Literary Arts has announced the finalists for the 2020 Oregon Book Awards. The Oregon Book Award winners will be announced live at the 33rd annual Oregon Book Awards Ceremony on Monday, April 27 at Portland Center Stage at The Armory. Omar El Akkad and Elena Passarello will host the ceremony. Tickets are available for this …
I read Frankly in Love when the publishers sent an early copy, and I knew this was going to be a big deal in the young adult communities (or anyone who reads YA). There are a lot of elements to love about it, one of which is Frank’s voice. He’s real, he’s funny and he’s …
The first Seattle Children’s Book Festival will be held Saturday, September 28, 2019 from 11:00- 3:00 at Greenwood Elementary (144 NW 80th St) in Seattle. The event is free and open to the public. It is sponsored by The Innovation Press, Madison Books, Phinney Books, Seattle Public Schools, Seattle Milk Fund, the Seattle Office of …
After being diagnosed with brain cancer as a teen, Seattle writer Jeff Henigson made an unconventional Starlight Children’s Foundation wish. He wanted to (and did) travel to Moscow to talk with Gorbachev about nuclear disarmament. But this memoir is less about cancer and the Cold War than it is about surviving high school and searching …
The Smell of Other People’s Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock This profound young adult novel, written by a fourth-generation Alaskan, examines the 70’s-era culture of so many small towns in that part of the world, where domestic violence, alcoholism, child abuse and poverty are still the highest in the nation. The story is told in alternating …
Funny, emotional and down-to-earth real, Things I’m Seeing Without You is an engrossing young adult novel that deals with facing the complications of breakups, neglectful parents, the internet, and death as a teenager in the modern day. Above all, it weaves a believable story about finding yourself during a crisis. (Note: this book does include liberal …
Lance Hendricks is a perfect kid—plays trumpet, 4.0 GPA, has earnest heart palpitations for a girl, knows his way around cars. When his trusty steed—er, car—breaks down in the middle of the Washington wilderness, things—wait for it—go awry. It’s like David Lynch’s Lost Highway meets The Wizard of Oz, but without all the monkeys. [And we’ll gloss over …
This is the beginning of a promising series with exotic historical settings and magic woven throughout. A lushly written time-traveling adventure with an imaginative magical twist, real heart and real heartbreak, and a major dash of swoon! For fans of the Kane Chronicles, The Madman’s Daughter, and The Scorpio Races. –Susan, children’s book buyer, The …
“First, a cat has suddenly shape-shifted into a fish, then its owner is mysteriously murdered. Next, fossils of a giant unknown creature go missing. The second book in William Ritter’s Jackaby series has Jackaby, a fantastical Sherlock Holmes, and Abigail Rook, his intuitive and intelligent Watson, teamed up with a host of characters to solve …
When you read a lot, you often have to ask: What do I keep? Which of these books do I love just a little bit more than the others? My rules for the keeper shelf are fluid and constantly changing. There are usually a few authors and series that enjoy “automatic keeper” status at any …
