Richard Peck, Newbery Award Winner and author of Season of Gifts, and Chuck Galey, illustrator of numerous books including Jazz Cats, came by the store the other day. Richard signed some of his books that we had on hand, but it was just so much fun to meet him.

Meeting authors is one of my favorite parts of this job. When Kami and Margie came to sign their bestseller Beautiful Creatures (We still have SIGNED COPIES!!!), I got to sit down to dinner with them and pick their brains. So much fun!!

We actually have a whole bunch of young adult and children’s book authors coming this spring and for each one, I get so nervous about meeting them. I mean, these people made it! They got their books published! And I revert back to the shy little girl I used to be. Here are some of our Oz events coming up:

Tuesday, February 23 @ 5:00 – Leaving Gee’s Bend by Irene Latham. This book is set 1932 in Gee’s Bend, Alabama, when the main character, Ludelphia Bennett is only 10. Her mother is pregnant and when the baby comes early, her mother gets sick. Ludelphia decides that she will brave the river to get to the town of Camden where the closest doctor lives. Along the way, she works on a quilt made with pieces of fabric she finds along the way. “Every quilt has a story,” Ludelphia’s mom says, and Ludelphia’s quilt will tell her story. This book is absolutely precious and perfect for kids from 4th grade to 6th grade. The voice of Ludelphia is simply and perfectly written. This book is also a great way to introduce a young adult to the quilting culture of Gee’s Bend.

Tuesday, March 2 @ 5:00 – Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins. On our glorious snow day last Friday, I devoured this well written book and immediately fell in love with Sophie and her world. Sophie is a 15 year old witch, born to a warlock dad and human mom, she has lived a pretty normal life. That is until she tries to help a friend at prom with a love spell that goes horribly wrong. Her dad sentences her to Hecate Hall (fondly nicknamed Hex Hall), a school for witches, shapeshifters, and fairies who have threatened their kind by showing their magic to humans. Bored and angry, she is determined not to like Hex Hall, but everything is not as it seems here, like the ghost that keeps appearing to Sophie and the girl that was suspiciously killed last year. A mix of Percy Jackson and Libba Bray’s A Great and Terrible Beauty, girls (and boys) from 6th grade and up will be clamoring for more–this book is only the first in the series. Come get your book and meet the author on its release date!!

More signings that are coming soon! More on them closer to their signing dates!

Saturday, March 6 @ STORYTIME (10:00) – Growing Patterns by Sarah Campbell.

Saturday, March 13 @ 12:00 – The Weeb Book by Robert Maxwell.

Saturday, April 3 @ STORYTIME (10:30) and again at 12:00 – Flying Lessons by Gilbert Ford.

Thursday, April 8 @ 5:00 – Undead Much by Stacey Jay.

Saturday, April 10 @ 1:00 – Princess for Hire by Lindsey Leavitt.

Tuesday, April 13 @ 5:00 – Warriors: Fading Echoes (Omen of the Stars, Book 2) by Erin Hunter

This is an old fairy tale retold with a delightful new twist. Zita is the thirteenth princess born to a king who only wanted sons. From the day of her birth, Zita is banished to the servants quarters where she must serve as a servant girl and communicate secretly with her sisters.

As stated by the publicist, “Debut novelist Diane Zahter creates a sparkling world of enchanted princesses, spellbinding magic, true love—and the young girl determined to save them all!”

I thing you will find this story to be enchanting as well. ENJOY!! (Young Adult Middlle, ages 9 and up)

A Million Shades of Gray by Cynthia Kadohata, author of Cracker and Newbery winner for Kira Kira

Thirteen-year-old Y’Tin wants to be an elephant trainer more than anything in the world. His father has given him permission to train Lady, a wild elephant living with his Dega tribe in the Central Highlands of South Vietnam. Not long after Y’Tin begins training Lady, the North Vietnamese attack this village. Y’Tin’s world is shattered, the peaceful countryside as he knew it is gone, he must now face the dangerous situations of living in the jungle, and make decisions on his own. Through all of this Y’Tin is determined to keep his dream alive. (Young Adult, ages 10 and up)

Maggie and I both started reading this page-turner last night; this morning at work we confessed to each other that we both of us stayed up into the wee hours with reading lights devouring page after page until we couldn’t keep our eyes open anymore!

Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl have captivated us with their story of sixteen-year-old Ethan Wate, who has grown tired of the stress of being a cool kid JV basketball player in his small school in the small town of Gatlin, South Carolina.  On the first day of his sophomore year, he hears the rumor the whole town is buzzing about: Old Man Ravenwood, the town recluse, has taken in his mysterious niece, the pale-skinned, dark-haired, captivating beauty Lena Duchannes.

Ethan hopes Lena’s arrival in Gatlin will be the release from the tedium of small-town life he so desperately needs, but from the first time he sees her, her dark hair blowing out the window of her uncle’s hearse, he realizes that she may end up having more of an impact on his life than he could imagine.

Could Lena have something to do with the recurring dream he keeps having, one where a girl is falling and he can’t quite reach her?  A girl who is faceless, yet leaves behind the indelible smell of rosemary and lemons and the memory of green sparks?  A girl he instinctively knows he can’t live without?

Come to our event for this great debut, a young adult book for the young at heart, all of you who are fans of the Twilight series or southern Gothic romances.  It’s Thursday evening (the 28th) starting at 5pm.  To reserve a signed copy, click here.

Watch the book trailer from Little, Brown

Twelve year old Griffin Penshine is always making wishes. One day Griffin meets Mariah, a very strange old lady, who gives her eleven shiny pennies—each labeled with someone else’s wish. Mariah has stolen these wishes many years ago. Griffin must find a way to make these wishes come true or the reverse of her own wishes will occur. To protect the people that Griffin loves, she must quickly find a way to make these wishes come true. Once you start this book, you will find it difficult to put down. A good read. (Young Adult–ages 10 and up)