I'm usually pretty wary when a Shakespearean retelling shows up (especially when it's Romeo and Juliet), however I decided to give These Violent Delights a try and I am so glad that I did! It's sharp as a dagger and thrilling as a sword fight. Gong's intimate grasp of 1920s Shanghai's nuance and energy imbued every page while her fast-paced plot and dimensional characters gave life to the rich setting.
As my friends and colleagues know well, I keep a very strict bed time. I read from 9:30-10 (or maybe 10:30 if the book's especially good) and then it's promptly lights out. I tell you this so you understand the significance of the fact that I stayed up until midnight reading You Know I'm No Good!
I first met Ellen Hopkins in person about a decade ago, introduced by a mutual friend at a writer’s conference. I was very new to this industry then, my first YA novel about to come out, basically in awe of getting to talk to someone whose work I so very much admired. Here’s the thing about Ellen that her fans know: She is the real deal: passionate and intense and kind and always willing to pay it forward if she can. Many #kidlit authors are, actually, but Ellen is particularly generous with her time and friendship, and I’ve always appreciated this more than I can say.
One thing we all love here at Brazos Bookstore is discovering new authors! So of course when Scholastic approached us about doing an event with Brazilian debut author Lucas Rocha for his YA novel WHERE WE GO FROM HERE, which Scholastic has recently translated into English from Brazilian Portuguese, I was very excited, even more so when I dug into the book. Characters living with HIV, falling in love, finding their way - Rocha’s book is a superb read.
I’ve been a fan of Zoraida Córdova’s YA novels since the beginning, so I’m always on the lookout for her newest titles. But what an extra treat to find that she has also dipped her writerly toes in the world of middle grade novels with THE WAY TO RIO LUNA, her newest fantasy out this week from Scholastic. It's got this great classic Narnia sort of feel, with secrets lands and adventures and gently scary villains - perfect for younger middle schoolers and up!
ESCARGOT, the story of a fabulous French snail, is one of our favorite picture books here at Brazos. So of course, Laura and I were totally over the moon with excitement when Macmillan told us that they’d accepted our pitch for events and school visits for its fabulous author, Dashka Slater, for the sequel, A BOOK FOR ESCARGOT. And then came the spread of COVID-19 and events began to cancel one by one.
I met picture book author/illustrator Elizabeth Rose Stanton a few years ago at a weekend writer’s event at the fabulous Writing Barn in Austin. I fell in love with the quirky fun of her picture book HENNY, about this chicken with arms. Yes, arms! ERS has a gentle style - whimsical yet thoughtful. Her books speak to our need to be ourselves, to have the world accept us for who we are… even if we’re a chicken with arms!
One of the greatest things about being both an author of numerous books for young people as well as being the Children’s Programming Director here at Brazos is being able to help support amazing authors whose careers I’ve followed for a while. I’ve known Janet Gurtler for over a decade now, and I’m a huge fan of her work, particularly her contemporary YA novels such as I’M NOT HER. Now, she’s stepping into an editor/author role with the YOU TOO? anthology, out this week from Harper.
