From Oregon Live July 10, 2021 Portland-raised author Renée Watson is the inspiration for a campaign that Portland bookstore Green Bean Books is running on behalf of Vernon Elementary School this summer. The campaign’s goal: To sell 275 copies of Watson’s delightful chapter book Ways to Make Sunshine, which follows a Black girl growing up …
Torrey, a Black San Francisco State University student in his first year, is looking for a new start and is happy to be away from his home in LA. He misses terribly his late uncle with whom he operated an apiary, or bee farm. Torrey saw his uncle as one of the few positive forces …
From Paper Boat Booksellers in Seattle, WA: February is Black History Month, and we are celebrating this year’s theme of Family: Representation, Identity & Diversity by featuring books from wonderful black authors that tell the histories and stories of African Americans in U.S. history. We encourage our customers to ask their bookseller for recommendations as …
If you love Blueberries for Sal, take a look at this! It has the same potential as a classic, with sensory details and family connection that are wonderfully evocative plus gorgeous illustrations to bring the magic of the scenes to life. It is based on scenes from Mighty Justice by civil rights lawyer and activist …
The Paragon Hotel has been my favorite historical fiction recommendation since it first published. It has so many things to love, a daring escape across the country, a crime to solve, a child to find, and characters to love. Set in segregated Oregon, you’ll find out things you never knew, while turning the pages as …
This Is My America released at the beginning of a reckoning that’s been long overdue—the untended roots of race in America. These origins draw parallels not only to slavery and mass incarceration but to open wounds festering below the surface. My novel was born from many early lessons on race as a Black girl growing …
I loved this smart, funny peek inside the high stakes world of San Francisco private schools. It has everything: social satire, family drama, friendship, a lot of laughs, a touch of romance, and lots to think about after. If you’ve been looking for that Where’d You Go, Bernadette feeling, try this. Bonus: The co-authors live in …
Sunday night marked the debut of “Lovecraft Country,” an HBO series based on Seattle author Matt Ruff‘s novel of the same title. The series is produced by a stellar team that includes Misha Green (who wrote the first episode) and Jordan Peele. Here’s the summary of the show: Based on Matt Ruff’s novel of the …
This summer a highly anticipated title is the YA debut by the author of the adult title Mem. Morrow sets her story in a contemporary alternative world where portions of the population have various mythical abilities and identities. Inherent in these identities are built in assumptions and prejudices, the most heightened of which are towards “sirens,” …
One of my childhood favorites. Justin doesn’t like to do “women’s work,” but a few days at his grandfather’s ranch teaches him more lessons than he can ask for! Great middle grade read! –Derrick, The Well-Read Moose, Coeur d’Alene, ID Revisit old book friends and introduce them to new readers at The Well-Read Moose and …
