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 of the best things about being a bookseller is getting to read books months before they publish. We received Advanced Reader Copies of LOBIZONA back in Winter of 2019, so I’ve been excited about the book for a long time now - the kind of excited anticipation that helps get a girl through a pandemic. Especially because werewolves are back - this time with Argentinian folklore!
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!
As summertime comes into full swing we’re looking forward to some amazing new reads! Check out our Summer Reading Guide for 2020 to discover our picks for each age group and genre below – and be sure to look for the Treehouse stamp of approval noting our favorite books in each section!
Thank you so much to everyone who contributed to this year's bookmark contest! It was so difficult to choose between all your lovely entries as they were all so full of talent and passion. Please see the winners below and check out their amazing artwork!
We will be printing and using their bookmarks all summer long, so order some books and check out the amazing art!
We are so thrilled that our postponed event from March with Brandy Colbert, author of numerous of our YA favorites, has been rescheduled for July 20, at 2 pm CT on the Brazos IG Live! Brandy will be discussing her debut middle grade novel, THE ONLY BLACK GIRLS IN TOWN, in conversation with friend of store and phenomenal Houston author, Liara Tamani, whose much buzzed about new YA novel, ALL THE THINGS WE NEVER KNEW is out now as well.
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’ve been a huge fan of author Samantha Mabry since her first novel, A FIERCE AND SUBTLE POISON, which is a reimagining of Hawthorne’s Rappaccini’s Daughter. Her writing is fierce and original, sitting on the cusp of both commercial and literary and always playing with some aspect of ‘other.’ She’s a Texas-based writer as well, so I’ve been privileged to do events with her including a workshop at Austin’s wonderful Writing Barn, and Samantha is always fascinating, always digging deep.
We give out a LOT of bookmarks here at Brazos, and we are always looking for new ideas for their design. This spring we’re asking kids to lend their artistic expertise to our annual Bookmark Contest! Download the official entry form here and return it to the store by Wednesday, April 29, 2020. We’ll announce the winners at our Summer Reading Kick Off Party!
