[title subtitle=”Recommendations and image courtesy Bookish”][/title]
Five must-read book recommendations for book lovers of all ages, from our friends at Bookish, Fort Smith, Arkansas’s only independently owned book store.
(Picture Book)
The Important Thing About Margaret Wise Brown
by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Sarah Jacoby
Barnett has one goal in his book, and it is to highlight the significance of Wise Brown’s work. Wise Brown lived forty-two years, and in forty-two pages Barnett highlights her idiosyncrasies and some of her most well-known books. It’s a biographical picture book celebrating one of the most eclectic authors in children’s literature.
(Middle Grades)
Ghost Boys
by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Twelve-year-old Jerome is accidentally shot and becomes a ghost. Luckily, he meets other historical ghosts along the way to help him navigate modern America. Through modern dialogue, historical characters, and just enough edge to keep young readers engaged, Ghost Boysis relevant and thoughtful. This is a great book for the young activist moving into 3rd – 6th grades.
(Ages 12-17)
The Poet X
by Elizabeth Acevedo
National Book Award winner Acevedo tells the story of Xiomara Batista through a novel written in poems. Xiomara is a 10th grader in Harlem balancing friends, family, and school. Through it all, she gains the courage to find her voice.
Reader note: Acevedo will be in Fort Smith on October 8th!
(Adult Novels)
Chances Are
by Richard Russo
Russo is back with his trademark humor and humanity. In this “elegy for a generation” sixty-year-old Mickey, Lincoln, and Teddy discover more about themselves in each other than they ever have. Russo delves into the nuances of male friendships like only he can, with purpose and profundity.
The Most Fun We Ever Had
by Claire Lombardo
Marilyn and David Sorenson fall in love in the 1970s, but through a series of events leading up to the fall of 2016, their four daughters help show them just how lucky they are. Wendy, Violet, Liza, and Grace are dramatically different, and through the backdrop of the Chicago suburbs, Lombardo’s debut gives us a glimpse at what makes a family a family – even in the midst of life-changing secrets that span decades.
