Alex Is Reading...WINGS OF FIRE

WHEW. This last Thursday's event with Chris Colfer and his fourth Land of Stories book was a huge success! I was told by one fan that it was "the best book signing [they'd] ever been to," and from up at the register and outside with the loooooooong line, I saw so many glowingly happy faces. This kind of hectic day really is one of my favorite things about the job.

Our next kids' event is coming right up! Tui Sutherland, (local!) author of the Wings of Fire series, will be with us on the NINETEENTH OF JULY AT 2PM. The seventh book of the series, WINTER TURNING, has just come out, and it is time to celebrate!

(Look at this awesome cover art. LOOK.)

If you haven't read Wings of Fire already, it is not too late to start. They are quick-paced, action-packed dragon adventures, featuring warring tribes, peril, and cool dragon powers. The main characters are a growing cast of slightly unusual dragonets (young dragons, of course!)--starting with five dragonets from different groups, who have been raised in isolation with the hopes that they will fulfill a prophecy to end the war. But while they do want the war to end, they quickly discover they are not so interested in acting on the orders of any adult dragon they meet. Instead they set off to fix things in their own way--if only they can keep from being killed in the process.

In short: this series is dragon Game of Thrones for kids (9+ is the recommended age), and it is awesome.

If you have read the whole series, and you are looking for something to feed your reading appetites when the last page is finished, here are a few more books you might check out until, some day in the hopefully not too distant future, Wings of Fire eight comes out.

IN THE MEANTIME, top three:

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin -- In a fantasy landscape based on China and Chinese mythology, a young girl travels through legend and story in the company of a dragon to make her poor family's fortune.

Dragon of the Lost Sea by Lawrence Yep -- An evil witch has trapped the sea in which dragon princess Shimmer and her people live inside a single pearl. Although Shimmer is an outlaw, she may be the only hope of her people. Alongside a poor human boy named Thorn, Shimmer quests for the missing pearl that will restore her home, and perhaps her people's faith in her.

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson -- A graphic novel about a villain (Ballister), a hero (Goldenloin), a morally questionable benevolent organization (the Organization), and, MOST IMPORTANTLY, a shapeshifting girl sidekick with ten times the personality of everyone else, who is so...so....so much more than Ballister expects.

A Few More Great Choices:

Dealing With Dragons series by Patricia C. Wrede

The Thickety series by J.A. White

Gregor the Overlander series by Suzanne Collins

House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones

Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor

Amulet series by Kazu Kibuishi


We hope to see you on Sunday! Until then--happy reading!

Alex Is Reading....BOOKS FULL OF PRIDE!!

Woo hoo! It's the first day of June! That means two things. One: it is now allowed to be hot and humid and sun-boilingly summery outside. (Hence, it is raining and cold.)

Two: it is PRIDE MONTH. The Booksmith will be celebrating Pride Month with a lovely display of selected LGBT+ titles from around the store--but there are a few (a lot!) of good books that are just not going to fit. 

You don't want to miss any of the good stuff! So here is a guide to great LGBT+ titles for kids and young adults that you can find on our shelves (or in our online store) every day.

~*~*~*~SO MANY GOOD LGBT+ BOOKS~*~*~*~
for kids and young adults


PICTURE BOOKS

Red: A Crayon's Story by Michael Hall - Red says "red" on the wrapper, but he always seems to come out more...blue? How is he supposed to be happy when everyone expects him to be something he's not? If this story seems like it might be about a transgender crayon, that's because it totally is. (And yes, it also carries a universal message of being true to yourself.)

Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman, illustrated by Laura Cornell - The picture book classic is back in print with all new bright, lush, kid-friendly watercolor illustrations. You can also find Newman's books Mommy, Mama, and Me and Daddy, Papa, and Me in the board book section.

Stella Brings the Family by Miriam B. Schiffer - It's bring your mother to school day, but Stella has two fathers. What will she do? BRING THEM INSTEAD!

And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, illustrated by Henry Cole - The last of our picture books about same-sex parents, featuring world famous penguins. We don't have to talk about gay parenting via penguins anymore, but this book is still sweet as anything and lovely to look at.

Jacob's New Dress by Sarah Hoffman and Ian Hoffman, illustrated by Chris Case - A gender nonconforming little boy celebrates the wonders of his beautiful wardrobe.

I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings, illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas -Famous real-life transgender girl Jazz Jennings shares her life with young readers.

INTERMEDIATE FICTION

Better Nate Than Ever and Five, Six, Seven, Nate by Tim Federle - Two autobiographical novels about a small-town gay boy who ran away to the big city to fulfill his Broadway dreams.

Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky - Sixth-grader Grayson doesn't feel like the boy everyone thinks she is--but she's smart enough to know that people won't be happy when they find out. She decides, despite her fears, to try out for the female lead in the class play. This may prove once and for all who she can trust and who she can't, but it will also prove that Grayson can stay true to herself no matter what.

And be on the lookout in August for George by Alex Gino. George, too, wants to show her colors on the stage as part of coming out in real life, but her voice and her story are all her own.

YOUNG ADULT FICTION & NONFICTION

Queer: The Ultimate LGBT Guide for Teens by Kathy Belge and Mark Bieschke - (Nonfiction) Everyone starts figuring things out somewhere, and there is no rule that says you can't have help. 

Rethinking Normal by Katie Rain Hill - (Nonfiction) You might think that the small town of Okay, Oklahoma is not the best place for a teenager to come out as a trans girl. And you would be right. But Katie Rain Hill did it anyway. Now she's a trans rights activist, a college student, and the author of this candid, charming memoir, chock full of personality and personal truth.

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli - OH. MY. GOSH. THIS. BOOK. It's a little about blackmail and quite a bit about coming out (WITHOUT IT BEING A DISASTER!!!), a lot about friendship, and SO MUCH about being a big old high school nerd who likes theatre and Doctor Who and falls in glorious, goofy, miraculous love with a boy you (maybe) haven't even met.

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray - A plane full of pageant contestants crashes on a not-so-deserted island and takes on the patriarchy. Among the survivors: at least one lesbian, and the most fabulous trans girl of all time. Acerbic, meta, and weird as heck.

Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg - Sometimes you get tired of being The Gay Kid, so when you move to a new school, you come out as...straight. The question is, how's the payoff? Is it better to have the (not always very awesome) spotlight on you, or to hide a crucial part of who you are all the time, in front of everybody? 

(Also check out Konigsberg's new book, The Porcupine of Truth, which involves missing relatives, dying deadbeat dads, paper porkers that determine your destiny, and a new best friend who is, alas, a very cool lesbian recently rendered homeless by a not so accepting family.)

There are so many more! Anything by David Levithan, and Amy will certainly recommend you Jandy Nelson's award-winning I'll Give You the Sun--new stuff comes out all the time and we're happy to share it with you.

From all over the Booksmith, happy June and happy reading!

Meet Amy. She's Excited About Saturday.

Hullo dear Blogsmith readers!

This is Amy, yes, the same Amy who wrote a whole ONE post back in March when Cassandra Clare's Clockwork Princess came out (you all remember me, right?...of course you do!). I'm the newest writer for the Blogsmith and one of the Booksmith's children's booksellers.

Which brings me (sort of) to the fact that I am a huge fan of Young Adult and Middle Grade books. Young Adult is most of what I read but I’ve been recently putting an effort into reading more Middle Grade. I’m having a lot of fun with it, there are some really brilliant middle grade books out there.

Which now, actually, brings me to my real point, this coming Saturday, August 3^rd at 7 PM we have a really awesome panel set up. This panel consists of, no less than, seven Young Adult and Middle Grade authors who are all a part of the Lucky Thirteens.

What are the Lucky Thirteens you ask? They are a group of authors who all have books coming out in 2013! That’s right these authors are all fantastic and new additions to our literary world. When these authors make it big you can tell everyone that you saw them before it was cool.

But really, I’ve read all of them and the best thing about these books is that there is a little bit of everything.

We have a realistic Middle Grade about a fifth grader facing the trials growing up in Elisabeth Dahl’s Genie Wishes. Think Judy Blume.

Our second Middle Grade, Kit Grindstaff’s The Flame in the Mist, is an smart high fantasy about a girl destined to save her kingdom as life as she knew it unravels. A slightly younger Philip Pullman.

Thinking a bit older?
Our first YA is Rachele Alpine’s Canary. Canary explores what happens when a girl is assaulted but speaking out will ruin everything for not just her but her family. If you’re a fan of Laurie Halse Anderson this is your book.

Erin Bowman’s Taken follows the seventeen year old Gray and his search to find out the truth of The Heist, a ritual where all of the town’s men disappear when they turn 18. Everything about this one is The Giver meets Mockingjay.

Justina Ireland’s Vengeance Bound takes the lesser explored Furies from Greek mythology and makes our narrator their third member. She travels the country and expends justice against wrong doing men while hunting down her own revenge. This one is definitely for fans of Kendare Blake and her Anna Dressed in Blood.

Next is Alex Lidell’s high fantasy The Cadet of Tildor. Renee trains to be a member of the elite Servants but struggles with, not only being the only fighting girl, but with learning that the law might not always be right. A must read for fans of Tamora Pierce.

Then there’s Mindy Raf’s The Symptoms of My Insanity. A look at fifteen year old Izzy’s crash course in high school and learning to stop and take a look around. This one is part Louise Rennison’s Georgia Nicholson and part John Green.

See?! There really is something for just about anyone who reads Young Adult or Middle Grade!

I know we don’t usually post about events in depth like this but there are a lot of authors at this one. Also, I’m really excited about it (if you couldn’t tell) and I’ve talked to a couple of the authors in brief social media interactions and they’re excited about the event and there’s just something really cool about being with a group of people so excited to be doing what they’re doing and listening to them talk about it.

I might be biased but YA/MG authors always have the best banter.

So, everyone should swing by and check this out Saturday August 3^rd at Seven. You can sit back, relax, laugh a little, and maybe even learn a bit about writing.

It’s pretty much a win-win.

-Amy

P.S. I don’t think all of my blog posts will be like this…