Books to Blooms
Friday, September 18 at 6pm

Join us during the Downtown Los Altos Whiskey Stroll for Books to Blooms, when Turbow Farms will fill Linden Tree with gorgeous, book-inspired centerpieces created by award-winning local floral designers and flower farmers. Come browse the pairings, enjoy your pours, and take home a beautiful creation of your own. All flower purchases benefit the Linden Tree Literary Fund. 

This event is free and does not require a ticket. However, if you want to participate in the Whiskey Stroll, you will need to buy a ticket for that.

Storytime with Melissa Koch
Sunday, September 20 at 10:30am

Join us for a special storytime as author Melissa Koch shares her fascinating debut nonfiction picture book, Stone by Stone: A Rock’s Journey Through Time.

Changed by billions of years  and shaped by human hands,  the stones that make up our homes, roadways, buildings,  and bridges are a part of our story. Earth’s story.

From ancient cairns to castles, from the Great Wall of China to Maya  cities, the stone structures we build tell us who we are, what we value,  what we fear, and who we want to be. The story begins deep below the Earth’s surface. All those stones start with a rock.

Stone by Stone invites readers to consider how geology, engineering, and human history connect. The book opens with a striking and dramatic description of the rock cycle before delving into the many ways humans have used stones across history to rebuild, reconnect, and reimagine our place on Earth.

Fall Art Workshops
Sunday, September 20 at 4pm
Buy tickets now »

Calling all young artists ages 10-13! Join us this fall for a series of hands-on art workshops led by a trio of talented, published illustrators: 

• Michael Slack, author-illustrator of Funjeepups, Tate Tuber, and more (Sep 20)
• TBD (Oct 11)
• Isabella Kung, author-illustrator of Nunu and the Sea, No Snowball!, and more (Nov 8)

Each workshop lasts 90 minutes and costs $75. Materials (paper, pens, etc) will be provided and, at the end of each workshop, students will receive a signed copy of one of the featured illustrator’s books. Space for each workshop is limited. Buy tickets now »

Educators’ Evening Out
Tuesday, September 22 at 5pm
RSVP Now »

Calling all current teachers and librarians!

Join us Tuesday, September 22 for an evening of food, drink, and books books BOOKS! We’ll have everything you need to start your school year on the right foot, including:

• 20% off all purchases (for your classroom or yourself)
• Tons of giveaways, including advance reader copies, tote bags, and much more
• Raffle to win gift cards, signed books, and donations from local businesses
• Our incredible booksellers recommending their favorite books for your classrooms
• Sign-ups for upcoming author visits, shopping nights, and book fairs for your school
• Delicious appetizers and beverages

This event is designed for dropping in anytime between 5pm and 8pm, with a short presentation and raffle at 6pm, and is intended for current teachers and librarians. We know you’re busy with your day job, so stay for as little or as long as you like. And while this event is FREE, we do require an RSVP so we can have an accurate headcount.

Book Launch with Lisa Moore Ramée
In conversation with Misa Sugiura
Saturday, September 26 at 1pm

We’re excited to welcome award-winning author Lisa Moore Ramée back to the store to celebrate the launch of her new middle grade novel, More Trouble Than It’s Worth. Lisa will be in conversation with fellow author Misa Sugiura.

After a hard seventh grade year full of misunderstandings, face plants, and bullies, all Shayla wants is a hassle-free summer. Her ticket to a summer of fun? Joining the club track team! However, Shayla struggles to fit in with new friends, to set a personal best that will secure her a spot in the exclusive Junior Olympics and reluctantly earns the title of “Prank Queen.”

But Shayla discovers that sometimes trying so hard to stay out of trouble ends up making things a whole lot worse. Will she risk new friendships by owning up to a big mistake? And is she ready to speak out against another social injustice? In this powerful and heartfelt follow-up to A Good Kind of Trouble from acclaimed author Lisa Moore Ramée, Shayla will learn the true definition of personal best.

Storytime with Isabella Kung
Sunday, September 27 at 10:30am

Join us for a special storytime as illustrator Isabella Kung shares her delightful new picture book, Jia Has a Dog Problem, written by Stephanie Ellen Sy.

A young girl is afraid of dogs, and a small dog is afraid of children in this funny, bighearted picture book about overcoming fear to find friendship.

Jia runs from every dog—big, tiny, spotted, or shaggy. Charlie the French bulldog hides from every kid—behind couches, laundry, even grown-ups' legs.

When something far scarier forces these two together, they discover a sweet surprise: a friend who understands.

Middle Grade Book Club: Bunns Rabbit
Sunday, September 27 at 4pm

It’s the next meeting of our middle grade book club for ages 9+! Led by bookseller extraordinaire Lorilee, we hope to introduce interested readers to amazing new books and the opportunity to talk about them in a fun, relaxed group setting.

This month’s book is Bunns Rabbit by Alan Barillaro, the deeply moving tale of a brave rabbit who sets out on a quest to save her home and family—no matter what it takes. Please email [email protected] to RSVP.

When Bunns is born with small but perfectly functional rabbit ears, the warren is abuzz with auguries. Surely such short ears spell bad luck for the community. Sheltered in her family’s burrow, Bunns listens to the rhythm of her mother’s heartbeat—Thump, thump, thump—a song of home and belonging. Her father explains that unlike a rabbit’s words or thumping feet, a heartsong cannot lie. But the unknown world of the meadow, the sounds and smells above, call to Bunns.

When at last she’s ready to brave the staring and whispering of neighbors who fear her because she’s different, and the disapproving elders who threaten to banish her family, she finds a world beyond the warren where myths and riddles, magic voyages, and important new friends await. Can the “bad omen bunny” follow her own heartsong to a destiny—a wish—meant just for her?

Academy Award–winning director, writer, and animator Alan Barillaro’s graceful storytelling, warm illustrations, and dramatic graphic panels weave light and dark into a seamless tapestry to enchant children and adults alike.

Future Meetings

• Sunday, October 25 at 4pm: Brittle Magic by Kate O’Shaughnessy (with the author!)
• Sunday, November 29 at 4pm: The Wish Ring Cipher by Alexandra Ott

Book Launch with Marley Rose-Teter
In conversation with Samantha Chong
Saturday, October 3 at 6pm

Join us as we welcome local author Marley Rose-Teter to celebrate the launch of her YA debut, The Bone Brides. Marley will be in conversation with fellow author Samantha Chong.

Nola James can handle it. She can handle that her father is dead. She can handle that her friends, bored with her grief, left her behind. Nola James has to handle it because Lumi—the love of her life and a faery changeling—is in danger. Not only is Lumi's human mother trying to kill her, but she’s being hunted by veiled monsters that want to return her to the fae. Hiding out in an abandoned cabin with only a skeleton-rabbit for company is hard, but Nola can handle it. And she does.

Until Lumi is abducted.

In order to save her, Nola must enter the faery realm: a boggy world in which eyeless horses parade as brides, ghost-bees produce transformative honey, and skeletons dance in skin-colored cloaks. Aided by a witch-girl with uncertain motives, Nola uncovers the realm’s terrifying power over changelings. If Nola can’t outplay an abyssal faery queen and find the courage to let the world see her own pain, Lumi will be trapped—not only in faeryland but in a skin that’s not her own.

Story Writing Workshops for Kids
Sunday, October 4 at 2:30pm (Ages 7-11)
Sunday, October 4 at 3:30pm (Ages 12+)

Story writing workshops are back! 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 meet-ups are led by Shu-Hsien Ho and Royd Hatta of Beyond the Box Learning (both are former Linden Tree booksellers!). We will meet in the back 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].

Future Workshops

• November 1

Storytime with Dr. Jenny Wang
Sunday, October 11 at 10:30am

Join us for a special storytime as author Dr. Jenny Wang shares her debut picture book, Too Much Tony, about a boy who has been told all his life that he is “TOO MUCH!”

Tony tries to shrink himself to fit in, but that leaves him feeling lonely and unseen. To cope, he retreats into his imagination, until a chance meeting changes everything. For the first time, Tony realizes that being “TOO MUCH” may not be so bad after all. Through a new friendship, Tony learns to use his own big energy to connect with other kids and help them feel seen. Together, Tony and his friends make the world a little less lonely for everyone.

This tender, empowering picture book is a reminder that self-acceptance is an act of courage, and everyone deserves to feel they belong. Rooted in the psychological insight and everyday parenting truth that “children don’t need to be fixed, they need to be understood,” Too Much Tony is a warm, affirming book about friendship, neurodiversity, and the healing power of being ourselves.

Book Launch with Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Yas Imamura
Friday, October 16 at 5pm

We’re excited to welcome author Maggie Tokuda-Hall and illustrator Yas Imamura to celebrate the launch of their gorgeous new picture book, Bathtime for Snow Monkeys.

From the critically acclaimed team behind Love in the Library comes a picture book written in haiku, offering a window into the serene and relaxing world of the snow monkeys of Nagano, Japan.

Snow falls thick and cold.
Nihonzaru make their way.
Hot springs await them.

At the Jigokudani monkey park in Nagano, nihonzaru—Japanese macaques—have a unique way of de-stressing from life in a cold climate: gathering in their very own onsen, or hot spring “spa,” to lounge and snack. Peek into this magical world in the mountains, hushed by snow, where the macaques reign over their onsen, huddling together. As a playful baby monkey splashes, the others don’t want to join in, and as the baby’s amusing antics wind down, parents and little ones reading the story will happily snuggle together like the macaques, warm and safe.

Book Launch with Kyla Zhao
Saturday, October 17 at 6pm

Join us as we welcome author Kyla Zhao back to the store for the launch of her YA debut, Heirs of Infamy, about two rivals from opposing gangs who grow dangerously close in this thriller set in 1940s San Francisco Chinatown.

Beneath the neon glare of postwar San Francisco, Chinatown is ruled by two rival crime families. East Phoenix deals in secrets and stealth, West Dragon in fists and fear. But both empires are bleeding money, and the fragile truce between them frays by the day.

As the daughter of Chinatown’s most powerful crime boss, Alexis Sung can do almost anything, except join the family business. When her first job for East Phoenix goes wrong, her father shuts her out for good. Across town, Zachary Ren—a brilliant orphan raised by West Dragon—is desperate to escape a life he never chose. Their paths were never meant to cross again, not after he destroyed Alexis’s one shot to prove herself.

That changes when a daring heist surfaces—one with a bounty big enough to save both families from ruin. Defying her father’s orders, Alexis seizes the chance to redeem herself by striking an uneasy alliance with Zachary. As old wounds reopen and new sparks catch, survival means trusting the last person she thought she would.

Storytime with Alan Barillaro
Sunday, October 18 at 10:30am

Join us for a special Sunday storytime with Oscar-winning author-illustrator Alan Barillaro as he shares his picture book debut, Today We’ll Be Eaten, the gently humorous story of two friends facing uncertainty and discovering joy.

"Dragonfly, what do you think today will bring?" Ladybug asked.

Ladybug and Dragonfly are caught in a storm, floating upside down and helplessly on the river. They are certain that today they'll be eaten. But as they stare nervously up at the sky, waiting for that terrible fate... something vastly different happens. By the next morning, they will have made some surprising new friends and learned a lot about living in the moment and being open to the unexpected.

Conversation with Trish Lundy & Charlotte Lillie Balogh
Saturday, October 24 at 6pm

Join Trish Lundy (author of The Worst Is Yet to Come) and Charlotte Lillie Balogh (author of Capsized) as they discuss their latest YA mysteries, what it’s like to have a book in development for television at Hulu, their writing processes, and much more. A lively discussion will be followed by audience Q&A and a book signing.

Book Launch with Kate O’Shaughnessy
Sunday, October 25 at 4pm

We are incredibly excited to welcome Newbery Honor-winning author Kate O’Shaughnessy to celebrate the launch of her wonderfully charming new novel, Brittle Magic. 

Nearly every member of the Brittle family has an extraordinary talent—except Shiloh.

Her aunt makes pickles that tell your fortune. Her great-aunt brews tea that gives you good dreams. Her sister can grow pumpkins the size of a small house. And her older brother—who died before Shiloh was born—had a gift no one will talk about. Her mom says Shiloh doesn’t need a talent to be special. But Shiloh knows she’s destined for greatness. And with the Brittle family reunion coming up, she’s determined to prove it to all her relatives.

When Auntie Dee’s fortune-telling pickles reveal that Shiloh does have a talent—and that it’s somehow connected to her late brother—Shiloh feels more confused than vindicated. Why would her mom have kept this from her? The pickles’ prophesy offers cryptic clues for finding her talent—something involving an oven? and a new friend?—and Shiloh throws herself into the search. But discovering the truth about herself means digging up secrets her mom would rather keep buried.