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Big Blue Marble Bookstore Young Adult Newsletter
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September 2, 2016 |
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Books from Years Past...
2011
The Riddle-Master of Hed by Patricia A. McKillip
Shine, Coconut Moon by Neesha Meminger
Un Lun Dun by China Mieville
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
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13 Little Blue Envelopes
by Maureen Johnson
The Knife of Never Letting Go
by Patrick Ness
The Secret Year
by Jennifer Hubbard
Incarceron
by Catherine Fisher
The Misfits
by James Howe
Ash
by Malinda Lo
Going Bovine
by Libba Bray
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Highlighting: The World Trade Center attacks of 2001
Shine, Coconut Moon by Neesha Meminger and Towers Falling by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Shine, Coconut Moon takes place in the immediate aftermath of the nation's reactions to the attacks of September 11, 2001. It's striking because it combines anti-Muslim rhetoric with backlash against anyone who might be mistaken for Muslim -- the main character is from a Sikh family, not Muslim at all, but that makes no difference in the way she's treated once people associate her with her turbaned uncle.
I am pairing this with a brand new middle grade book that just came out this summer from Jewell Parker Rhodes, about a 10-year-old in a new school in Brooklyn (one that happens to look out on the World Trade Center site across the water), who knows exactly nothing about the attacks that happened 15 years ago. Her family lives in a shelter, her father cannot work and is always angry or withdrawn, and she's mainly responsible for her two younger siblings. And now she has the opportunity to learn about historic events that affected her city and her country...and possibly her own family as well.
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Highlighting: Arabic/Muslim kids
Habibi by Naomi Shihab Nye and I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
Since the first set of books include anti-Muslim rhetoric but not Muslim or Arabic protagonists, I also offer
Habibi, the story of a Palestinian-American teenager whose family abruptly moves to Jerusalem, and
I Am Malala (either the general memoir or the version in our young adult section), the story of the young Pakistani teen who survived being shot for persisting in her belief that girls deserved education, even under the rule of the Taliban.
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Highlighting: Immigration
And here's a set on immigration. Of the five books collected here (including Habibi, above), three are about kids living in the U.S. who migrate from the U.S. to their families' home countries (two just for the summer). Of course, the experiences of trying to fit in and dealing with culture shock and stereotypes are pretty universal.
 Habibi takes place in Israel/Palestine, Surviving Santiago takes place in Chile, and Mexican Whiteboy takes place in Mexico. All of these kids feel the pull of both places and struggle to find their own places within them.
 The remaining two books are about refugees settling in the United States. Home of the Brave is a verse novel from the point of view of a Sudanese kid fleeing attacks that killed most of his family, trying to put down new roots in this new and snowy country. Outcasts United, a true story (again with adult and young reader versions), centers on a soccer team formed of refugee kids from all different countries, whose families were settled in one small Southern town, and the difficulties they face in acceptance from each other and from their town.
 
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Don't hang up your Sorting Hat! More Harry Potter events coming!
Saturday, September 3, 7:00pm.
Time to Talk! Discussion of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Did you love it? Hate it? Does it feel like the eighth book to you? What questions did it answer for you? Did you want to change some of it yourself? Come for discussion led by Lorrie Kim, Potter fan extraordinaire and author of
Snape: A Definitive Reading
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Saturday, September 24, 3:00pm.
GEEK OUT! Hamilton Goes to Hogwarts.
What if the historical figures in the Broadway musical
Hamilton: The Revolution were witches and wizards? Where would the Sorting Hat have put them? We know Lin-Manuel Miranda drew some inspirations for his characterizations from the Harry Potter series; let's see how it affects our understanding of these personalities! Washington: Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, or something else? Jefferson's tactical brilliance: Slytherin or Ravenclaw? And what about Alexander Hamilton himself? Come prepared for a lively battle of wits. Extra points if you can argue in rhyme! Discussion led by Lorrie Kim, author of
Snape: A Definitive Reading.
 Lorrie Kim lives in Philadelphia, PA with her clever, grumpy, magical spouse and their Harry Potter-reading offspring, one born between
Order of the Phoenix and
Half-Blood Prince and one in gestation during the publication of
Deathly Hallows.
Check out our
interview with Lorrie
on the bookstore blog, and the
entirely different interview
she had in the
Philadelphia Inquirer
following her book release!
Finally, come to the store anytime to take photos in our Harry Potter photo booth (aka the front doorway). Props available during store hours.
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Store News!
1) The Mt. Airy Village Fair is coming up on September 11! We'll have sale books, activities, and octopods (created by Snape author Lorrie Kim, above)!
2)
Playing Pokémon GO? Come battle for control of the Big Blue Marble Gym! Stop in on weekdays, tell us you're playing, and pick up a free soda!
3) Do you play D&D? On Thursdays at 5, we're hosting a weekly
Dungeons & Dragons group meeting at the store, for kids ages 9-16. Come check it out! (Dice and books available.)
4) While the Walnut Lane Bridge is closed this summer, balance the traffic, the stress, & the mess with our new
Big Blue Marble Happy Hours!
- Every Monday and Tuesday from 4:30 on: Cookies and Milk Happy Hours, featuring
Sheila's Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies!
- Every Thursday from 4:30 on: Thirsty Thursdays - Join us, and all of Mt. Airy Village, for
free San Pelligrino sodas and soft pretzels in front of the store while the food trucks are on the block and the neighborhood is a-hopping!
5) If you live in zip codes 19127 or 19128 (that is, Across the Bridge), we are offering free home delivery!
Order by phone (215.844.1870) or by email ([email protected]), tell us you're in the Free Delivery Zone, give your address, and poof your books will arrive.
(small print - we'll do one delivery run a week, on Thursday or Friday)
6) We will be offering signed copies of this year's fabulous Kids' Literary Festival poster for sale! For details, email [email protected].
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More Books Coming Out This Fall!
Here are two lists of "most anticipated" YA books coming soon:
From Publishers Weekly: The Most Anticipated Children's and YA Books of Fall 2016.
Please take note of Laurie Halse Anderson's new middle grade book, Ashes, third in the Chains series and definitely much anticipated! I'm also excited about The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon (author of Everything, Everything), which focuses on star-crossed romance and also the threat of deportation.
From Epic Reads:
The 20 Most Anticipated YA Books to Read in September
Note: check out the books at the end of the list as well, particularly
Girl Mans Up by M-E Girard, a fascinating take on gender identity and gender stereotypes, and what happens when you stop meeting people's expectations.
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| Big Blue Young Adult Book Discussion For adults who read YA and teens who like to talk about books We had our final meeting on May 19. Newsletters will continue, with recommendations and reviews, and relevant events. Feel free to send a review or comment! Please join us on the fourth Thursday of the month (with some exceptions) for the Big Blue Young Adult Book Discussion, led by Jen Sheffield. The young adult genre refers to the books under discussion; readers of all ages are welcome. The books do not have to be big or blue, though that's always nice. For a list of past selections, check out the Book Clubs page on the Big Blue Marble website. For links to the continuing newsletters and these new recommendations, see the bookstore blog. |
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