November 2025 Prime Picks

Reviewer's Choice

Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book 2026
Margaret Rand, General Editor
Mitchell Beazley
9781784728724 $18.99
www.octopusbooksusa.com

Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book 2026 is the 49^th edition of an annually-updated, truly ‘pocket-sized’ guide that continues to be the consumer go-to guide for the latest wine choices.

New illustrations accompany more pages in a survey that sports more illustrations (by New Yorker contributor Hilary Fitzgerald), along with supplemental information on wine pricing, growers and wine regions of the world, recommended vintages to buy to drink either now or later, and more.

While a pleasing pocket size lends to its attraction as a take-along tote to wine events and shopping, of necessity, this also translates to small-sized fonts. That noted, the guide remains an outstanding resource for all wine lovers, especially novices to the wine world who want to get up and running quickly with an authoritative guide pointing the way to the best.

The Little Book of Sleep Meditations
Annie Fay Meitchik
Summersdale
9781837995565 $13.99
www.summersdale.com

The Little Book of Sleep Meditations: Mindfulness Exercises to Help You Sleep offers insomnia sufferers an alternative to typical sleep-inducing routines with a review of how mindfulness and meditation can aid relaxation and sleep.

From visualizations and breathing exercises to movement-based meditation and practice exercises, these links between effortless sleep and meditative practices offers important 5-, 10-, and 15-minute meditations that offer solutions to sleepless nights.

The presentation of these exercises in a small book that is inviting and quick to browse enhances its usefulness and attraction to tose seeking quick, easy meditations for the end of the day.

The Movie Lover’s Quiz Book
Gary Wigglesworth
Summersdale Publishers
9781837996070 $17.00
www.summersdale.com

The Movie Lover’s Quiz Book gathers over 900 questions about films, movie stars, and directors, and is recommended for movie buffs interested in trivia games and movie facts. Quizzes offer avid film fans the opportunity to test their knowledge, learn new things, and participate in movie lore and trivia with friends.

The focus on characters, actors, movie events and timelines, and more tests all aspects of movie knowledge in a survey designed to challenge and engage movie buffs whose film genre interests are broad.

The Poverty of Green Philosophy
Bill Sacks and Greg Meyerson
Open Universe/Carus
9781637700679 $29.95
www.carusbooks.com

The Poverty of Green Philosophy: A Marxist Case for Nuclear Energy in a Cooperative World contains a pro-nuclear argument that may initially be rejected by anti-nuclear readers – but ideally it will be read by both sides interested in better understanding these perspective. It argues that nuclear energy provides a path forward, contrasting it with and critiquing renewable energy resources and touting nuclear energy as the only logical replacement for dependence on fossil fuels, which both sides maintain needs to change.

Whether or not one abides by the premise that nuclear energy is the more logical option, the intriguing arguments about the wellsprings of fear and prejudice, how ‘energy efficiency’ is defined, and how Marxist philosophy applies to the bigger picture makes for an intriguing discussion opportunity recommended especially for classrooms looking for debate material and readers interested in applied Marxist ideals.

A Taste for Wine
Rose Murray Brown, MW
Mitchell Beazley/Octopus Books
9781840918984 $29.99
www.octopusbooksusa.com

A Taste for Wine: A New Tasting Masterclass for Wine Lovers offers a course in how to taste wine that will prove perfect for newcomers to the wine world. It creates a logical progression through wine study which begins with how wine is made and how different processes affect its flavor.

Readers receive lessons on diverse grape varieties, wine countries of the world, different production methods for low-alcohol wines to natural wines, and wine and food pairing options that delve into tasting practices, comparing sweetness and acidity between wines, understanding winemaking options, and much more.

Peppered with color photos throughout, A Taste for Wine offers a rich assortment of insights and wine tasting approaches that are the perfect introduction for novices seeking to better understand wines.

Upholstery School
Sonnaz
Kyle Books
9781804191682 $29.99
www.octopusbooksusa.com

Upholstery School gathers projects for updating furniture in a typical home in a step-by-step guide that assumes no prior familiarity with fabric, upholstery processes, or furniture repair.

One of the experts from The Repair Shop TV show has created a blueprint for understanding upholstery processes that anyone can use, creating a basic outline of techniques, tools, materials, and options that lend to upholstering in either traditional or modern styles.

Packed with practical information and step-by-step black and white illustrations accented by full-page color photo spreads, Upholstery School leaves nothing to wonder about the techniques, options, and easy applications of basic upholstering.

Young Adult/Children

Fight for the Right to Read
Jeff Gottesfeld and Michelle Y. Green
Creston Books, LLC
9781954354333 $19.99
www.crestonbooks.co

Fight for the Right to Read: Samuel Wilbert Tucker and the 1939 Sit-Down Strike for Library Reading Equality gives picture book readers an outstanding biography not just of one man’s efforts to assure free and fair libraries for all Americans, but the issues involved in the right to read.

Kim Holt provides engaging illustrations that tells of a time when libraries were segregated. The efforts of Samuel Wilbert Tucker to change this by nonviolent, determined actions are the highlight of a book that teaches young readers how to stand up for their rights in clever, effective ways that gets the message across.

A true story like this is needed now, more than ever.

The Monster in the Lake
Leo Timmers
Gecko Press
9798765670507 $19.99
www.geckopress.com

The Monster in the Lake is an engaging picture book story of ducks who brave a legendary monster in the lake, only to find that there may be truth to the legend, after all. Eric’s friends are convinced that the monster doesn’t exist, but Eric isn’t so sure.

What makes a monster bad? They are scary, greedy, and ravenous. But Eric’s discovery is none of these things, despite appearances.

This fun, whimsical story about what constitutes a monster, safety, and adventure is the perfect non-frightening story for the very young.

My Dad Thinks He’s a Scream
Katrina Germein
Walker Books
9781761601606 $18.99
www.walkerbooks.com.au

My Dad Thinks He’s a Scream features engaging illustrations by Tom Jellett, who brings to life the first-person story of a family getting ready for Halloween.

The family’s father loves cracking Halloween jokes and obviously thinks he’s a scream, enhancing Halloween celebrations with a wry sense of observation that (he thinks) is very funny.

No underlying messages, here - just a plain good Halloween series of jokes and fun family experiences that are uplifting and hilarious.

No Cheese, Please!
Nishani Reed
Nosy Crow
9798887772080 $18.99
www.nosycrow.us

No Cheese, Please! is illustrated by Maria Neradova and tells of a mouse who can’t eat cheese. The focus on his dairy-free life includes a dairy-free cake recipe and insights about food allergies and adaptation that read-aloud adults will find pointed, fun, and easy to use to help educate the very young.

Mo’s dilemma is compounded by well-meaning friends who show up with all the birthday delights a young mouse could want ... none of which Mo can actually eat.

No Cheese, Please! is the perfect choice for adults seeking to explore dietary restrictions with youngsters, but also offers an important supporting message about friendship and adaptation that kids will find enlightening and thought-provoking.

Penguin Books
www.penguin.com/kids

These new arrivals from Penguin are outstanding picture books highly recommended for elementary-level libraries and adults who seek quality books for kids.

Chris Van Dusen’s If I Built a Town (9780593324981, $19.99) tells of Jack, who dreams up an ideal community filled with mythical creatures, technological wonders, and hilarious moments.

As Jack envisions an ideal town, readers will relish a host of wonders and possibilities as well as creatures and people that benefit from his extraordinary visions of impossibility and possibility. Kids will love speculating about and envisioning the wonder.

Baby Ballena by Ben Gundersheimer (9780593624845, $18.99) is illustrated by Marcos Almada Rivero, and explores undersea environments as it follows a baby whale’s first migration from Mexico to Alaska.

Little Juana is already as big as a boat when she’s born, but she’s destined to grow much larger during the course of a migration that leads her into uncharted waters.

The bilingual Spanish/English text and lovely first-person dialogue creates an engaging natural history that young whale lovers will relish.

Misty Copeland’s Bunheads, Act 2: The Dance of Courage (9780399547683, $18.99) receives fun illustrations by Setor Fiadzigbey as it returns the crew of dancers to young audiences with a new adventure.

Misty and her friends are excited to learn the ballet Don Quixote. Her best friend Cat tells the story and convinces their teacher to let them perform it, but when Cat is injured and can’t play her favored role, Misty faces a dilemma caused by her own ambitions and relationships with other dedicated dancers.

Young dancers and adults will appreciate how the dilemma resolves in this survey of the ballet world’s conundrums, competition, and cooperative ventures.

Mom’s Busy Work by Jacinda Ardern (9780593692301, $19.99) receives engaging illustration by Ruby Jones as it follows a busy working mother’s relationship with her children. Based on real conversations New Zealand Prime Minister Ardern had with her young daughter, this story covers the relationship between a hard-working career mother and her child, illustrating how parents and kids can support one another with love in a busy household.

More so than most books about working mothers, Mom’s Busy Work focuses on the family connections which take place within a household where everyone has a life within and outside of the family circle.

Just Shine! How to Be a Better You by Sonia Sotomayor (9780593206294, $18.99) receives especially notable illustrations by Jacqueline Alcántara as it tells of a little Puerto Rican girl with the ability to make everyone around her shine. She finds beauty in all kinds of disparate personalities.

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor illustrates the process of acceptance, encouragement, and celebrating differences in a picture book story that goes beyond idealistic thinking to identify specific ways of supporting others:

Celina showed her love by sharing her stories and poems and laughter with her new chosen family, and they taught her to learn more about the world around her.

Emmy Kastner’s Outside In and the Inside Out: A Story About Arnold Lobel (9780593692509, $18.99) is a picture book biography of Arnold Lobel, who wrote stories and drew pictures to accompany them.

It reveals the wellsprings of his inspiration, celebrates his creative ventures both in writing and in life, and offers some whimsical insights into how stories are gleaned from life to assume a different countenance and impact in written form.

You Are Not Alone by Ingrid Law (9780593697955, $18.99) enjoys warm, colorful art by Sin Li as it explores feelings of loneliness, being connected, and being part of the human race and larger universe.

The message ‘you are not alone’ is imparted in a myriad of ways to offer comfort to a child, reinforcing the connecting nature of life that surrounds their world.

Shehzil Malik’s The Biker Girls (9780593324912, $18.99) tells of Zoey, who has never ridden a bike, thinking it’s a sport mainly for boys. It takes two bike-riding girls who encourage her how to ride, first in the park and then on the more challenging greater city streets, to change her mind.

But Zoey’s father still feels it’s not safe for a girl to ride a bike. How can she prove him wrong when dangers do exist?

This lovely story receives cartoon-like balloon dialogues between the girls which offer additional attraction to youngsters attracted to graphic novel color and clear delineations of who is speaking.

Paula Schneider’s Love Stays Strong (9780593694558, $18.99) receives warm illustrations by Nicole Wong as it explores health challenges experienced by a mother, and their impact on her family and daughter.

The author, a breast cancer survivor herself, imparts a gentle but all-important message through the mother’s reflections:

“There will be days when I can’t be there to pick you up from school, or make you your favorite snack, or tuck you in at night. But even when I can’t be with you, my love for you stays strong.”

The message of love and hope, and its delivery, will prove of utmost importance to any family facing their own health dilemmas.

When We Find Her by M. Garcia Peña (9780593624098, $18.99) is illustrated by André Ceolin and tells of Lila and her abuelo Carlos, who miss Abuela Ana’s dancing, cooking, and presence.

What better way to honor her memory than through cooking and food? As a faded recipe demands a visit to the market where ingredients prompt new recollections, a fine trip emerges as a grieving granddaughter and grandfather join forces to create a positive, memorable experience.

Hayley and John Rocco’s Hello, I’m a Loris (9780593858783, $16.99) reviews an attractive endangered species and why they need help, joining others in the Meet the Wild Things series exploring endangered creatures around the world.

Lovely, large-size illustrations capture the large-eyed beauty of the loris, which sleeps during the day, helps trees by eating a variety of potentially harmful insects, and is the only primate in the world that is venomous.

Adorable illustrations make this picture book exploration appealing, as does the “voice” of the loris as it explains its natural history and lifestyle.

Tea is Love by Adib Khorram (9780593618530, $18.99) is illustrated by Hanna Cha and explores the plant, ceremony, and art of sharing a cup of tea. As it reviews tea-making practices across different cultures, the account surveys a warm ritual that features simple language and a celebratory, inclusive tone to the connections created by tea and sharing.

Varsha Bajaj’s Family of Friends (9780593625158, $18.99) receives engaging illustration by Ishaa Lobo as it reviews a birthday girl’s family involvements. Isha is particularly excited because her fun grandmother is coming from India to attend, but when her grandmother has to cancel the trip, Isha is saddened, and feels like the birthday plans are no longer special.

How can her good friends cheer her up? Through efforts that help her connect with family and friends as love evolves.

Anna Dewdney’s Ilama Ilama a Gift for Mama (9780593363264, $15.99) tells of a fast-approaching Christmas season and Llama Llama’s search for the perfect gift for his mother. Despite his best efforts, the gift remains elusive. How can he celebrate her if he can’t find something truly special?

JT Morrow’s fun illustrations add color and whimsy to the story of a young llama who isn’t convinced that sharing Chritmas Day with his mother will be enough.

Rae Rose’s The Sacred Stone Camp (9780593696637, $18.99) enjoys warm illustrations by Aly McKnight which enhance the story of Native American water protectors who gather to defend their water source and fight an oil pipeline. A young girl participates in this effort in this tribute to Indigenous activist and historian LaDonna BraveBull Allard. The story will especially benefit from adult read-aloud and added discussion for maximum impact and insight.

Ariel Vanece’s Searching for Mr. Johnson’s Song (9780593617816, $18.99) receives fun illustration by Jade Orlando as it surveys summer time spent between neighbors. Aging Mr. Johnson’s memory is poor and he can no longer sing his favorite song, but young Caius doesn’t know the lyrics, either. Can he fill in some blanks to help Mr. Johnson?

The fine story of supporting an elderly person through some innovative thinking makes for a wonderful example of thoughtful action.

Estelí Meza’s Crocodiles Everywhere (9780593659148, $18.99) tells of a girl’s best friend who moves away, leaving the little girl seeing two crocodiles everywhere - chaos and grief. Nobody else seems to view them, though. It’s up to her to face their angst and confront her feelings of sadness and anger.

Parents can use this fine story of emotions about loss to explore feelings with the very young.

All are exceptional picture books, and are perfect recommendations holding lasting library lending value and for parental read-aloud efforts.

Rabbit Shoots the Sun
Retold by Terri Fields
Wisdom Tales/World Wisdom
9781957670157 $19.95
www.wisdomtalespress.com

Rabbit Shoots the Sun retells a Hopi folktale about a sun that apparently needs a lesson on manners. And who better to teach Sun about the problem of being too hot than Rabbit?

Sun doesn’t take kindly to the criticism, though, and thus evolves a lengthy battle that impacts both participants and the world.

Ages 4-8 will relish this tale and the appealing illustrations by Gerald Dawavendewa, which capture a world on fire and the war that consumes all.

Some Days I’m the Wind
Rebecca Gardyn Levington
Barefoot Books
9798888596623
www.barefootbooks.com

Some Days I’m the Wind tells of a child who imagines her temperament changing daily, from different forms of wind and hot sun to the gushing downpour of rain. Dinara Mirtalipova’s art adds drama and action to this imaginative reflection, which is designed to be read in conjunction with an online audio book narrated by Teresa Gallagher.

The emotional connections between weather and child are wonderfully developed in a story that embraces both in a lively tale kids will find evocative, especially when read in conjunction with the audio.

Start with a Teapot
Enric Lax
Gecko Press
9798765670491 $21.99
www.geckopress.com

Start with a Teapot: An Unexpected Guide to the Art of Drawing instructs the very young about the rudiments of creating art. It’s translated by Daniel Hahn and adopts an especially inviting drawing method that shows how to connect different shapes and images in unusual ways.

To draw an elephant, for example, young artists can begin by drawing a teapot. To create a horse, the elephant is modified. And a camel or unicorn drawing can emerge from the foundations of the horse.

This approach encourages the very young to understand shapes, the rudiments of drawing, and how illustrations can build upon one another, making for an important series of lessons that adults will want to use to guide budding young artists.

The Tree That Was a World
Yorick Goldewijk
Wm. Eerdmans
9780802856500 $18.99
www.eerdmans.com

The Tree That Was a World is translated by Laura Watkinson and illustrated by Jeska Verstegen. It tells of a sloth that hangs on a branch all day, but longs to be different. In fact, a host of animals who live in the tree and its surroundings also want to do or be something different in this story of novel ways of looking at the same life experience.

From a pike that envies a different pike’s life to a jet-black worker ant who secretly dreams of flying away from the nest, each creature builds upon the notion that they are unique and their ambitions are achievable - albeit in unexpected ways.

An exceptionally lovely dialogue will emerge between adults who read this book to kids and young picture book readers interested in bigger-picture feelings about the world around them.

We Can Be Brave
Mariann Edgar Budde
Dutton
9788217113811 $19.99
www.penguin.com/kids

If only one book were chosen to help young readers adapt to a changing world, it should be We Can Be Brave: How We Learn to Be Brave in Life’s Decisive Moments. Filled with real-world examples of how courage can be cultivated in tough times for responses that change not just personal perspective, but the world, the survey provides an uplifting game plan for adaptation and positivity. It also incorporates reflections on God and faith into the bigger picture of learning how to live in a different, better way.

The story offers read-aloud adults and young listeners many opportunities for engaging topics ranging for developing a positive attitude to understanding faith’s role in the bigger picture of life.