Storytime with Charlotte Cheng
Sunday, May 5 at 10:30am

Join us for a special Sunday storytime with author Charlotte Cheng, who will share her hilarious and adorable new picture book, Roar-Choo!

Everyone knows that dragons are fierce, capable of taking on the world! But this dragon can’t stop sneezing long enough to get a roar out. Even with friendly Phoenix insisting that Dragon get some rest, this powerful creature refuses to stop for any orange ginger tea or a drop of bone broth soup. It's only when Dragon realizes Phoenix has caught the same cold that they are both able to take the break they so badly need. This tale of helping your friends and valuing differences is a sure-thing for story time.

Book Launch with Nicole Chen
Tuesday, May 7 at 5pm

We’re excited to welcome author Nicole Chen back to the store to celebrate the launch of her new middle grade novel, Lily Xiao Speaks Out, an empowering, heartfelt middle grade novel about a grunge-loving Taiwanese American tween who must use her voice to fight for ESL support at her school.

Lily Xiao can’t wait to go to Camp Rock Out this summer, where she’ll finally be able to shed her “class robot” good girl reputation and start her journey to becoming the next Eddie Vedder! And she can’t wait to do it with her best friend and cousin, Vivian, who’s just moved from Taiwan to Lily’s California hometown. 

But as the two cousins work their way through seventh grade, Vivian struggles more and more with her schoolwork, which is all taught in English. If Vivian can’t get her grades up, her parents won’t let her go to rock camp.

Determined to help, Lily embarks on a mission to push their school to provide more support for English as a Second Language learners like Vivian. But her first-generation immigrant family is nervous about Lily challenging the status quo. We should be grateful to be here, they always say.

With Camp Rock Out on the line, Lily will need to decide how far she’ll push against her family’s wishes in order to stand up and speak out.

Storytime with Traci Huahn
Saturday, May 11 at 10:30am

Join us for a special storytime with author Traci Huahn as she shares her wonderful picture book debut, Mamie Tape Fights to Go to School. It’s the story of one young changemaker’s brave steps on the long journey to end school segregation in California. It began with a single step.

8-year-old Mamie’s mom always reminded her a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. So when Mamie wanted to go to school, even though Chinese children weren’t allowed, she took her first step and showed up anyway. When she was turned away at the schoolhouse door, she and her parents took another step: they sued the San Francisco school board…and won! Their case Tape v. Hurley made its way up to the California Supreme Court, which ruled that children of Chinese heritage had the right to a free public school education. Follow Mamie's brave steps and discover the poignant history of her California Supreme Court case Tape v. Hurley. 

Storytime with Ying Chang Compestine
Saturday, May 11 at 1pm

Join us for a special storytime with author Ying Chang Compestine as she shares her wonderful new picture book memoir, Growing Up Under a Red Flag: A Memoir of Surviving the Chinese Cultural Revolution.

Ying Chang Compestine was a young girl in 1966 when Mao launched his Cultural Revolution to reclaim power and eliminate non-communist values in the country. His army began punishing and arresting people who didn’t agree with him, foreign reading material was banned, and children were all required to dress in uniform and carry the Little Red Book of Mao’s teachings. It was a time of fear, mayhem, and scarcity that lasted until Mao’s death ten years later, when Ying was thirteen. Through those ten harrowing years, Ying’s parents found ways to secretly educate her and allow her dreams of visiting America to stay vibrant. Now she brings her childhood story and China’s history to life in this absorbing and beautiful picture book.

Pajama Party with Katy Farina
Thursday, May 16 at 5pm
 

We’re excited to welcome New York Times bestselling illustrator Katy Farina to discuss her latest Baby-Sitters Little Sister graphic novel adaptation, Karen’s Sleepover. This will be a sleepover-themed party so wear your pajamas as Katy shows us how to draw your favorite BSC characters!

Karen is having her first sleepover! She and her friends are going to tell spooky stories, bake cookies, and raid the refrigerator.

But then Karen and Nancy get into a big fight, and Karen doesn't want Nancy to come to her party. A new girl, Pamela, comes instead and she isn't any fun. What is Karen going to do?

Storytime with Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic
Saturday, May 18 at 10:30am

We’re excited to welcome back author Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic as she shares her beautiful new picture book, Touch the Sky.

Soar along with a young boy as he finally learns to pump on a swing!

Vern longs to be one of the kids who swoop until their toes touch the sky. He heads to the swings and desperately tries to pump his legs, but he just can't get it. A chance encounter with precocious (and hilarious) Gretchen gives him just what he needs to know, and he finally learns to soar.

A story for every child on the cusp of learning something new who just needs an extra push to get there.

Story Writing Workshops for Kids & Teens
Sunday, May 19 at 2:30pm (ages 7-11)
Sunday, May 19 at 3:30pm (ages 12-18) 

Get your creative juices flowing with our story writing workshops for kids! We’ll provide a story game to jump start our imaginations, tips for creating unique characters and plot twists, two writing coaches for brainstorming and feedback, and a welcoming, creative space.

These free meetups are led by Shu-Hsien Ho and Royd Hatta of Beyond the Box Learning (both are former Linden Tree booksellers!). We will meet in front of the store where there will be comfortable seating and tables. Please bring your imagination, enthusiasm, notebook, pencils/pens, and erasers. Don’t forget your mask and a bottle of water!

Space is limited! To RSVP, please email [email protected].

Storytime with Eric Toda and Shay Fan
Sunday, May 26 at 10:30am

We’re excited to welcome authors Eric Toda and Shay Fan for Sunday storytime as they share their picture book debut, What in the World Is Ezra’s Art?

Ezra is a seven-year-old boy who likes cheese-flavored ice cream, flying off the couch with his superhero cape, and peeling dried glue off his fingers. And he LOVES making art. Every day at Braddock Elementary, he doodles, draws, paints, and crafts with abandon.

When he makes something, the entire world melts away, his heart feels warm, and his entire body wants to wiggle. But there is one problem. Even though he loves making it, no one understands it.

In this heartwarming picture book, little Ezra questions whether he should continue to make art when his parents, teachers, and classmates don't seem to get, or even like, his creations. What in the World Is Ezra's Art explores the question: Can he feel good about his art when no one else does?

Middle Grade Book Club: Lulu Sinagtala and the City of Noble Warriors
Sunday, June 30 at 4pm

Led by bookseller Lorilee, our middle grade book club introduces interested readers to amazing new books and the opportunity to talk about them in a fun, relaxed group setting. 

This month's book is Lulu Sinagtala and the City of Noble Warriors by Gail D. Villanueva, an action-packed middle grade fantasy steeped in Tagalog mythology and perfect for fans of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky.

Lulu Sinagtala can’t wait for a fun Christmas break. But when a vicious wakwak attacks her neighborhood and kidnaps Mom, Lulu discovers the creatures and deities of Tagalog myth are real and that two additional Realms exist beyond our own. To make it worse, Lulu has superhuman strength and the ability to wield magic, meaning she’s the only one powerful enough to stop the evil spirit who’s determined to rule the three Realms at all costs. No pressure, right?

Get 10% off the book in-store or online now through June 30. Please email [email protected] to RSVP.

Adult Fiction Book Club: The Husbands
Wednesday, July 17 at 7:30pm

Join booksellers Andi and Sierra on Wednesday, July 17 at 7:30pm for the next meeting of our Adult Fiction Book Club! We’ll have a lively discussion with snacks and beverages.

This month, we will be discussing The Husbands by Holly Gramazio. When Lauren returns home to her flat in London late one night, she is greeted at the door by her husband, Michael. There’s only one problem—she’s not married. She’s never seen this man before in her life. But according to her friends, her much-improved decor, and the photos on her phone, they’ve been together for years.

As Lauren tries to puzzle out how she could be married to someone she can’t remember meeting, Michael goes to the attic to change a lightbulb and abruptly disappears. In his place, a new man emerges, and a new, slightly altered life re-forms around her. Realizing that her attic is creating an infinite supply of husbands, Lauren confronts the question: If swapping lives is as easy as changing a lightbulb, how do you know you’ve taken the right path? When do you stop trying to do better and start actually living?

Outdoor Storytimes
Sundays at 10:30am

Join us every Sunday morning at 10:30am in front of the store as one of our booksellers (or perhaps a local author) shares some of their favorite read-alouds. (Grab a tasty treat from our neighbors at Manresa while your kids enjoy the stories!) All storytimes feature picture books and are appropriate for all ages.