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March 30, 2021 How does your garden grow?
A year ago, while most people were talking about sheltering in place and toilet paper shortages, something else was also becoming hard to find: seeds. Even under a stay at home order, one can only watch so many streaming movies. People began to rediscover the pleasures of their own yards, and their own gardens. Across the country seed catalogs and websites found themselves selling out of heirloom tomatoes, herbs, peppers, and beans. It is now planting season again, and while life is slowly returning to normal, perhaps "normal" will now include making time and space for the garden. Here are some children's books recommended by booksellers for the budding gardener: 
An ABC of Flowers by Jutta Hilpuesch "...incredibly beautiful in describing the struggle of an everyday citizen in Tehran. It’s a great read to spur discussion for those looking for book-club picks." 
Grow Kind by Jon Lasser and Sage Foster-Lasser "Everyone wants their child to grow up to be kind, but how do you grow a kind child? In this sweet story of sisterhood, friendship and neighbor love, Keiko shares the bounty of the garden she has lovingly tended and finds extra special joy in the delight of others. Grow Kind is the third book in a series that also includes Grow Happy and Grow Grateful." 
Thank You, Garden by Liz Garten Scanlon, Simone Shin (illus.) "Rhyming text and vivid illustrations celebrate the joy of gardening with family and friends." 
The Girl and the Witch's Garden by Erin Bowman "Bowman's new novel has everything you could want in a middle-grade book: magic, mystery, relatable characters, and a world you can get lost in. Piper will have readers imagining what their own affinities might be and longing for them to manifest, and the Mallory Estate is sure to inspire hidden world fantasies. I loved getting lost in this story and can't wait to share it with fans of other kids' classics old and modern, from The Secret Garden to Harriet the Spy to Three Times Lucky and Nevermoor." 
Harlem Grown by Tony Hillery, Jessie Hartland (illus.) "A joyful book about community, perseverance and good food. Mr. Tony's spirit and gentle leadership shines through the pages and is sure to inspire young gardeners everywhere." 
The Comic Book Guide to Growing Food by
Joseph Tychonievich, Liz Anna Kozik (illus.) "I love how accessible this book is! I think it would be a great first vegetable gardening book for many people. It's quick to read from cover to cover, but it's also easy to look up specific topics. " Read This Now | Read This Next | The Bookseller Directory Coming up on the Reader Meet Writer Author Series:
DENNY S. BRYCE is an award-winning author and three-time RWA Golden Heart® finalist, including twice for Wild Women and the Blues. In addition to writing for NPR Books and FROLIC Media, the former professional dancer is a public relations professional who has spent over two decades running her own marketing and event management firm. A member of the Historical Novel Society, Women’s Fiction Writers Association, and Novelists, Inc., she is a frequent speaker at author events. Originally from Chicago, she now lives in Savannah, Georgia. Visit her online at DennySBryce.com. |
Wild Women and the Blues with Denny S. Bryce|
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Read This Now! Recommended by Southern indies... |
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A Mariner’s Tale by Joe Palmer Adult Fiction | Coming of Age | Southern From the publisher who introduced us to JC Sassser’s Gradle Bird and Rebecca Dwight Bruff’s Trouble the Water, this is another evocative Southern tale, set on the Florida coast. Lauded by other Southern gems including Cassandra King Conroy and Nicole Seitz, I was obviously intrigued, and journalist-turned-debut-novelist Joe Palmer delivers. Love the interaction between a crotchety old sailor and the crime-bound kid he takes under his wing. In a world often gone mad, this book was a great reminder that among storms and strife there is genuine humanity. --Shari Stauch, Main Street Reads in Summerville, South Carolina |
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Bookseller Buzz |
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Spotlight on Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers 
"I say this all the time, seriously, but I feel like “found family” or “chosen family” is such an important component of the varied queer experience. It’s so hard to be alone, especially with people who are your blood, and may still love you, but can’t really understand something that makes up such a huge part of you and influences the other intersections of your identity." --Morgan Rogers, via She Reads 
What booksellers are saying about Honey Girl
About Morgan Rogers Morgan Rogers is a queer black millennial. She writes books for queer girls that are looking for their place in the world. She lives in Maryland with her five dogs. Honey Girl is her debut novel. |
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You Look Like a Thing and I Love You by Janelle Shane Adult Nonfiction | Artificial Intelligence | Language | Neural Networks Admittedly, I am a robot-fearing Luddite human who tried to buy a flip phone last year. This book quelled my fears about any imminent robot revolution, while also informing me of a different set of fears I should have regarding AI. Through this humorous and accessible book, research scientist Janelle Shane presents the weird experiments humans create and even weirder solutions robots find with pure nerdy enthusiasm that made me laugh many times. While being entertaining and informative, this book also critically points out the harm in programming AI and beliefs surrounding its capabilities. When your robot isn’t falling over or doing the can-can, perhaps you can program it to read this book to you (but you’ll probably still have to turn the pages yourself). --Julie Jarema, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia |
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Gold Diggers by Sanjena Sathian Adult Fiction | Friendship | Literary Fiction | Magic Realism Inside the shimmering cover of this book is a fascinating modern look at the golden promise of the American Dream, and its dark underpinnings. Neeraj Narayan (or Neil, as he’s known in his Atlanta suburb) feels inferior to his over-achieving Asian American peers and unequipped to meet the expectations of his parents. So, when a magical solution presents itself in the form of a potion concocted by his neighbors, he’s all too willing to try it. This quick-fix has tragic consequences that continue to haunt him a decade later when he’s trying to find his footing in Silicon Valley as a graduate student writing his dissertation on the Gold Rush. This is a fascinating novel about history, ambition, addiction, and the question his sister and friends had to try and answer while competing in the Miss Teen India pageant: “What does it mean to be both Indian and American?” --Lady Smith, The Snail on the Wall in Huntsville, Alabama |
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Lobizona by Romina Garber Young Adult | Emigration and Immigration | Paranormal | Werewolves Inspired by Argentinian myth, this coming-of-age tale is packed with magic, friendship, and adventure as Manu tries to find her place in a world where she has always felt unwanted only to stumble into a new one altogether. Intriguing from the very start, Garber writes a story comprised of lovable characters, relevant social commentary, and just enough mystery to always keep you guessing. --Asia Harden, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi |
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Jungle Night by Sandra Boynton, Yo-Yo Ma Children | Bedtime & Dreams | Jungle Animals | Animals | Elephants | Sounds Nighttime in the Jungle is such a peaceful time. With the Chee chee taaahhh of the Cheetah, the chatter choo of the monkeys and the wheee grunt of the red river hogs, all the animals are sleeping soundly until….. Full of Boynton signature silliness this bedtime book is sure to have young ones calling Again! Again! --Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina |
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Read This Next! Books on the horizon: Forthcoming favorites from Southern indies... |
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Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson Adult Fiction | Thrillers Set in Atlanta, Joshilyn Jackson’s newest novel Mother May I is a domestic mystery, filled with kidnapping, mothers’ angst, revenge, and youthful caprice, but the most compelling theme revolves around the parameters of sexual assault, the divergent definitions of such an assault, and the trauma’s lifelong, negative effects on the victim. The novel’s intricate plot commences with a baby kidnapping in Chapter 2, but the heart of the piece slowly, painstakingly unwinds into a decades-old rape that truncated the trajectory of myriad lives, including those of the participants. The characterizations of the protagonists could have morphed into mere stereotypes in the hands of a less skilled wordsmith. However, Jackson molds and shapes her characters into believable human beings. The dramatic lengths to which all of the mothers rabidly pursue their ultimate devotion, loyalty, and unconditional love for their respective offspring are inspirational. Each mother feels justified in her unorthodox, violent , vengeful actions even if the reader, the police, and the legal system may disagree. The plot of Mother May I moves swiftly, employing cunning twists and turns that whet the reader’s appetite for the truth and for an equitable resolution of the plethora of conflicts. The novel is thought provoking and timely in the #MeToo era. – Beth O'Brochta, Book No Further in Roanoke, Virginia |
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Southern Bestsellers What's popular this week with Southern Readers. |
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Parting Thought “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” —Maya Angelou |
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Publisher: The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance / siba@sibaweb.com |
SIBA | 51 Pleasant Ridge Drive | Asheville, NC 28805
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