A World of Wonder
News & Reviews for Kids, Teens, and Families
April 2018
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A Letter from Kristen
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Ongoing Events
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BIG NEWS!!!
We're excited to introduce the
Colorado Children's Book Festival
! This free event brings books to life, gets kids engaged in reading, and provides a fun-filled literary experience for children and parents alike.
The inaugural event will focus on middle grade books and authors, but subsequent years will feature picture books as well. The reason for this year's focus is exciting: We're partnering with OMG BookFest! (OMG stands for "Oh Middle Grade!")
This special organization--conceived by authors Sarah Mlynowski, Adele Griffin, Julia DeVillers, and Michael Buckley and joined by Christina Soontornvat--is a traveling circus of books. It's a celebration of middle grade books aimed at bringing popular, award-winning national and local authors to underserved communities for an exciting interactive experience of games, activities, and reading.
The public event will take place on
Saturday, May 19, 2018
at
Tattered Cover Colfax Avenue
from
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
and will be called, "Author Circus! Presented by OMG Colorado and Tattered Cover's Colorado Children's Book Festival." This event is free,
but you must register.
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See below for April's VIB giveaway! Margarita Engle is back a new novel written entirely in verse.
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Tattered Tales Storytimes
Young children are invited for a half hour of stories and fun. Everyone is welcome!
Colfax Avenue
:
Tuesdays at 10:30 am
Aspen Grove
:
Mondays at 10:30 am
Historic LoDo
:
Saturdays at 10:30 am
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Meet Mikaley!
Marketing & Events Manager
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Tattered Cover hosts over 500 events a year, a majority of those are author events, which Mikaley schedules and plans! This job is meaningful to her since she's been coming to Tattered Cover events since she was eight years old. Her first event was Tomie dePaola.
Mikaley was a child actor in the Denver area and then went to college outside of Chicago for theatre and English. While theatre dominated the majority of her life, she has always been involved in books. She has her own youtube channel dedicated to reviewing books called KalesKorner. She is also the host of BookBattles, the book-themed game show online and now in person at Tattered Cover.
She has a superpower for recommending books to people and can't help serving up a delicious read--so feel free to stop her in the store to ask what you should read next!
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Local Author Spotlight!
Meet Andrea Wang
1. Before you wrote The Nian Monster, you wrote nonfiction books for kids on various topics from gorillas to US states. How did you get involved in that?
I was an environmental scientist before turning to writing full-time, so I thought writing nonfiction would be both a good fit for my research skills and a logical entry point into writing for children. A friend referred me to an editorial company with whom she had been working. I was accepted and began writing books for various series. It was a lot of work but really fun and interesting, especially for a fact-lover like me. For instance, did you know scientists identify gorillas in the wild by the wrinkle pattern of their noses? They call them “noseprints!”
2. If you could write another "library series" book right now what subject would you choose?
Food plays a huge role in my
recent writing, starting with
The Nian Monster
and continuing with my next picture book,
Magic Ramen
, which releases in March 2019 from Little Bee Books. If I were to write another “library series” book right now, I’d love to combine my interests in a book about food science. There’s a lot of experimentation that goes into developing new flavors and food products, and I also think it would be fun to show kids the chemistry of cooking.
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3. What inspired The Nian Monster?
I was inspired by a combination of things, really. Although my parents were immigrants from China, I was born in the U.S. and had never heard the original Nian folktale as a child. I came across it while researching information about Chinese New Year to tell my own kids. At the same time, I was inspired by all the folktale retellings that had begun to be published. I’d also realized that most picture books about China depicted ancient China, skewing readers’ perceptions of the country and its people. I thought that retelling the Nian folktale would be a great way to show readers what modern China looks like as well as explain some of my favorite new year food traditions.
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4. What is your favorite part in The Nian Monster?
In terms of the story, I think it’s the ending, where
(spoiler alert!)
Xingling is completely undaunted by the Nian Monster’s threat that he’ll return the following year. Her sassy response shows how brave and clever she is—and I hope young readers will be inspired to follow her example!
But my absolute favorite part is in the artwork, created by the amazing Alina Chau. The illustration where a blue-haired man is taking a selfie with the Nian Monster makes me laugh every time, and I love the juxtaposition of such a modern activity with the ancient beast.
5. What are you reading now?
I just finished a wonderful middle grade novel by Kelly Yang called
Front Desk
(on shelves 5/28)
. It’s about a young Chinese girl named Mia Tang and how she helps her parents run a motel while navigating all the issues that come from being an immigrant, being poor, and being in 5th grade. Many of the situations she encounters, both at school and at home, really resonated with me.
6. What is your favorite word?
Oh, this is such a tough question! There are so many words I love. Gloaming, susurrus, and concoction are just a few of them. At a recent school visit, I was teaching the students the Chinese sound words in
The Nian Monster
. I asked the students what they thought onomatopoeia meant and one kindergartener said, “a piece of string.” I thought that was wonderful and hilarious and now onomatopoeia is my favorite word of the moment.
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TODAY:
Thursday, April 5, 7:00 pm, Aspen Grove
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Saturday, April 7, 2:00 pm, Aspen Grove
Author Sue Baer will discuss and sign
Just Elliot
($17.99 Story Arts Media), a simple but groundbreaking story about a six-year-old boy with autism attempting to explain the challenges of his life on the spectrum.
A Readers Guide for parents is presented at the back of the book.
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Sunday, April 8, 2:00 pm, Aspen Grove
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Tuesday, April 10, 7:00 pm, Aspen Grove
Author Ingrid Palmer will discuss and sign
All Out of Pretty
($16.99 Creston Books
), a gripping, thoughtful look at one girl's journey to figuring out what really matters to her and how to take care of herself in a world where there are no responsible adults for her to rely on. Palmer will be in conversation with Scott Bergstrom, the Colorado author of young adult novels
The Cruelty
and
The Greed
.
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Wednesday, April 11, 7:00 pm, Colfax Avenue
Keira Drake will discuss and sign her debut YA fantasy novel
The Continent
($19.99 Harlequin Teen). For her sixteenth birthday, Vaela Sun receives the most coveted gift in all the Spire--a trip to the Continent. It's a cold, desolate land where two nations remain perpetually locked in combat.
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Saturday, April 14, 2:00 pm, Historic LoDo
Join Tattered Cover and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators as we celebrate Book Bash! Meet and mingle with these local children's book authors and illustrators: David A. Aguilar, Jennifer Chambliss Bertman, Kristen Foote, Leah Gilbert, Jessie Hilb, Carmela La Vigna Coyle, Stel Pavlou, Heather Preusser, Caroline Stutson, Kim Tomsic, Denise Vega, and Natasha Wing. There will also be food, door prizes, and giveaways. This event is free and open to the public.
Registration available NOW!
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Saturday, April 14, 2:00 pm,
Aspen Grove
Heather Ezell will discuss and sign her young adult debut novel
Nothing Left to Burn
($17.99 Razorbill). Sixteen-year-old Audrey Harper's life is changed when she receives news that an enormous wildfire is now dangerously close to her idyllic gated community. She must evacuate. Ezell will be joined by
Ingrid Palmer.
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Saturday, April 14, 2:00 pm, Colfax Avenue
Three-time Caldecott winner and bestselling author David Wiesner will read from and sign
I Got It!
($17.99 Clarion Books). Wiesner works his visual magic in this near-wordless account of the most suspenseful, nerve-wracking few seconds in a baseball game.
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Wednesday, April 18, 7:00 pm, Aspen Grove
Melissa de la Cruz is the #1
New York Times
and
Publishers Weekly
internationally bestselling author of many critically acclaimed books for readers of all ages, including
Alex & Eliza: A Love Story
,
Disney's Descendants
novels, the
Blue Bloods
series, and the
Summer on East End
series. She will discuss and sign
Love & War: An Alex & Eliza Story
($18.99 Putnam Books for Young Readers). The thrilling romance of young Alexander Hamilton and Eliza Schuyler continues in this sizzling sequel.
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Saturday, April 21, 10:30 am, Aspen Grove
Joan Whalen-Arent will read from and sign her picture book
Bye-Bye, Booger Bug: The Art of Nose-Picking
($15.95). Nose picking is an art, but more importantly, managing nose picking is a learned talent. This is an educational artistic adventure about why it's best not to pick your nose and if you do, it's best to find a place where Booger Bugs are the happiest.
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Tuesday, April 24, 7:00 pm, Colfax Avenue
Siobhan Vivian, author of
The Last Boy and Girl in the World
and
The List
, will discuss and sign
Stay Sweet
($17.99 Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers), a bold and sweet summer read about first love, feminism, and ice cream. Seventeen-year-old Amelia is supposed to be "Head Girl" at Molly Meade's ice cream stand. But Molly passes away before Amelia has her first day in charge and Molly's grandnephew Grady arrives with some changes in mind.
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Tattered Cover's
Picture Book
Bestseller List
Based on March 2018
by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Brigette Barrager
Emily Winfield Martin
Denise Vega, illustrated by Zachariah Ohora
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Tattered Cover's
Picture Book
Bestseller List
Based on March 2018
Madeleine L'Engle
Cammie McGovern
by Jacqueline Woodson
by Bill Nye and Gregory Mone, illustrated by Nicholas Iluzada
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30th Annual Bookmark Contest!
Our annual bookmark contest asks children to create a colorful bookmark on the theme of reading. The winning entries are printed and distributed to customers during the course of the year.
Submit your entry by Friday, April 6, 2018.
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Monday, April 23, 9:00 am,
All Tattered Cover Metro-Denver Locations
In honor of this springtime celebration of culture, beauty, literature and love, we will give out complimentary roses and commemorative bookmarks with the purchase of any book. As always, we’ll be happy to turn your purchases into lovely wrapped gifts at no extra charge! Keep an eye out for a special Book & Lovers' Day coupon in your inbox.
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Saturday, April 28, 9:00 am,
All Tattered Cover Metro-Denver Locations
Bookstores across the nation will be participating in Independent Bookstore Day, a country-wide celebration of books and independent bookstores, on April 28. Visit any metro-Denver Tattered Cover Book Store for exclusive, limited edition products, activities, giveaways, and more! To stay up-to-date on IBD 2018, visit our website at
tatteredcover.com/independent-bookstore-day-0.
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Guess what??
We're turning Trinity United Methodist Church into Hogwarts this summer! And you're invited to the party.
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What is your favorite time of day to read?
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Late at night/right before bedtime
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Results from March's poll:
Do you believe four leaf clovers are good luck?
Yes
85.7%
No
14.3%
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The Tattered Cover
Kids' V.I.B.
highlights real stand-outs among new children's books or series because every now and then we’re so excited about a book we want to broadcast it from the rooftop!
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On shelves now...
kids' pick...
by Siobhan Vivian
"
Stay Sweet
is about two very important things: the friendship between girls and ice cream. Siobhan Vivian's (
New York Times
bestselling author of
The List
) new book is a delicious summer (or winter, when you're missing the sun) read. The book follows Amelia during her final summer before college. For the last four summers, Amelia has worked at Meade Creamery along with nine other girls. The traditions the girls create and the bonds they form are reasons so many girls covet a position working at the ice cream shop. On Amelia's last first day, she finds the owner, Molly, on the floor of the office. Through the next weeks, Amelia struggles to keep the shop afloat with the help of her best friend, Cate, and the boy who is now in charge. The book has a parallel plot line taking place during WWII, highlighting the founding of Meade Creamery. If you like books about strong friendships and coming of age with a sprinkling of romance and history, this book is for you. Just make sure you have some of your favorite ice cream nearby!" --
Vivian, Tattered Cover Teen Advisory Board member
"This book is as sweet as the title. Amelia is a strong young woman who will do anything she can save the little ice cream stand she cares so much about. I loved how this book delved into the relationships between her and her best friend, her and the other Meade Creamery girls, and her and Grady--the new boy trying to reinvent the Meade Creamery. I felt everything Amelia was feeling, and I found myself wanting her to save the ice cream stand she loves so much just as badly as she did. The characters and the story made this book a wonderful read that I flew through. It’s the perfect book for a hot summer day, or even a cold snowy one! But most importantly, Stay Sweet reminded me that a little bit of ice cream can fix almost any problem." --
Alina, Tattered Cover Teen Advisory Board member
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On shelves now...
by Joyce Sidman
"This story blew me away! Award-winning children's poet Joyce Sidman tells the story of Maria Sibylla Merian who drew creatures that were considered beasts when no one understood the evolution of butterflies. She could have been burned as a witch, but instead she changed science 150 years before Charles Darwin and is my new heroine." --
Barrie McComas, bookseller
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On shelves now...
by Ben Guterson, illustrated by Chloe Bristol
"Poor Elizabeth Somers! This bright 5th grader has had to live with her distant relatives ever since her parents were killed in a mysterious accident long ago. Life is dreary. She has no friends. Elizabeth makes lists to help her cope. Number 43 on her "Reasons Why I Do Not Like My Aunt and Uncle" list is because they are sending her to a hotel in the middle of nowhere during Christmas with no money and hardly any clothes. Little did Elizabeth realize that visiting Winterhouse Hotel will be the best thing that ever happened to her. She is met with warmth, good food and kindness. She finds people like her, who love to solve all sorts of puzzles, anagrams and riddles. The one fly in the ointment, so to speak, is the odd couple who stared at her on the long bus ride--they, too, are staying at Winterhouse--and they are creepy! Elizabeth and new friend Freddy explore Winterhouse Hotel and grounds, solving mysteries left and right, as well as the very important mystery of what it takes to be a true friend. This is a treasure of a book for bibliophiles. Those who loved
The Lemoncello Library
series and
The Book Scavenger
series will relish this book. Puzzles, word ladders, and mysteries abound." --
Jocelyn Gebhart, bookseller
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On shelves now...
by Irene Latham, Charles Waters, illustrated by Selina Alko, Sean Qualls
"Whenever husband-wife team Sean Qualls and Selina Alko illustrate a book together, I pay attention! This book would be worth it for the fabulous art alone, but it's also a book that provides inspiration and support for families, friends, and classmates to discuss topics they may not be sure how to approach. Great art, good conversation, terrific poetry--it's hard to beat that combination." --
Bethany Strout, Children's Book Buyer
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ARC Giveaway: April 2018
HOW TO ENTER
Email
Kristen
with "ARC Giveaway" in the subject line expressing your interest in being entered into the random drawing to win an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC).
THE RULES
You agree not to sell the ARC. You agree not to quote from the ARC. You must be able to pick up the book at one of our
Denver Metro locations
(Colfax, LoDo, Aspen Grove)
.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Jazz Owls
by Margarita Engle (on shelves 5/8)
From the Young People's Poet Laureate Margarita Engle comes a searing novel in verse about the Zoot Suit Riots of 1943.
Thousands of young Navy sailors are pouring into Los Angeles on their way to the front lines of World War II. They are teenagers, scared, longing to feel alive before they have to face the horrors of battle. Hot jazz music spiced with cool salsa rhythms calls them to dance with the local Mexican American girls, who jitterbug all night before working all day in the canneries. Proud to do their part for the war effort, these Jazz Owl girls are happy to dance with the sailors--until the blazing summer night when racial violence leads to murder.
Suddenly the young white sailors are attacking these girls' brothers and boyfriends. The cool, loose zoot suits they wear are supposedly the reason for the violence--when in reality these boys are viciously beaten and arrested simply because of the color of their skin.
In soaring images and powerful poems, this is the breathtaking story of what became known as the Zoot Suit Riots as only Margarita Engle could tell it.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Margarita Engle is the national Young People’s Poet Laureate, and the first Latino to receive that honor. She is the Cuban-American author of many verse novels, including
The Surrender Tree
, a Newbery Honor winner, and
The Lightning Dreamer
, a PEN Literary Award for Young Adult Literature winner. Margarita was born in Los Angeles, but developed a deep attachment to her mother’s homeland during childhood summers with relatives. She continues to visit Cuba as often as she can.
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Pop Culture Classroom has created a
FREE, bi-weekly comic strip
called Colorful History, with the goal of educating students about significant and diverse characters and events from Colorado’s history.
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~ Bringing People & Books Together Since 1971 ~
Colfax Avenue, 303-322-7727
Historic LoDo, 303-436-1070
Aspen Grove, 303-470-7050
Visit our Union Station and airport stores.
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