Ask a bookseller

Every week, The Thread checks in with booksellers around the country about their favorite books of the moment.

Ask a Bookseller: 2020 captured in words and images
Donna Garban of Little City Books in Hoboken, N.J., says she knows to order multiple copies every time Jason Reynolds, the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, puts out a new book.
Ask a Bookseller: 'See Me in the Wonder' is an affirmation of life after loss
Kathy Gray is the primary bookbuyer for Lark Toys in Kellogg, Minn., and she recommends "See Me in the Wonder," a picture book by a Wisconsin author and illustrator Laurel Fraher.
Newbery Honor book 'A Snake Falls to Earth' is infused with 'unwavering optimism'
 "I just I found myself smiling a lot and, and kind of feeling like I was in this daydream or, like all of a sudden my imagination was sparked to life,” says Darcie Shultz, owner of Books and Burrow in Pittsburg, Kan., of "A Snake Falls to Earth."
Ask a Bookseller: A new exploration of America's last slave ship and its legacy
Jake Reiss of The Alabama Booksmith near Birmingham, Ala., is looking forward to the publication of a nonfiction book on Jan. 25 that he says is sure to spark conversation.
Ask a Bookseller: Loved the movie? Try reading 'Dune'
Isaac Frankel of Peregrine Book Company in Prescott, Ariz., has fond memories of picking his father's copy of Frank Herbert's sci-fi novel "Dune" off the shelf and reading it for the first time. Now, he says he's seen a huge interest in the “Dune” series since the new film version came out this fall.
Ask a Student: Book series elementary school kids love
Usually every week for Ask a Bookseller, MPR News’ Emily Bright checks in with indie booksellers all over the country for recommendations. But this week, we’re changing it up with an Ask a Student edition, courtesy of some of the readers at Gatewood Elementary School in Minnetonka, Minn.
Ask a Bookseller: What does it mean to be a monster? 
Emil Ferris's graphic novel "My Favorite Thing is Monsters" made a splash when came out in 2017, and it's still Richard Johnston's favorite title to recommend. "I'm always amazed when people don't know it because I love it so much," says Johnston, who runs Brookings Book Company in Brookings, S.D.
Ask a Bookseller: 'Tiny Americans' follows one family over 40 years
Bob Lingle of Off the Beaten Path Bookstore in Lakewood, N.Y., recommends the novel "Tiny Americans" by Devin Murphy. The book starts in 1978 and follows a family of five over the next 40 years.