Events Calendar

• Sunday, March 26 at 11am: Design Your Own Comic Character Workshop (SOLD OUT)
• Tuesday, March 28 at 4pm: Dog Man Release Party
• Sunday, April 2 at 11am: Parachute Kids Book Launch with Betty C. Tang
• Saturday, April 8 at 11am: Dear Mr. G Book Launch with Christine Evans
• Sunday, April 23 at 2:30pm and 3:30pm: Story Writing Workshops
• Sunday, April 23 at 3pm: Early Grade Book Club: InvestiGators Agents of S.U.I.T.
• Sunday, April 23 at 4pm: Middle Grade Book Club: Winston Chu vs the Whimsies
• Saturday, April 29: Independent Bookstore Day!
• Every Sunday at 10:30am: Outdoor Storytime with Mary Sheila

Keep up with our events by subscribing to our newsletter.

Design Your Own Comic Book Character Workshop
For Ages 8-12; $40/person
Sunday, March 26 at 11am

Sorry! This event is now sold out.

Is your avid comic/graphic novel reader ready to take the next step and start creating their own comics?

Have them join us on Sunday, March 26 at 11am for our workshop, Design Your Own Comic Book Character, led by illustrators Jen de Oliveira and Ruthie Lafond. 

In this one-hour, hands-on workshop, you'll learn how to design a character using simple shapes. A series of drawing games and activities will get your creativity flowing! At the end, you'll create a 4-panel comic strip to introduce your character. This workshop is designed for aspiring artists from ages 8 to 12.

The registration fee is $40 and includes a sketchbook and set of colored pens your budding artist can use for their ideas. Inspiration can strike at any time... don’t be caught unprepared!

Dog Man Release Party
Tuesday, March 28 at 4pm

Dog Man is back! Stop by after school on Tuesday, March 28, as we celebrate the release of his newest adventure, Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea.

We’ll have treats, activities, and tons of giveaways–including a special 16-page mini-comic that’s only available if you buy the book at an independent bookstore (while supplies last, of course). There will also be an appearance by Dog Man himself! Meet Dog Man and get your photo taken with him!

What are you waiting for? Pre-order now!

Book Launch with Betty C. Tang
Sunday, April 2 at 11am

Join us Sunday, April 2 at 11am as we welcome New York Times bestselling comic artist Betty C. Tang to celebrate the launch of her funny and heartfelt graphic novel, Parachute Kids.

Parachute Kids is a funny, fast-paced, and heartrending story about three kids living on their own as undocumented new immigrants, inspired by the author's own childhood as a parachute kid. Perfect for fans of New Kid and Front Desk.

Feng-Li can't wait to discover America with her family! But after an action-packed vacation, her parents deliver shocking news: They are returning to Taiwan and leaving Feng-Li and her older siblings in California on their own.

Suddenly, the three kids must fend for themselves in a strange new world–and get along. Starting a new school, learning a new language, and trying to make new friends while managing a household is hard enough, but Bro and Sis's constant bickering makes everything worse.

Thankfully, there are some hilarious moments to balance the stress and loneliness. But as tensions escalate–and all three kids get tangled in a web of bad choices–can Feng-Li keep her family together?

Betty C. Tang is the New York Times bestselling illustrator of the Jacky Ha-Ha series of graphic novels by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein. She has worked for various Hollywood animation studios including Disney TV and Dreamworks Animation, and co-directed an animated feature called Where’s the Dragon? Betty is also a fourth degree black belt in aikido, a Japanese martial art. Born in Taiwan, Betty immigrated to California as a Parachute Kid when she was ten. She lives in Los Angeles.

Book Launch with Christine Evans
Saturday, April 8 at 11am

Join us Saturday, April 8 at 11am as we welcome local author Christine Evans to celebrate the launch of her beautiful new picture book, Dear Mr. G. Christine will read and sign copies of her book, which can be purchased online or at the event.

Dear Mr. G is gentle and moving story about an intergenerational friendship between a young child and their neighbor told through a series of letters, for fans of Ida, Always.

When Jackson’s soccer ball accidentally lands in his neighbor’s rose bush, he thinks he’s ruined Mr. Graham’s roses forever. So he quickly writes a letter to Mr. Graham that blossoms into a marvelous friendship. Jackson writes letters, highlighting the everyday moments to make them feel larger than life, and Mr. G keeps writing back until the very end of his life, encouraging Jackson to live each day to the fullest.

This breathtakingly beautiful epistolary story shows the strength of letter-writing and intergenerational bonds. The text is accompanied by tender and evocative artwork to remind us that even as seasons change, our loved ones always stay in our hearts.

Christine Evans is the author of Evelyn the Adventurous Entomologist, Emily's Idea, and the Wish Library chapter book series. She is a British expat living in California with her husband and family.

Story Writing Workshops
Sunday, April 23 at 2:30pm for Ages 12-18
Sunday, April 23 at 3:30pm for Ages 7-11

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. (Or indoors if it’s raining.) Please bring your imagination, enthusiasm, notebook, pencils/pens, and erasers. Don’t forget your mask, warm jacket, and a bottle of water!

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

Early Grade Book Club: InvestiGators Agents of S.U.I.T.
Sunday, April 23 at 3pm

Join us for the next meeting of our Early Grade Book Club for ages 7 and up! Bookseller Pam will host this meeting where we can talk about this month's book and other early chapter book series we've been enjoying. Even if you didn't like or finish the book, come to the meeting–different opinions make for great discussions! Our meeting will be held indoors, in the back of the store.

This month’s book is InvestiGators: Agents of S.U.I.T., a brand-new spinoff from the popular InvestiGators series that shines a light on some of Mango and Brash’s colorful coworkers. Get 10% off the book in-store or online now through April 23. Please email [email protected] to RSVP.

Cilantro the Chameleon finally gets what she’s been waiting for: a field assignment. Only... it’s literally out in the middle of a field, and her orders are so vague, she can hardly tell what she’s supposed to be investigating. But as she begins to uncover a sheep-led worker’s rights revolt and an alien invasion conspiracy—not to mention a spooky haunting at the abandoned S.U.I.T. field outpost—Cilantro steps into her own V.E.S.T. as a valued member of the team.

Middle Grade Book Club: Winston Chu vs the Whimsies
Sunday, March 19 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. Even if you didn't like or finish the book, come to the meeting–different opinions make for great discussions! Our meeting will be held outdoors, in front of the store.

This month’s book is Winston Chu vs the Whimsies, a Rick Riordan Presents book and Stacey Lee's modern reimagining of a classic Chinese folktale—replete with magic, boba, and lots of trash talking. Get 10% off the book in-store or online now through April 23. Please email [email protected] to RSVP.

While skateboarding home with a pie in hand, Winston inadvertently stops a robbery at Mr. Pang’s Whimsies, an oddities shop in Chinatown. As a reward, Mr. Pang invites Winston to choose any item in the store. But the strange old man warns Winston to browse carefully, for the first thing Winston touches will be the thing he gets. Before Winston can decide, a magpie flies under a shelf, and he impulsively grabs an old broom to sweep it out. Mr. Pang hands him the broom, along with a dustpan. “Two for one. Congratulations.”

Deflated, Winston returns home, determined to put the broom incident behind him. Or at least in the closet. But when some of his most beloved possessions go missing, all Winston can think about are the broom and dustpan. Did they somehow take his stuff? And what—or who—will they dispose of next? It’s time to break into Mr. Pang’s Whimsies, where clearly there’s more going on than meets the far-seeing eyeball. It’s time to fight magic with magic. And this time, Winston better have a plan.

Future Book Club Meetings: May 21

Independent Bookstore Day
Saturday, April 29 ALL DAY LONG

Get your party hats ready: we’re throwing our biggest party of the year on Saturday, April 29 to celebrate Independent Bookstore Day! We'll have local author storytimes all day long, our Mystery Wheel loaded with tons of giveaways and discounts (up to 100% off), and exclusive limited-edition items including IBD Blackwing pencils, tote bags, puzzles, stickers, and more.

Outdoor Storytimes: Sundays at 10:30am

In-person storytime is back! Join us every Sunday morning at 10:30am in front of the store as Mary Sheila shares some of our favorite read-alouds. (Grab a tasty pastry from our neighbors at Manresa while your kids enjoy the stories!) All storytimes feature picture books and are appropriate for all ages.

Past Author Visits

We have been fortunate to host many amazing authors and illustrators–in-store, off-site, online, and at local schools–over our forty years in business. Here are a few that have visited recently: 

• Aaron Blabey
• Aaron Reynolds
• Adam Gidwitz
• Ally Condie
• Arree Chung
• Brandon Mull
• Dana Simpson
• David Yoon
• Erin Entrada Kelly
• Faith Erin Hicks
• Greg Pizzoli
• Jake Burt
• Jan Brett
• Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
• Jennifer Nielsen
• Jessica Hische
• Jon Klassen
• Judd Winick
• Katherine Applegate
• Kelly Yang
• Leigh Bardugo
• Loren Long
• Lynda Mullaly Hunt
• Mac Barnett
• Margaret Peterson Haddix
• Misa Sugiura
• Nicole Chen
• Patricia Polacco
• Peter Reynolds
• Rosemary Wells
• Ruta Sepetys
• Samira Ahmed
• Sara Pennypacker
• Scott Campbell
• Tracy Deonn
• William Joyce
• ... and many more!

We're looking forward to hosting more of your favorite authors and illustrators in the future!