LOCAL AUTHORS
We talk a lot about shopping local, but we think it is equally important to read local. Here in the South Bay, we are blessed with amazing local authors, and we'd love to share their books with you. Here are just a few of the new releases of the authors in our neighborhood.
Fantastic You shows readers how to develop and nurture a loving and positive relationship with themselves. Kids will learn that self-care includes positive self-talk and self-compassion for a happy, self-empowered life.
Please note: This book is final sale and ineligible for return.
Please note: This book is final sale and ineligible for return.
Whether you are a life-long San Jose resident, new transplant, or first-time visitor, local writer Cassie Kifer will introduce you to quirky and beautiful places and share stories about the city that never get told. Part tour and part scavenger hunt, this guide will take you to some of the weirdest and most wonderful places in Northern California's biggest and most misunderstood city.
Darshana Khiani is a second-generation Indian American who grew up in rural Pennsylvania and now resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family. Her skills include writing picture books, debugging network routers, and solving jigsaw puzzles. However, wearing a sari is not one of them.
THE KNITMORE GIRLS, Gigi and Jasmin Knitmore, have over 80 years of shared knitting experience. They currently podcast together, and live across the street from each other in sunny San Jose, CA. Any reason is a good reason to knit socks, and eat cake!
A bit of magic, a sprinkling of adventure, and a whole lot of heart collide in All the Impossible Things, Lindsay Lackey's extraordinary middle-grade novel about a young girl navigating the foster care system in search of where she belongs.
"Wise and wondrous, this is truly a novel to cherish.” —Katherine Applegate, New York Times–bestselling author of Wishtree
“A rousingly rumbly ramble.” —Kirkus Reviews
The Land Before Time meets Eric Carle in this delightful read-aloud featuring “melodious and spare” (USA TODAY) language by master storyteller Tim McCanna.
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In Letters From My Tooth Fairy, Natalie and her devoted tooth fairy exchange letters, asking and answering questions about some of childhood's most important moments.
2020 Storytelling World Resource Award Honoree
Inspired by the 1863 Egg War and the mad rush for murre eggs on the Farallon Islands near San Francisco, Yao Bai and the Egg Pirates is a high-seas adventure story celebrating the courage and history of Chinese immigrants in America through a fascinating yet little-known event during the California Gold Rush era.
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"Rather than instructing mindfulness to readers...[Mindful Day] exemplifies how a day may be experienced when mindfulness is organically embedded within it." —Kirkus Reviews
“There is lots of intertextual cleverness going on that results in this book being both an homage to and spoof of the traditional fantasy hero’s quest, both in the illustrations and in the narration.” —Bulletin, Starred Review
“Dazzling, inventive and fun. Ben Costa and James Parks manage to both spoof and pay homage to the fantasy tradition, while creating characters we care about. A tour de force.” —Jason Shiga, author of Meanwhile and DemonTo view more of James Parks' and Ben Costa's books, click here.
Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows meets Kristin Cashore's Graceling, with a dash of Winter is Coming, in this showstopping debut YA fantasy--and recipient of FOUR starred reviews!
A Morris Award Finalist for best debut young adult novel!
A Kirkus Best Book of the Year!
A Tor.com Best YA SFF/Horror Book of the Year!
"One of the most stunning debuts of the year." —Seventeen
Please note: This book is final sale and ineligible for return.
A National Book Award Finalist
An NPR Best Book of the Year
An NBC News Best Asian American Young Adult Book of the Year
A Paste Best Young Adult Book of the Year
A New York Public Library Top 10 Best Book of the Year
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
A USA Today Best Book of the Year So Far
A Raleigh News & Observer Best Book of the Year
An Amazon Best Book of the Year
A Junior Library Guild audio selection
National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA) Freeman Book Award Winner
An L.A. Times Book Award Nominee

With three generations of one family, we share moments that are meant to be savored in this special book that beautifully illustrates the words of John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s world-renowned song “In My Life.”
There are places I’ll remember, in my life, though some have changed...
One gift with a bright bow starts a young girl on a path…one her mother follows with her as she explores, grows, and rides off on her own, only to return again with her own daughter in tow. This hauntingly beautiful book shares the small moments of that journey that are meant to be remembered and savored in the lyrics of this classic song.
Genevieve Santos is an illustrator born, raised, and living in San Jose, California, and sole proprietor of a small stationery company, Le Petit Elefant.
Gary Singh knows San Jose. I have been reading him in Metro for many years, sometimes agreeing, occasionally not, yet always entertained—even sometimes amazed. The successes, the mistakes, the dreams that sometimes happened and often failed, are the essence of this book. Each agony here often leads to some ecstasy. It is all on full display here as you go down the illuminated streets and duck into the dark alleys that compose this most amazing city.
TOM McENERY, Mayor of San Jose, 1983-1991
Please note: This book is final sale and ineligible for return.
Dancekidsfun is an interactive, fun, educational and inspiring ballet book that your child will love. Miss Leslie will encourage and teach her students in a positive and fun way! The perfect ballet book to introduce your child to basic positions and steps in ballet.
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Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan takes readers on a fun journey from Ahmedabad to Zirakpur. We'll sample yummy biryani, search for wild orange tigers in animal reserves, learn about bejeweled Maharajas, and encounter the mighty Mughals. With whimsical verses and vibrant images, Indi-Alphabet brings to life an India both familiar and unfamiliar. All aboard.
The story of a child learning to nurture positive thoughts and self image by planting the seeds like flowers in a garden. As they watch the flowers grow into a beautiful garden, they build the confidence in themselves to share the seeds with the people around them.
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* “Steuerwald’s debut as both author and illustrator is an excellent, gently told addition to anti-bullying, adoption, and individuality storytimes. The adorable piglets (and dachshund pup) . . . are expressive and distinct, with a look that strikes the right balance between cartoon and realism. The bullying never rises beyond giggles at Penny’s differences, making this a good conversation starter even for the youngest audiences. Look forward to more from Steuerwald; Penny the puppy piglet is perfection.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Percy Jackson meets Thor in a laugh-out-loud, action-packed adventure inspired by Norse mythology.
Twelve-year-old Abby Beckett is proud to come from a long line of elite Viking warriors known as the Aesir. She's spent her entire life training to hunt the horrific creatures known as Grendels-the ancient foe of the Aesir-just like her mother did before she died. But there's just one, small problem: No one has seen a Grendel in centuries, and the Viking Council wants to disband the Aesir . . . forever.
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Join a young child as she collects her simple treasures and, using her imagination, turns moving to a new place into a magical and comforting adventure. This compassionate book captures the essence of what truly makes a home.
When writing her children’s stories, Pamela Tremain describes her creative process as getting the puzzle pieces in her head out and onto paper. “Rupert’s Big Move” is the first book in the Rupert the Little Green Frog series; he has many more adventures to share with his readers.
A sharp and prescient novel about women in the workplace, the power of Big Tech, and the looming threat of foreign espionage from Kathy Wang, “a skilled satirist of the northern California dream” (Harper’s Bazaar)
Kathy Wang grew up in Northern California and holds degrees from UC Berkeley and Harvard Business School. She lives in the Bay Area with her husband and two children.
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A bloodstained map (1570) comes up for auction. Follow Ortelius’ map from the Dutch Revolt, Antwerp, through WWII and its impact on all owners to the adult daughter of a little girl who was hidden i1943-44. An unlikely 16th C engraver’s apprentice illuminates the 20th and 21st Century action.

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While the action on the court is absolutely transfixing (with page layouts often using trapezoid-shaped panels whose diagonal lines amp up the dynamism), the story shines just as brightly off the court when Yang’s focus shifts to his own dilemmas and profound insights regarding art and storytelling. ...here [Dragon Hoops] is a perfect entryway into this form [single-season reportage] for teen readers."—Horn Book, starred review
. . .As Moses floats toward yet-unknown safety, Yacowitz’s gently rolling rhymes and Downing’s inventively framed watercolors—rendered in washes of emerald, citrine, and lapis—he enters a world far more benevolent than what he faced on shore. . .By the time Pharaoh’s daughter lifts Moses from the water in this quietly beautiful story, it seems that all of nature has determined to protect the infant.
—Publishers Weekly
“Zarrin's cozy color artwork and Alexander's chirpy narrative energize a story that highlights the rewards of mutual respect, collaboration, and friendship.” —Publishers Weekly