The week of November 2, 2026 | Southern Books for Young Readers | "The world was hers for the reading.” — Betty Smith | |
Last day to vote!
The 2026 Southern Book Prize recognizes and honors great Southern books and shows what indie bookseller support can do for the books they love. Voting closes today: any reader who loves Southern literature and Southern independent bookstores is eligible to vote.
The finalists for the fiction and nonfiction categories were covered in October. Now, in the last week of voting, here is what Southern booksellers have to say about the finalists in the young readers category. See all the finalists here and click on the orange button below to vote!
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Ghost in the Night by Tiffany D. Jackson [Scholastic Press]
Jackson is as good as ever in this spooky upper-middle-grade book! Nothing is as it seems, and the danger becomes all too real as the kids learn lessons about what may—or may not—be out there.
—Andrea, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, VA
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Phoenix by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley [Dial Books]
Bradley is one of the best children’s authors writing today. She doesn’t shy away from the hard situations that kids sometimes face. She clearly has great respect for her young readers.
—Amanda, Pearl’s Books in Fayetteville, AR
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Centering a heist perfect for fans of The Gilded Wolves, Tubb's YA debut offers both a touching found-family story and an immersive, high-stakes tale.
—Matilda, Little Shop of Stories in Decatur, GA
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Ashley Belote has a tremendous gift for connecting with children of all ages through her incredible illustrations and simple messages.
—Alissa, South Main Book Company in Salisbury, NC
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This book is a delightful visit to the weedy garden, from birds, butterflies, and bumblebees flying about to animals hopping, scurrying, and slithering through. The playful text paired with the gorgeous collage illustrations will make the reader hope for a visit.
—Rae Ann, Parnassus Books in Nashville, TN
| | Public Access Afterworld by Jane Schoenbrun | |
“I think directing is performing, and writing is performing. I find myself constantly aware that I’m not performing when I’m on the couch with my loved ones. I would even go a step further and say I’m really good at that, probably because of some trans trauma. Because when you’re a kid, you learn very young that people want you to perform a version of yourself that isn’t you. I learned how to do that really well, and I think it’s an essential part of filmmaking.”
― Jane Schoenbrun, On Friendship, Fiction, and Faking It, Interview magazine
| | Southern Indie Booksellers Are Saying... | |
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This is everything haunting about I Saw the TV Glow ramped up exponentially, and every feeling (good and bad and BAD BAD) about growing up and growing into yourself.
—Frances, Blinking Owl Books, Fort Myers, FL | BUY
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I am still buzzing as I write this. This book is tapped so hard into my subconscious that it feels magical. Bethany Peters is a hero our times needed and is still waiting for.
—Zack, Novel, Memphis, TN | BUY
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A sprawling modern epic, perfect for internet weirdos and TV lovers... Even though it’s 600 pages, I flew through this book. I will be recommending it to everyone I know.
—Em, Bookmiser, Marietta, GA| BUY
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Sucks you in and spits you back into the world with fresh eyes for shadows, static, possibility in the mundane... Those who are already fans of I Saw the TV Glow will get to explore familiar themes and visuals while experiencing a new dimension of Jane Schoenbrun’s universe.
—Julie, Hub City Bookshop, Spartanburg, SC | BUY
More Book Buzz
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Read This Now!
FRESH READS RECOMMENDED BY SOUTHERN INDIES...
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| | | Needlemouth by K-Ming Chang | |
Simon & Schuster / October 2026 | This novel explores themes of generational trauma, family, and an immense amount of grotesque horror through the tale of three cousins. As Cindy goes to visit her late grandmother’s home for the summer, her two cousins, who live there year-round, notice she is different this year. Cindy has lost all memory of who she is and who her family is and has gained an awful nighttime habit of waking up with small objects placed in her mouth... Through blood and determination, these girls hunt down a man at the demand of the demon Needlemouth to restore their home. | Reviewed by Ashton, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, NC | | | | The Bishop of Durham Attempts to Surrender the City by Susanna Clarke | |
Bloomsbury Publishing / October 2026 | A companion short story to Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, The Bishop of Durham provides a returning glimpse into Clarke’s fantastical England, hundreds of years before the story as we know it. An atmospheric tale of folklore and liminality, this is a beautifully illustrated accompaniment to an epic and timeless piece of literary fantasy. | Reviewed by Flora, Epilogue: Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, NC | | | | Riverhead Books / October 2026 | |
Paris Marx’s Hyperscale takes the various, disparate threads of debate around data centers and refocuses them on the single issue that affects us all: what are they doing to the planet? With insightful reporting and clear, accessible writing, Marx explores how the hunger of big tech for bigger data centers and more compute is leading us down a path to disaster, and what to do about it.
Read more.
| Reviewed by Charlie, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, VA | | | | An Octopus Named Houdini by Zana Fraillon | |
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers / October 2026
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As someone who dislikes aquariums and zoos, this book was not only sweet and magical, but a reinforcement of my beliefs... This book made me so angry, which made the ending all the more satisfying. I loved the friendship between Juno and Houdini; it reminded me of Marcellus and Tova’s bond in Remarkably Bright Creatures.
Read more.
| Reviewed by Erika, Righton Books in St. Simons Island, GA | |
Decide for Yourself
Bookstore Reviews of Banned or Challenged Books
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| | | Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury | Simon & Schuster / January 2012 | Oh, how times haven’t changed. And that’s the sad part. Knowledge is still being suppressed in some manner, and in this classic, we have a "far-off" yet completely imminent dystopian society in which books are burnt for their obscene nature... Incredibly important message, especially considering it came out in 1953. | Reviewed by Itzy, M. Judson Booksellers in Greenville, SC | | |
1. Whistler
Ann Patchett, Harper, $30.00, 9780063511637
2. Yesteryear (Indies Introduce)
Caro Claire Burke, Knopf, $30.00, 9780593804216
3. The Calamity Club
Kathryn Stockett, Spiegel & Grau, $35.00, 9781954118812
4. The Correspondent
Virginia Evans, Crown, $28.00, 9780593798430
5. The Things We Never Say
Elizabeth Strout, Random House, $29.00, 9798217154746
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1. The Land and Its People: Essays
David Sedaris, Little, Brown and Company, $30.00, 9780316264839
2. Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump
Maggie Haberman, Jonathan Swan, Simon & Schuster, $34.00, 9781668067246
3. Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage
Belle Burden, The Dial Press, $30.00, 9780593733318
4. Dogs, Boys, and Other Things I've Cried About: A Memoir
Isabel Klee, William Morrow, $28.00, 9780063451070
5. The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy
Gil Durán, Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster, $30.00, 9781668221402
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1. Little Blue Truck Lost and Found
Alice Schertle, Jill McElmurry (Illus.), Clarion Books, $19.99, 9780063436121
2. Goodnight Moon
Margaret Wise Brown, Clement Hurd (Illus.), Harper, $10.99, 9780694003617
3. The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Eric Carle, World of Eric Carle, $10.99, 9780399226908
4. This Book Is Seriously Silly! (A Narwhal and Jelly Picture Book #2)
Ben Clanton, Tundra Books, $19.99, 9781774886588
5. Owl by Myself (An Owl By Myself Story)
Pete Oswald, Random House Studio, $18.99, 9780593303603
| | "Everyone tells a story about themselves inside their own head. Always. All the time. That story makes you what you are. We build ourselves out of that story." |
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