Read This Next! for Young Readers January/February
Reality meets fantasy in the Winter RTNX list for young readers. Stories of other worlds, fairy tales, and visitations from the future stand alongside stories of real-world heroism and facing real-world problems. No reader could be bored with this bookshelf!
RTNext! Kids Bookseller Resources
Edelweiss Collection | Flyer | Flyer Graphic (image)
Read is why Southen indie booksellers love these books:
Bored by Felicita Sala
Rita is really, really bored. When her many boredom-fighting tactics don't work (eating, stretching, jumping up and down in front of a mirror, etc.), she gets lost in her boundless imagination! I love a book about boredom with no mention of technology, and the illustrations are dramatic and amazing! Great for kids four to eight who struggle with boredom and need a little creative boost. It's also hilarious, and Rita is very relatable, rendered perfectly in various states of despair.
– Julia Lewis, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia
Eyes, Knees, Boundaries, Please!: My First Book About Private Parts and Consent by Krupa Bhojani Playforth, Julia Bereciartu (Illus.)
Great non-fiction book for kids that discusses body parts (including private body parts) with their trusted grown-ups in their lives. The author of this book is a pediatrician and understands the struggles some parents may have being open with this type of information with their young children.
– Kait Boyd, The Haunted Book Shop in Mobile, Alabama
Love Me Tomorrow by Emiko Jean
After seeing her parents' marriage dissolve into sadness and divorce, Emma doubts that love can last. At the annual Tanabata Festival, her grandfather urges her to make a wish. Her wish is this: I wish for proof. Show me that love is real. Then she gets a note from the future. I love this coming-of-age novel of life and love, and figuring it all out. Through laughter, loss, doubt, and wonder- you will feel it all!
– Amy Dance, The Snail on the Wall in Huntsville, Alabama
The Lions' Run by Sara Pennypacker, Jon Klassen (Illus.)
There are so many ways to be brave. In a Nazi occupied village full of secrets and fear, Lucas discovers his own way to be a hero. I loved this exciting story of how to be a friend in a time when fighting for freedom comes with a high cost.
– Susan Williams, M. Judson, Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina
Rumpelstiltskin by Mac Barnett, Carson Ellis (Illus.)
I so enjoyed this retelling by Mac Barnett of a story I often forget is rather complex. But here he adds his particular wit, which pairs so well with Ellis's illustrations that transport you into another world.
– Morgan DePerno, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
The Sun and the Starmaker by Rachel Griffin
With a heartbreaking but beautiful love story, and a unique magic system, you’ll want to jump right through the pages to Reverie and into the world of Starmakers. The perfect blend of fantasy, will-they-won’t-they romance, and comedy, this book will make you laugh and cry. If you love grumpy/sunshine (literally) mixed with magic… this is for you!
– Mallory Clark, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi
Current Read This Next! books and what SIBA booksellers have to say about them can always be found at The Southern Bookseller Review