With gorgeous illustrations, Rewild the World at Bedtime takes the reader on a global tour of rewilding animals. Educational and hopeful, this is the perfect bedtime read for curious and engaged little minds.
Rewild the World at Bedtime by Emily Hawkins, (List Price: $19.99, Wide Eyed Editions, 9780711286962, March 2024)
Reviewed by Jessica Nock, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina
Rewild the World at Bedtime by Emily Hawkins Read More »
Stop what you are doing. Download this book and listen to it with your children while you drive around town. Ask Alexa or Hey Google to play it while cooking dinner. Discuss it around the table or at game night. Make time for this book that dives into an incredibly important topic. It’s worth it. With everything that’s happened in our country this year, kids (and adults!!) need to understand what racism is, how to be anti-racist and where racism comes from (a great history lesson!). If ever there was an essential book… this is it! Recommend for ages 8 as “together read”.
Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy : Racism, Injustice, and How You Can Be a Changemaker by Emmanuel Acho, (List Price: $17.99, Roaring Brook Press, 9781250801067, May 2021)
Reviewed by Michelle Uhlfelder, Sundog Books in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida
Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy by Emmanuel Acho Read More »
This picture book tells the inspiring story of Jose Andres and his World Central Kitchen, and the many people around the world he has helped in the aftermath of disasters. This book highlights the power of one person’s idea and the way one can mobilize and inspire many. This would be a great book to share with a young reader who has questions about why disasters happen and what we can do to help those affected.
José Feeds the World by David Unger, (List Price: $18.99, duopress, 9781728279527, January 2024)
Reviewed by Kate Storhoff, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
José Feeds the World by David Unger Read More »
This stunning book is an amazing asset for children to learn about the biology of the desert. It was incredibly aesthetically pleasing. With ease, the author made the science and biology of plants, animals, and the desert easy for both younger and older children to understand. Overall, this book would be the perfect addition to any collection!
The Night Flower by Lara Hawthorne, (List Price: $8.99, Big Picture Press, 9781536232844, January 2024)
Reviewed by Eliza Eldridge, Plenty on Spring in Cookeville, Tennessee
The Night Flower by Lara Hawthorne Read More »
Stacy (local-to-me author!) is like the teacher who gets passionately excited about something and her enthusiasm drags the entire class into that geekdom. The kind that when you see a oddly specific kitschy item you know it has to belong to them so you buy it and gift it to them and they tell you a story about something you had no idea about in that item you are handing them. I am delighted that her Our Universe picture books have a middle grade book for their readers to grow into.
Where Are the Aliens? by Stacy McAnulty, (List Price: 16.99, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 9780759553996, September 2023)
Reviewed by Lisa Yee Swope, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Where Are the Aliens? by Stacy McAnulty Read More »
Most of our beloved classic children’s authors (think Maurice Sendak, Margaret Wise Brown, Shel Silverstein, E. B. White, John Steptoe, and so many more!) have books in the world thanks to efforts of one formidable woman—Ursula Nordstrom. This brilliant biography displays her awesomely unorthodox approach to children’s literature and her wily sense of humor, all while celebrating the unique books she ushered into the world.
Good Books for Bad Children by Beth Kephart, (List Price: $18.99, Anne Schwartz Books, 9780593379578, September 2023)
Reviewed by Hannah DeCamp, Bookseller, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia
Good Books for Bad Children by Beth Kephart Read More »
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
When Moon Became the Moon by Rob Hodgson Read More »
Long gone are the days of perusing encyclopedias for fun random information, but Information Junkies unite! Now we have Stuff Kids Should Know, a spin off from the wildly popular podcast of the same name that provides curious kids a place to discover amazing random information. Stack them up. These make the perfect holiday gift.
Stuff Kids Should Know by Chuck Bryant, (List Price: 19.99, Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), 9781250622440, August 2023)
Reviewed by Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina
Stuff Kids Should Know by Chuck Bryant Read More »
This is a fantastic book to give to a young reader who’s about to get their first dog! This book follows a day in the life of a terrier named Rusty, explaining how dogs live in the World of Smells, how dogs like to greet each other, how they communicate with us, and why they don’t like to be left alone. It’s very cute and fun to read and packed with important information!
A First Guide to Dogs: Understanding Your Very Best Friend by John Bradshaw, (List Price: 7.99, Penguin Workshop, 9780593521830, June 2023)
Reviewed by Kate Storhoff, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
A First Guide to Dogs: Understanding Your Very Best Friend by John Bradshaw Read More »
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
Slow Down and Be Here Now by Laura Brand Read More »
A delightful and vibrantly illustrated book about how your favorite books travel around the world to get to your doorstep and all the dozens of hands who handle it along the way. A fun read aloud with lots of interesting facts at the back. Who knew learning about the supply chain could be so charming?!?
Special Delivery by Polly Faber, (List Price: 17.99, Candlewick Press, 9781536229851, April 2023)
Reviewed by Caleb Masters, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Special Delivery by Polly Faber Read More »
Álvarez’s illustrations alone are enough to make this stunning picture book a winner—the dreamy feel of the milky moonlight against the deep-dark night and the crisp simplicity of the animals and their world is masterful. When paired with interwoven traditional Mesoamerican tales of the magic and power of our lunar companion, the story sings, enchanting readers with its mystery and beauty. Don’t miss this one!
Ancient Night by David Alvarez, (List Price: $18.99, Levine Querido, 9781646142514, March 2023)
Reviewed by Hannah DeCamp, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia
Ancient Night by David Alvarez Read More »
A beautiful new picture book from the perennial bestseller, Carole Boston Weatherford. An important and necessary addition to libraries and history books everywhere about the nation’s first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court.
All Rise: The Story of Ketanji Brown Jackson by Carole Boston Weatherford, (List Price: $18.99, Crown Books for Young Readers, 9780593650165, February 2023)
Reviewed by Jamie Southern, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
All Rise: The Story of Ketanji Brown Jackson by Carole Boston Weatherford Read More »
I have read many alphabet books, but this one is a revelation. Walker’s novel approach to the time-honored alphabet book creates not only a read-aloud treasure, but a resource for families. Parents can get as much out of this book as their children, so take your time with each letter. Savor each page. Explore the glossary at the end of the book. Reflect on your own gaps in knowledge and why they exist. This book is a jumping off point—the beginning of the conversation but definitely not the end.
A Is for Affrilachia by Frank X. Walker, Upfromsumdirt (illus), (List Price: $19.95, University Press of Kentucky, 9780813196374, January 2023)
Reviewed by Kate Snyder, Plaid Elephant Books in Danville, Kentucky
A Is for Affrilachia by Frank X. Walker, Upfromsumdirt (illus) Read More »
Brrrrfect poetry for the winter months. The poems contained in Ice! will warm the hearts of young readers with funny frozen antics of penguins, caribou, narwhals and more cold climate critters.
Ice! Poems About Polar Life by Douglas Florian (List Price: $8.99, Holiday House, 9780823452439, December 2022)
Reviewed by Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina
Ice! Poems About Polar Life by Douglas Florian Read More »
