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Browse: Home / We Need Diverse Books

We Need Diverse Books

Jan

15

2021

E. J. Koh

Things You Don’t Know … All of It Lies Inside of Books: An Essay by 2021 PNBA Award Winner E. J. Koh

When I was fifteen, my parents returned to South Korea and left me behind with my brother in America. My mother started writing me letters in Korean, a language I could not fully understand at the time. Over a decade after she wrote me, I translated her letters into English. In one letter, she writes: …

Jan

1

2021

Reading to Understand

As loathe as I am to admit it, it’s not possible to read a single book on a subject and understand. So if you want to understand, you have to read a lot. I read to understand. I have, ever since I was young. This past year, I changed what I read. It was deliberate …

Dec

21

2020

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

Clap When You Land was the favorite book from the LatinX Book Club at Rediscovered Books for 2020. Each page opens multiple doors and invites to to see things differently. The language feels easy and simple as you read, and at the end you are reminded that a genius is one who can take complex …

Dec

18

2020

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

I absolutely loved this book; I read it in maybe 2 days! It’s like a hybrid of Percy Jackson and the Red Queen series, all brought together in a more modern take. The book begins with a mystery right away, then the romance, battles, and secrets pulled my interest immediately. What I really loved was …

Dec

9

2020

2

remarks

Ten Ways to Hear Snow 
written by Cathy Camper, illustrated by Kenard Pak

This lovely li’l story is about a young girl’s journey through the snow to visit her Lebanese grandmother. The text is filled with fun onomatopoeia, and the pictures are sweet and soft as the characters. A great read aloud while staying cozy under a blanket during the holidays [and beyond]. –Christina, King’s Books, Tacoma, WA …

Nov

18

2020

I Am Every Good Thing

I Am Every Good Thing written by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. James 

This beautifully illustrated poem of a picture book celebrates Black boyhood, leaning into the joy and pride of a loved child. I love this line from the narrator: “I am good to the core, like the center of a cinnamon roll. Yeah, that good.” We have signed copies. —Carrie, Broadway Books, Portland, OR With bold …

Nov

10

2020

PNBA Book Awards

2021 Pacific Northwest Book Awards Shortlist Announced

The Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association is happy to announce the 2021 Book Awards Shortlist, selected by a committee of independent booksellers from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska. This year’s committee chose the following 12 finalists, crafted by Northwest authors and illustrators, from a list of nearly 400 nominated titles published during 2020. The six …

Oct

16

2020

Read Up, Kids: Middle Grade Chapter Book Recommendations from Portland’s Annie Bloom’s Books

From the recommendations of bookseller and kids’ author Rosanne Parry, here are three middle grade novels perfect for 9- to 14-year-olds: The Artifact Hunters by Janet Fox is like Harry Potter set in a magical school in Scotland. But, unlike Harry Potter, the characters travel through time in an attempt to solve real historical problems and keep the dangers of the …

Oct

15

2020

Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe

This delightfully illustrated graphic memoir is an emotional and straightforward account of self-discovery and acceptance. Kobabe, who uses e/em/eir pronouns, explores coming to terms with eir genderqueer identity and asexuality in a way that is personal, thoughtful, and educational. Kobabe’s self-aware recollections range from uncomfortable and painful to awkward and joyful and liberating. The artwork …

Oct

13

2020

Happy Latinx Heritage Month

From the blog of Third Place Books (Lake Forest Park, Ravenna, Seward Park), WA. By Allie. We are so excited to celebrate Latinx authors and the contributions they make to the literary world! In fraught times, it is important to celebrate the diversity that truly makes this country great. And I may be biased as …

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