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.
An unearthly, eyeball-stealing cosmic horror stalks kids...Perfect for reading under a blanket with a flashlight. — Kirkus Reviews, June 1, 2020
With beautiful art by local illustrator Tracy Nishimura Bishop, Remembering Ethan offers a tender tribute to a lost family member in this touching story that can help families start to heal.
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.
How can a simple creative act spreads a message of love and acceptance around the world?
Emily’s idea started small. Many beautiful ideas do.
She folded, doodled, and snipped.
But also, like many ideas, Emily’s small idea grew.
"This transitional chapter book is ideal for emergent or early fluency readers. It includes charming illustrations to assist with decoding, and interesting STEM themes... this bright, inventive title would make a nice addition to a library's early chapter book collection." -- School Library Journal
Winner of the California Book Award and Stonewall Honor!
"Picture me madly in love with this moving, tender, unapologetically honest book."
-Becky Albertalli, author of Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
From a simple smile to a soft wave hello, tiny acts of kindness can fly to faraway places . . . then flutter right back into your arms. In Tiny Acts of Kindness, author-illustrator Thuy Ha weaves a heartwarming rhythmic tale about the magical powers of kindness.
With charming illustrations and poetic verses, this book will warm the hearts of grown-ups everywhere as they snuggle up with their little ones for a bedtime read. An enchanting gift for baby showers, birthdays, and graduations, Tiny Acts of Kindness celebrates the small acts of love that light up the world.
“Discerning readers will appreciate the timely and astute exploration of both the gravity and levity of identity politics and the critique of neoliberal ideals. Sharply observed-but so sharp it may be missed by less woke readers-this is satire at its best.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Clashing kingdoms, thrilling action, and an imperfect heroine make this book a must-read."--ADRIENNE YOUNG, New York Times bestselling author of Sky in the Deep and The Girl the Sea Gave Back
Eragon meets And I Darken in this thrilling new fantasy debut that follows a fallen princess as she ignites a rebellion to bring back the magical elemental crows that were taken from her people.
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 Washington Post Best Children's Book of the Year
YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults List
A Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Book of the Year"Holds a mirror to our present issues while giving us a detailed and vibrant picture of life in the past." --The New York Times
"This debut novel is fascinating. . . . Gemini will satisfy curiosity about conjoined humans but goes far beyond that to explore issues of identity and relationships important to all teens."
— VOYA, Starred Review
“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.
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.
"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.
"Strange Exit is an exciting entrée into science-fiction, a beautifully-written story sure to please the Trekkie, the X-Phile, or the most ardent of realists. Peevyhouse has invented a new genre: the VR space-romp. And I am very much here for it." —David Arnold, New York Times bestselling author of The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik
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
"A Thousand Fires pulls you in close and shows you the essence of what it means to keep fighting. Shannon Price is one to watch." --Gwenda Bond, New York Times bestselling author of Stranger Things: Suspicious Minds
“A timely, entertaining, unforgettable story about family, friendship, and finding your voice.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)"This is a compelling story about friendship, fighting for what you believe in, and finding your voice. A first purchase for middle grade collections.”
— School Library Journal (starred review)
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
"A deeply compelling story about the struggle for democracy in Iran. The broken dreams of a generation poised for change are brought vividly to life in this powerful and haunting tale."
-Ausma Zehanat Khan, author of Among the Ruins
Parents and children learn how to say “I love you” through yoga as they move through their day together in a perfectly mindful way.
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
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.
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.
* “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.
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book * A 2020 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Selection
For fans of Jenny Han, Morgan Matson, and Sandhya Menon, critically acclaimed author Misa Sugiura delivers a richly crafted contemporary YA novel about family, community, and the importance of writing your own history.
Instant New York Times bestseller
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Sabaa Tahir
Amazon's Best Young Adult Book of 2015
People's Choice Award winner - Favorite Fantasy
Bustle's Best Young Adult Book of 2015
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.
Praised as “an intense rush of rebellion and romance” by #1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Garber, this romantic and layered Own Voices debut from Abigail Hing Wen is “a roller-coaster ride of romance and self-discovery.” (Kirkus)
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
“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