Michelle Ruiz Keil’s All of Us With Wings is a magical realist ode to punk rock magic. Set in a San Francisco that looks a lot like ours, All of Us With Wings follows Xochi, a struggling runaway who eagerly joins an interesting family as the governess to the family’s headstrong daughter. Naturally, things get …
Originally posted on the Island Books blog In July of 2018, I read about fifteen Young Adult (YA) books. I consumed them. Whether on audio, from the library, or the advanced copies from the store, I could not get enough. This was a new development. In high school I read some, mostly Cassandra Clare or …
Malu finds herself caught between a Mexican mother who wants her to be the perfect señorita and a music-loving father who helped foster her love of all things punk. After their divorce, Malu and her mother move to Chicago from Florida, where Malu has to start a new school and find her place, ultimately discovering …
The rhymes in this book are as uplifting as the story of . . . pioneering naval engineer [Raye Montague], and the illustrations are delightful. A sweet read for aspiring engineers [and anyone who wants to know more about a brilliant history-maker]. –Raissa, King’s Books, Tacoma, WA Learn more for Women’s History Month and every …
If you liked: ✓ books starring spirited & sassy girls ✓ underdog-type stories with brave main characters ✓ stories with unique world building ✓ ice skating & martial arts… together, then try Peasprout Chen: Future Legend of Skate & Sword. –Powell’s Books, Portland, OR Many thanks to author Kelly Jones for taking a photo of …
Sometimes you just fall in love with a book and everything it represents. Rosie Revere is back in an all-new chapter book series that might just be the best early chapter book series ever engineered! –Jesica DeHart, Neill Public Library, Pullman, WA This is a fun, well-illustrated early chapter book that encompasses all the zany …
Tiffany Harlan, Manager/Book Buyer at Grass Roots Books & Music in Corvallis, OR, recently gave an annual Fall Children’s Book Roundup book talk for educators of the Mid Valley Reading Council of Oregon. As part of the talk, Tiffany created thematic displays in the children’s area, including one highlighting books about diversity, kindness, and community. …
Jess and Angie are best friends, so when Angie comes out and starts dating Margot, a rich girl from a different high school, Jess tries to be supportive. Jess has secretly loved Angie for a long time– and she doesn’t plan on losing their relationship to the shark-infested waters of Angie’s new, cliquish social circle …
Two weekends ago I attended my first Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA) tradeshow. I had absolutely the best time, met some really incredible people (doing incredible things!), and learned more than I thought possible. It was also a physical challenge I posed to myself. See, I’m a high-function disabled woman. I was born with lipomeningomyelocele, …
Malu (short for Maria Louisa) straddles two worlds, punk music and record stores on her dad’s side, and academic achievement and Mexican culture on her mother’s side. When she lands at Posada Middle School, she finds herself on the outside again and takes on the school’s culture by starting her own punk band. I loved …
