Staff Picks: Lana and Andie

If you don’t know where to start when it comes to the wide world of children’s literature, we’ve got your back! Reading staff picks is a great way to find a variety of books curated by devoted bookworms. This week, celebration facilitator Lana and bookseller Andie share some of their favorites!

Lana's Favorites

Little Dreamers: Visionary Women Around the World

I absolutely LOVE this book! The illustrations are adorable, and it is a great read about so many impactful, strong, and brilliant women throughout history. From scientists and inventors to artists and writers, there are so many incredible women featured in this book. If you are looking for an inspirational read for the little dreamer in your life, this one is perfect!

Turning Pages

This kid-friendly autobiography by Sonia Sotomayor is one of my all-time favorite children’s books. Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina U.S. Supreme Court Justice, tells her life story, and the courage, perseverance, and tenacity it took for her to achieve her success. It is also a great introduction for little readers to learn about the Supreme Court and what the Justices do.

Andie's favorites

Fly by Night

Inspired by 18th-century England, Fly by Night is a thought-provoking and courageous fantasy-mystery. You’ll fall in love with protagonist Mosca and her (homicidal) pet goose Saracen as they discover conspiracies, colorful characters, secret schools, and floating coffeehouses. Soon, Mosca becomes a very important agent in the town of Mandelion’s impending revolution.

May Bird Book 1: The Ever After

This has been one of my favorite books for over a decade. I just love the world Anderson has created, and the characters are lovable and so unique. 10-year old May discovers a portal to the world of the dead in her small West Virginia town, and when she falls through, she finds herself (along with her hairless cat, Somber Kitty) entangled in a struggle so much bigger than she herself has ever been.

Harbor Me

Jacqueline Woodson has written what is sure to become an American classic. 6 kids from a variety of backgrounds record their unsupervised conversations with each other about their lives and their thoughts, big and small. The strongest thing about this book is Woodson’s decision to let the kids lead it - through their words, we get crucial insights about life in present-day America.

January Ladies’ Book Club: Moby-Dick

Join us for the January session of our Ladies Book Club! This month, we will be reading Moby-Dick by Herman Melville, the next book in the beautiful Penguin Drop Caps series. Here is the publisher's summary: 

M is for Melville, who wrote of his masterpiece, 'It is the horrible texture of a fabric that should be woven of ships' cables and hawsers. A Polar wind blows through it, and birds of prey hover over it.' In part, Moby-Dick is the story of an eerily compelling madman pursuing an unholy war against a creature as vast and dangerous and unknowable as the sea itself. But more than just a novel of adventure, more than an encyclopedia of whaling lore and legend, Moby-Dick is a haunting, mesmerizing, and important social commentary populated with several of the most unforgettable and enduring characters in literature. Written with wonderfully redemptive humor, Moby-Dick is a profound and timeless inquiry into character, faith, and the nature of perception.

Cost is $25. Included with our price is a copy of the Penguin Drop Caps Collector's Edition of the book, light refreshments, and good conversation. We will meet in our celebration room on Thursday, January 17 at 7:00 p.m. Call or come by to register! (678-635-8801)

If You Liked: Lola Dutch

If you loved Lola Dutch and are looking for your next read, look no further! If you’re unique, imaginative, and a little bit much, you’ll love these books. (Hover over the pictures for descriptions!)

If You Liked

Try These Titles:

Princesses Wear Pants follows the unflappable Princess Penelope Pineapple, who knows how to get the job done while staying true to herself. Princess Penelope lives in a beautiful palace with a closet full of beautiful dresses. But being a princess is much, much more than beauty. In fact, every morning Princess Penelope runs right past her frilly dresses to choose from her beloved collection of pants!

What she wears each day depends on which job she has to do. Will she command the royal air force sporting her sequined flight suit? Will she find her zen in her yoga pants and favorite tee? Or, will she work in the kingdom’s vegetable garden with pocketed overalls for all of her tools?

Unfortunately for Princess Penelope, not everyone in the Pineapple Kingdom thinks pants are always appropriate princess attire. When the grand Lady Busyboots demands that Princess Penelope must wear a gown to the annual Pineapple Ball, the young royal finds a clever way to express herself. Penelope’s courage (and style choices) result in her saving the day!

When Princess Penelope Pineapple receives an SOS from Princess Sabrina Strawberry, Princess Penny learns that the Strawberry Kingdom’s bees have disappeared. Without bees, how will they enjoy their most precious fruit?

Penny knows the power of teamwork, so she calls a meeting of the Fruit Nations! And princesses from around the land—from Princess Beatrice Blueberry to Princess Kira Kiwi—answer the call to help a friend in need. With a little creative thinking and a whole lot of girl power, the princesses work together for bee-utiful results. TODAY’s beloved coanchor Savannah Guthrie and educator Allison Oppenheim have crafted another irresistible tale that celebrates how nothing is sweeter than friendship.

Meet Nancy, who believes that more is ALWAYS better when it comes to being fancy. From the top of her tiara down to her sparkly studded shoes, Nancy is determined to teach her family a thing or two about being fancy and using fancy words.

How Nancy transforms her parents and little sister for one enchanted evening makes for a story that is funny and warm—with or without the frills.

Following the death of her mother, Coco spent her early life in an orphanage, where she was taught how to use a needle and thread. From there, she became a cabaret singer, seamstress, hat maker, and, eventually, the world's most famous fashion designer. This moving book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the designer's life.

Little People, BIG DREAMS is a best-selling series of books and educational games that explore the lives of outstanding people, from designers and artists to scientists and activists. All of them achieved incredible things, yet each began life as a child with a dream.

When Lucy spots a string, she can't help but give it a yank, and before she knows it, she meets Hank! But this bear isn't quite sure what to make of Lucy, especially because the string is attached to his pants, and they're unraveling fast!

Now Lucy must dream up the perfect solution to Hank's missing pants, and hopefully win this dubious bear's heart along the way.

When Natsumi's family practices for their town's Japanese arts festival, Natsumi tries everything. But her stirring is way too vigorous for the tea ceremony, her dancing is just too imaginative, and flower arranging doesn't go any better. Can she find just the right way to put her exuberance to good use?

This heartwarming tale about being true to yourself is perfect for readers who march to their own beat.

As always, happy reading!

The Story Shop Subscription

Stumbling upon a package at your doorstep is a magical feeling. The only thing that could make it more magical? If that package was also a book.

Good news: book subscriptions from The Story Shop are now available — just in time for Christmas!

The Story Shop Subscription is our fancy new mailing program that brings the magic of The Story Shop to your doorstep or mailbox. Receive one book per month for a customizable length of time. Whether it’s a picture book or a middle grade chapter book is up to you!

More Details:

• Receive a monthly subscription for a period of 1 month, 3 months,
  6 months, 9 months, or 1 year

• Picture books recommended for ages 1-9

• Middle grade books recommended for ages 8-12

• Subscription will contain 1 recently-released book per month

• Each subscription shipped out on the 15th of each month

• Cost is $24.99 per month (shipping is included in this price)

• Automatic recurring payments will be set up upon purchase of a
  several-month subscription

• Billing will go through on the 10th of each month

• Our first box will ship December 15th!

Whether you need the perfect gift for your bookworm or you simply never want to run out of reading material, The Story Shop Subscription has you covered.

As always, happy reading!

November Ladies’ Book Club: Native Speaker

Join us for the November session of our Ladies Book Club! This month, we will be reading Native Speaker by Chang-Rae Lee, the next book in the beautiful Penguin Drop Caps series. Here is the publisher's summary: 

L is for Lee. Korean American Henry Park is “surreptitious, B+ student of life, illegal alien, emotional alien, Yellow peril: neo-American, stranger, follower, traitor, spy…” or so says his wife, in the list she writes upon leaving him. Henry is forever uncertain of his place, a perpetual outsider looking at American culture from a distance. And now, a man of two worlds, he is beginning to fear that he has betrayed both and belongs to neither. Chang-Rae Lee’s first novel Native Speaker is a raw and lyrical evocation of the immigrant experience and of the question of identity itself.

Cost is $25. Included with our price is a copy of the Penguin Drop Caps Collector's Edition of the book, light refreshments, and good conversation. We will meet in our celebration room on Thursday, November 15 at 7:00 p.m. Call or come by to register! (678-635-8801)

Staff Picks: Olivia and Rachel

If you don’t know where to start when it comes to the wide world of children’s literature, we’ve got your back! Reading staff picks is a great way to find a variety of books curated by devoted bookworms. This week, assistant bookseller Olivia and celebration facilitator Rachel share some of their favorites!

Olivia's Favorites

The Count of Monte Cristo

Revenge is a dish best served cold. The story of Edmond Dantė’s journey of revenge is certainly not one to miss! Love, justice, isolation, mercy, vengeance, forgiveness betrayal and so much more is packed into this classic read. Willingness to forgive, and the true meaning of revenge carry the reader along a roller-coaster of emotions to reach the final thought of: "all human wisdom is contained in these two words, 'Wait and Hope.’”

Ocean Meets Sky

It’s a good day for sailing.

Finn lives by the sea and the sea lives by him. Every time he looks out his window it’s a constant reminder of the stories his grandfather told him about the place where the ocean meets the sky. Where whales and jellyfish soar and birds and castles float. He’ll build his own ship and sail out to find this magical place himself!

Rachel's favorites

Rapunzel by Rachel Isadora

This book is such a great view on a well loved fairytale! The illustrations are beautiful.

Hidden Figures (the picture book!)

This was such a great read because of the history some of us never learned about. This true story encourages so many young girls (and guys) to literally shoot for the stars! Girl power!