We've got a delicious new picture book to share with you today, Potatoes for Pirate Pearl, written by Jennifer Concepcion and illustrated by Chloe Burgett. The book will be released September 19, 2023.

This cleverly illustrated pirate-packed and hilarious read-aloud is an entertaining way to introduce young readers to where their food comes from.

Emetophobia warning: mentioned twice. 

If you've not been yet to the North Georgia Mountains, get ready to be inspired. Renowned travel writer Karon Warren has a new book out, entitled 100 Things to Do in the North Georgia Mountains Before You Die. It's a must-read for any travel, culture, and food lover.

If you are lucky, you discover a book you didn't know you absolutely needed. Such is the case with a new book by one of our favorite writers, Gabrielle Yetter.

Her new collection of poetry, And the Clouds Parted, is gorgeous, both in word and illustration. 

It’s a story that began with a song.

It is also a story that began long before the song or the book came to be.

The story began when the first enslaved people came to what is now the United States.

“You brought me here
to build a house...”

Rhiannon Giddens begins the song, and the text of Build a House.

I've got a book for you that will bring you such joy! A Passion for Japan, edited by John Rucynski, is both an ode to building community, and an interesting, in-depth ethnographic look at being a long-term expat resident in Japan. I LOVE it.

As a child of the 80s, I hum Prince, Howard Jones, Michael Jackson, and Duran Duran songs while I’m cooking, can instantly remember the smell of the ditto machine, pegged my jeans, wore Out of Africa-inspired outfits, devoured John Hughes movies, and couldn’t wait to get Back to the Future.

This young adult post-apocalyptic fantasy novel is fantastic escapism—but escapism with depth and a message of hope. Have you sometimes wondered if another world exists? One that feels like returning to a home that we’ve never been to but somehow always felt existed? Jenny McClain Miller & Greg Miller have created that world with Atheria. 

It’s hard to be objective about your own writing. Sometimes you hate a chapter simply because it was a struggle to write. Or you fall in love with it because it reminds you of something personal. Or because you’re proud of a joke. Or a single word. 

Once in a great while, you come across a book so compelling, interesting, and important that you want to share it with everyone. Such is the case with the latest book from author Amy Chavez, entitled The Widow, The Priest and The Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island, published by one of our favorite publishers, Tuttle. 

One of the very best things about reading is starting. Whether it’s with your own kids, your classroom, or kids you know and love, watching them make connections and learn is magical. You might choose to read to them with books you’ve known and loved for years, or embark with new discoveries.