrix, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

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