Wednesday afternoons are going to be different this school year. We see that as an opportunity to connect YOUR school-aged readers with great authors local and national!

We're launching local author Betsy Uhrig's Double the Danger and Zero Zucchini and you're invited to help us out!


Alex Harmon prefers running over sitting still reading. But when his aunt offers to pay him to point out the boring parts in her children’s book, he figures it’s an easy way to make ten bucks. The problem is that her book is about a grumpy frog and a prize-winning zucchini. It doesn’t have only a few boring pages…the whole thing is a lost cause.

Alex gives his aunt some ideas to help her out—like adding danger and suspense. But books can’t just be interesting. They also have to be believable. Soon Alex recruits his friends to help him act out scenes so he can describe all the important details. He’s even getting plot twists from a mysterious stranger (who might also be a ghost). Too late, Alex discovers that being a real-life stunt double for a fictional character can land you in terrible trouble—even if your friends are laughing their heads off!


Our Wednesday Afternoon Author Series is designed to connect your school-aged reader with authors who write with them in mind. This is a fantastic opportunity to supplement the remote-school day or the hybrid day off with an interactive introduction to a new favorite book and a new favorite author! Betsy will be reading an excerpt of her book and answering questions from the audience! 
 
This virtual event is a Zoom webinar--participants will only be able to see and hear Betsy. You can join us by following this link! 
 

We are excited to be part of the Discovery Museum Speaker Series. We are selling Dr. Lemery's book for the event!

Dr. Jay Lemery is a Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Chief of the Section of Wilderness and Environmental Medicine, and Faculty in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the Colorado School of Public Health. Dr. Lemery has expertise in austere and remote medical care, and in 2017, co-authored “Enviromedics: the Impact of Climate Change on Human Health,” which highlights one of the greatest human challenges of our time.

About Enviromedics:


While the subject of climate change is often in the news and social media, and its realities debated in various arenas of science and government, the health impacts are often overlooked. Here, two seasoned physicians dispel myths, clarify science, and help readers understand the threats of environmental change to human health.

Many of us have concerns about the effects of climate change on Earth, but we often overlook the essential issue of human health. This book addresses that oversight and enlightens readers about the most important aspect of one of the greatest challenges of our time. The global environment is under massive stress from centuries of human industrialization. The projections regarding climate change for the next century and beyond are grim. The impact this will have on human health is tremendous, and we are only just now discovering what the long-term outcomes may be. By weighing in from a physician’s perspective, Jay Lemery and Paul Auerbach clarify the science, dispel the myths, and help readers understand the threats of climate change to human health. No better argument exists for persuading people to care about climate change than a close look at its impacts on our physical and emotional well-being. The need has never been greater for a grounded, informative, and accessible discussion about this topic. In this groundbreaking book, the authors not only sound the alarm but address the health issues likely to arise in the coming years.

This is a Zoom webinar hosted by the Discovery Museum.  This is a free event with a suggested $5 donation. You need to pre-register for the event. To do that and learn more, please visit the Discovery Museum website. 

 

Jarrett Lerner is back and he wants to introduce a NEW robot to you and your emerging young reader! We're LAUNCHING his new book into the world! Join us as we celebrate Jarrett and his new robot, Geeger! 


New school year feeling different and weird? We've got what you need! Geeger the Robot! He's getting used to school, too! 


Geeger the Robot is going to school. But not robot school…a school with kids, the human kind! Geeger isn’t used to human ways, and his zany misunderstandings and overly literal responses to instructions lead to quite a few mishaps. He’s starting to wonder if he can even make it until snack time! Will a bot made of wires, nuts, and bolts fit in with a classroom of kids?


Our Wednesday Afternoon Author Series is designed to connect your school-aged reader with authors who write with them in mind. This is a fantastic opportunity to supplement the remote-school day or the hybrid day off with an interactive introduction to a new favorite book and a new favorite author! Jarrett will read an excerpt of his book and answer your questions! 

Bonus! Jarrett is offering a special pre-order raffle prize! 

If you order the book before the event, your name will be entered for a special piece of original artwork! 

Our Wednesday Afternoon Author Series is designed to connect your school-aged reader with authors who write with them in mind. This is a fantastic opportunity to supplement the remote-school day or the hybrid half-day off with an interactive introduction to a new favorite book and a new favorite author! This virtual event is a Zoom webinar--participants will only see and hear Jarrett. Follow this link to be part of the fun! 
 

Looking for a Book Club to keep you social and reading? We're a great group of voracious readers who would love for you to join us! 

The Friday Fiction Book Club has moved to Zoom! This month, we're reading Katherine Center's Things You Save in a Fire, which just came  out in paperback. 



Cassie Hanwell was born for emergencies. As one of the only female firefighters in her Texas firehouse, she's seen her fair share of them, and she's a total pro at other people's tragedies. But when her estranged and ailing mother asks her to give up her whole life and move to Boston, Cassie suddenly has an emergency of her own.

The tough, old-school Boston firehouse is as different from Cassie's old job as it could possibly be. Hazing, a lack of funding, and poor facilities mean that the firemen aren't exactly thrilled to have a "lady" on the crew—even one as competent and smart as Cassie. Except for the infatuation-inspiring rookie, who doesn't seem to mind having Cassie around. But she can't think about that. Because love is girly, and it’s not her thing. And don’t forget the advice her old captain gave her: Never date firefighters. Cassie can feel her resolve slipping...and it means risking it all—the only job she’s ever loved, and the hero she’s worked like hell to become.

Katherine Center's Things You Save in a Fire is a heartfelt and healing tour-de-force about the strength of vulnerability, the nourishing magic of forgiveness, and the life-changing power of defining courage, at last, for yourself.


We can't wait to discuss! You can join us by following this link. 

Two chefs, two cities, two ways to make chowder. Looking for some delicious  inspiration on a Wednesday afternoon? Look no further! 

Our Wednesday Afternoon Author Series for your school-aged readers continues with Emmy-winning journalist and author Anna Crowley Redding, who brings us the true story of a beloved recipe and the rivalry it sparked in 1939. Kirkus calls her book "A lighthearted look at the art and soul of a recipe." Chowder Rules even comes with the award-winning chowder recipe that inspired the tale, so you and your young readers can make it at home this Soup Season! 


The story of Great Chowder Cookoff of 1939! Maine lawmaker Cleveland Sleeper loved steamy, creamy, dreamy clam chowder. Thoughts of tomatoes in his chowder made him see red. So he proposed a bill to make it a crime to add tomatoes to clam chowder. New Yorkers were offended! A war of words raged, until finally a duel of chefs settled the matter once and for all. 

Our Wednesday Afternoon Author Series is designed to connect your school-aged reader with authors who write with them in mind. This is a fantastic opportunity to supplement the remote-school day or the hybrid half-day off with an interactive introduction to a new favorite book and a new favorite author! This virtual event is a Zoom webinar--Participants will only be able to see and hear Anna. You can join us by following this link! 


 

The bookstore will be closed for in-person events for the remainder of the calendar year. However, we're still committed to bringing you excellent authors and book discussions! We're thrilled to welcome author Erica Ferencik for a night of action, adventure, survival, and exploration! 

 Lily Bushwold thought she’d found the antidote to endless foster care and group homes: a teaching job in Bolivia. As soon as she could steal enough cash for the plane, she was on it.

When the gig falls through, world-weary Lily decides to stay in Bolivia when an intense passion finds her in the form she least expected: Omar, a savvy, handsome local man who’d abandoned his life as a hunter in Ayachero—a remote jungle village—to try his hand at city life.

When Omar learns that a jaguar has killed his four-year-old nephew in Ayachero, he gives Lily a choice: Stay alone in the unforgiving city, or travel to the last in a string of ever-more-isolated river towns in the jungles of Bolivia. Thirty-foot anaconda? Puppy-sized spiders? Vengeful shamans with unspeakable powers? Lovestruck Lily is oblivious. She follows Omar to this ruthless new world of lawless poachers, bullheaded missionaries, and desperate indigenous tribes driven to the brink of extinction. To survive, Lily must navigate the jungle—its wonders as well as its terrors—using only her wits and resilience.

To do the research for Into the Jungle, a New York Times pick for one of 2019's best thrillers of the summer, Erica Ferencik embedded herself for a month in the Peruvian Amazon, one of the most dangerous places on earth. Join us for a thrilling virtual slide presentation of the fascinating plants, animals and people of the rainforest. This is the perfect escape from a crazy world! You don't want to miss this! 

This virtual author event is a Zoom webinar. You will be able to see and hear Erica, but you won't be able to see or hear other participants. This assures that we can call have a comfortable experience. Don't worry--you'll still be able to ask Erica any questions that you have! You can register for your Zoom link by clicking here. Registration is free and so is the event!  

Middle-Grade Book Club is Back! This book club is designed just for young readers looking to read great books and discuss them with their peers! We're delighted to welcome back Rebecca Caprara, local author of the fantastic book The Orchard of Melwick. She has a novel-in-verse coming out soon! 

As we re-start the group, we're trying to decide if it's best to meet over Zoom or try to meet, socially distanced, in person. As such, we're trying to get an accurate count of who plans to attend. Please register using this Zoom link and Rebecca will be in touch with more details. 

This month, the book club will be reading and discussing From the Desk of Zoe Washington. 
 

Dear Marcus…

Zoe Washington isn’t sure what to write next. What does a girl say to the father she’s never met, she hadn’t heard from until his letter arrived on her twelfth birthday, and who’s been in prison for a terrible crime? A crime he says he never committed.
 

Could Marcus really be innocent? Zoe’s determined to uncover the truth. Even if it means hiding his letters from her mom and stepdad. Everyone thinks Zoe’s worrying about doing a good job at her bakery internship and proving to her parents that she’s worthy of auditioning for Food Network’s Kids Bake Challenge! It’s Zoe’s dream to become a star baker, and she can’t afford to mess anything up.
 

But with bakery confections on one part of her mind and Marcus’s conviction weighing heavily on the other, this is one recipe Zoe doesn’t know how to balance. The only thing she knows to be true: everyone lies.

We look forward to having your young reader join us for our long-running, encouraging and creative book club! Don't forget to register using the link above! 
 

This is a big, big deal. We're so excited to host Newbury Honor Book author Amy Timberlake for our Wednesday Afternoon Author Series and we're excited to introduce you and your young reader to Skunk & Badger. 

Skunk and Badger has been hailed in starred reviews by Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, and Publishers Weekly! It's compared to Frog and Toad and Wind in the Willows for its "wistful" illustrations and odd-couple main characters. "Splendid," "Gleeful" and "Exceptionally sweet," this Middle Grade novel is for your young reader who is looking for something different, challenging, and with substance that will last. It's Wallace and Gromit meets Winnie the Pooh, but modern, and perfectly timed for the times we're living in. 


No one wants a skunk.

They are unwelcome on front stoops. They should not linger in Important Rock Rooms. Skunks should never, ever be allowed to move in. But Skunk is Badger’s new roommate, and there is nothing Badger can do about it.

When Skunk plows into Badger’s life, everything Badger knows is upended. Tails are flipped. The wrong animal is sprayed. And why-oh-why are there so many chickens? “Nooooooooooooooooooooo!”



James Klise's most recent novel The Art of Secrets (Algonquin Young Readers) won an Edgar Award for Best Teen Mystery, a Nevada Young Readers Award, and Booklist Editor's Choice Award, among other honors. He is a core member of the Fiction Faculty at StoryStudio, a writing community in Chicago, and for the past two decades, he has managed a very busy high school library.

 This will be a fantastic event for your young reader during their unscripted Wednesday afternoon! This virtual event is a Zoom webinar--Participants will only be able to see and hear Amy. You can join us by following this link! 
 

We're delighted to welcome back Julie Berry for our Wednesday Afternoon Author Series! Your young reader is going to love her new middle-grade fantasy, full of humor, heart, and magic! 
Maeve Merritt detests the rigid rules at her London boarding school for "upright young ladies." When punishment forces her to sort through the trash, she finds a sardine tin that houses a foul-tempered djinni who has no intention of submitting to a schoolgirl as his master.

Soon an orphan boy, a mysterious man in ginger whiskers, a disgruntled school worker, and a take-no-prisoners business tycoon are in hot pursuit of Maeve and her magical discovery. It'll take all of her quick thinking and sass to set matters right. Maeve Merritt is one feisty heroine you won't soon forget.From award-winning author Julie Berry comes a middle-grade fantasy adventure full of humor and heart. Maeve Merritt chafes at the rigid rules at her London boarding school for "Upright Young Ladies." When punishment forces her to sort through the trash, she finds a sardine tin that houses a foul-tempered djinni with no intention of submitting to a schoolgirl as his master. Soon an orphan boy, a mysterious man in ginger whiskers, a disgruntled school worker, and a take-no-prisoners business tycoon are in hot pursuit of Maeve and her magical discovery. It'll take all of her quick thinking and sass to set matters right. Maeve Merritt is one feisty heroine you won't soon forget!



Our Wednesday Afternoon Author Series is designed to connect your school-aged reader with authors who write with them in mind. This is a fantastic opportunity to supplement the remote-school day or the hybrid half-day off with an interactive introduction to a new favorite book and a new favorite author! This virtual event is a Zoom webinar--participants will only be able to see and hear Julie. You can join us by clicking this link! 

 

It's ALWAYS good and joyful to host Rajani LaRocca! She has a BUNCH of new books coming out in the next few months! We're thrilled she's launching her first picture book, Seven Golden Rings with US! 

In ancient India, a boy named Bhagat travels to the Rajah's city, hoping to ensure his family's prosperity by winning a place at court as a singer. Bhagat carries his family's entire fortune--a single coin and a chain of seven golden rings--to pay for his lodging. But when the innkeeper demands one ring per night, and every link snipped costs one coin, how can Bhagat both break the chain and avoid overpaying? His inventive solution points the way to an unexpected triumph, and offers readers a friendly lesson in binary numbers--the root of all computing.

This is phenomenal book for parents who want to introduce binary numbers to their kiddos in a beautiful, interesting way. It's also fantastic for teachers who want to include binary numbers in their curriculum (there is a great authors note in the back with a thorough explanation in the back)! No matter what, this is a book you want on your shelves this year!

We're planning a few surprises and special guests! Check back here for updates as we get closer!

This book launch is a Zoom webinar! You'll be able to see and hear Rajani (and her special guests!) but won't be able to see or hear other participants. This is to assure that we all have a safe experience. You can register for your link to the event by clicking here. Registration is free! 

Just in time for Halloween: Two murder-mysteries for your middle-grade reader! Meet 12-year-old Myrtle Hardcastle, the amateur detective we know you and the young reader in your life is going to love! 

Premeditated Myrtle has received starred reviews from Booklist and Bookpage, and How to Get Away with Myrtle has received a starred review from Booklist. Both books are called "clever," "lively," and "captivating." Reviewers say that while this book is perfect for the middle-grade mystery reader in the house, "may well sneak out of backpacks and off of nightstands for their own enjoyment." If you've been looking for a way to share the "cozy mystery" genre with a young person in your life, this might be a perfect Wednesday Afternoon for an introduction! 


Twelve-year-old Myrtle Hardcastle has a passion for justice and a Highly Unconventional obsession with criminal science. Armed with her father’s law books and her mum’s microscope, Myrtle studies toxicology, keeps abreast of the latest developments in crime scene analysis, and Observes her neighbors in the quiet village of Swinburne, England.

When her next-door neighbor, a wealthy spinster and eccentric breeder of rare flowers, dies under Mysterious Circumstances, Myrtle seizes her chance. With her unflappable governess, Miss Ada Judson, by her side, Myrtle takes it upon herself to prove Miss Wodehouse was murdered and find the killer, even if nobody else believes her — not even her father, the town prosecutor.

With sparkling wit and a tight, twisty plot, Premeditated Myrtle, the first in a series from an award-winning author, introduces a brilliant young investigator ready to take on hard cases and maddening Victorian rules for Young Ladies of Quality in order to earn her place among the most daring and acclaimed amateur detectives of her time or any other.



The world is... a little crazy right now. A cozy mystery might be just what the doctor ordered. Make sure to tune in for this Wednesday Afternoon event! Our Wednesday Afternoon Author Series is designed to connect your school-aged reader with authors who write with them in mind. This is a fantastic opportunity to supplement the remote-school day or the hybrid day off with an interactive introduction to a new favorite book and a new favorite author!
 
This virtual event is a Zoom webinar--participants will only be able to see and hear Elizabeth. Follow this link to join us! 





 

History, Hollywood Magic, and Big, Big dreams come together in this beautiful picture book about Rita Moreno's talented life. Perfect for any young reader in your life with big dreams and a bright future! 

We're always happy to host Anika Aldamuy Denise! Her newest picture book, A Girl Named Rosita, is a biographical look at Puerto Rican trailblazing actress Rita Moreno's life.  It's gorgeously illustrated by Espinosa and features Spanish language throughout the book for a true and authentic telling of this inspiring story.

When Rosita moved from Puerto Rico to the mainland United States, she did not know what to expect. She did know that she loved to sing and dance. She had to work on overcoming a language barrier and bullying. She made her way to Hollywood with a dream to be star.
She fought to be heard and eventually reached the pinnacle of success, landing her iconic role in West Side Story and finally winning her groundbreaking Oscar.
 

Our Wednesday Afternoon Author Series is designed to connect your school-aged reader with authors who write with them in mind. This is a fantastic opportunity to supplement the remote-school day or the hybrid half-day off with an interactive introduction to a new favorite book and a new favorite author! This virtual event is a Zoom webinar--participants will only see and hear Anika. Follow this link to be part of the fun! 
 

Have a Middle-Grade/YA-Reader looking for more published stories that reflect their own personal story? We're proud to host Nicole Melleby, author of award-winning Hurricane Season, to talk about her new novel, In the Role of Brie Hutchens. 



When strong-willed, theatrical eighth grader Brie Hutchens tells a lie because she isn't quite ready to come out to her mother, she must navigate the consequences in her relationships with her family, friends, and faith in this own-voices LGBTQ novel.

Introducing Brie Hutchens: soap opera super fan, aspiring actor, and so-so student at her small Catholic school. Brie has big plans for eighth grade. She's going to be the star of the school play and convince her parents to let her go to the performing arts high school. But when Brie's mom walks in on her accidentally looking at some possibly inappropriate photos of her favorite actress, Brie panics and blurts out that she's been chosen to crown the Mary statue during her school's May Crowning ceremony. Brie's mom is distracted with pride-but Brie's in big trouble: she has not been chosen. No one has, yet. Worse, Brie has almost no chance to get the job, which always goes to a top student.

Desperate to make her lie become truth, Brie turns to Kennedy, the girl everyone expects to crown Mary. But sometimes just looking at Kennedy gives Brie butterflies. Juggling her confusing feelings with the rapidly approaching May Crowning, not to mention her hilarious non-star turn in the school play, Brie navigates truth and lies, expectations and identity, and how to-finally-make her mother really see her as she is.

Nicole is joined by author Briana McDonald, author of the debut novel, Pepper's Rules for Secret Sleuthing. Her new books is hailed as fun, fast-paced, and exciting by Kirkus Reviews. 


Rule One: Your loyalty is to the case.

Amateur detective Pepper Blouse has always held true to this rule, even if it meant pushing people away. But when the results of Pepper’s latest case cost her any hope of the girl she likes returning her feelings, she decides that maybe she should lay low for a while.

That is, until her Great Aunt Florence passes away under mysterious circumstances. And even though her dad insists there’s nothing to investigate, Pepper can’t just ignore rule fourteen: Trust your gut.

But there’s nothing in the rulebook that could’ve prepared her for the family secrets her investigation uncovers.

Maybe it’s time to stop playing by the rules.

We're always proud to introduce and uplift authors and LGBTQ narratives. This is a great opportunity for the middle-grade or YA reader in your life to meet a new favorite author, hear an excerpt from a great story, and ask questions about the narratives many of our friends, family, and neighbors experience in and out of fiction.

Our Wednesday Afternoon Author Series is designed to connect your school-aged reader with authors who write with them in mind. This is a fantastic opportunity to supplement the remote-school day or the hybrid half-day off with an interactive introduction to a new favorite book and a new favorite author!
 
This virtual event is a Zoom webinar--participants will only be able to see and hear Nicole and Briana. You can join us by following this link!