Independent Bookstore Day Weekend
Saturday, April 26 & Sunday, April 27

Save the date for our biggest party of the year! We’ll have author storytimes, our Mystery Wheel loaded with tons of giveaways and discounts (up to 100% off!), limited edition items including tote bags, buttons, Blackwing pencils and more! Here's the current schedule:

Saturday, April 26

10:30am: Tim McCanna, storytime
11:00am: Cindy Derby, storytime
12:00pm: Mystery Musical Performance
1:00pm: Darshana Khiani, storytime
2:00pm: Arree Chung, storytime

Sunday, April 27

10:30am: Vicky Fang, storytime
1:00pm: Cindy Chang, art workshop

Middle Grade Book Club: The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science
Sunday, April 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 The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science by Kate McKinnon, a madcap new adventure about three sisters, a ravenous worm, and a mysterious mad scientist. Please email [email protected] to RSVP.

So, you want to be a young mad scientist. Congratulations! Admitting it is the first step. The second step is reading the (definitely true) tale of the Porch sisters…

Gertrude, Eugenia, and Dee-Dee Porch do not belong. They don’t belong in the snooty town of Antiquarium, where all girls have to go to etiquette school and the only dog allowed is the bichon frise. They don’t belong with their adoptive family, where all their cousins are named Lavinia and their Aunt has more brooches than books. And they certainly don’t belong at Mrs. Wintermacher’s etiquette school—they’re far more interested in science. After getting kicked out of the last etiquette school that would take them, the girls expect to be sent away for good... until they receive a mysterious invitation to new school.

Suddenly the girls are under the tutelage of the infamous Millicent Quibb—a mad scientist with worms in her hair and oysters in her bathtub. At 231 Mysterium Way, the pizza is fatal, the bus is powered by Gerbils, and the Dean of Students is a hermit crab.  Dangerous? Yes! More fun than they’ve ever had? Absolutely! But when the sisters are asked to save their town from an evil cabal of nefarious mad scientists, they must learn to embrace what has always made them stand out, and determine what side they’re on—before it’s too late!

Upcoming book club meetings:

• Sunday, May 18 at 4pm: Sophie Quire and the Last Storyguard by Jonathan Auxier
• Sunday, June 29 at 4pm: Werewolf Hamlet by Kerry Madden-Lunsford

Storytime with Hayley Arceneaux
Saturday, May 3 at 11am

Join us for a special storytime with astronaut Hayley Arceneaux as she shares her inspiring new picture book, Astronaut Hayley's Brave Adventure.

A fantastic fictional space story inspired by the author's real-life experiences, Astronaut Hayley’s Brave Adventure is the perfect book for young readers who have big dreams and even bigger hearts.

Like every child, Hayley has to learn to be brave in ordinary ways, like facing the first day of school or trying a new sport. But when Hayley gets sick—really sick—she has to learn to be brave in not-so-ordinary ways. When Hayley is invited to become an astronaut and travel to outer space, she knows she is up for the challenge. But she'll need all her courage to handle what's in store!

Storytime with Jenny Andrus and Julie Downing
Sunday, May 4 at 10:30am

It’s a two-for-one storytime as we welcome author Jenny Andrus and illustrator Julie Downing to share their wonderful new picture book, Elsa’s Chessboard. This storytime is appropriate for ages 4 and up.

Growing up in 1900s Vienna, Elsa’s brothers are always playing chess. “No girls!” they tell her when she first asks to learn; but she wears them down, and soon she’s such a pro that they give her a special chess set of her own. 

Elsa plays chess whenever she can. When she grows up, she even meets her husband over games in the park. But when World War II grips Europe, the young Jewish family must emigrate to America, where they find themselves surrounded by unfamiliar languages. 

Luckily, Elsa knows one language that can always bring people together: chess!

Los Altos Living Electric Fair Storytime
Sunday, May 4 at 1pm

On May 4th, join us in Downtown Los Altos for the first Living Electric Fair! This free, outdoor event will have a wide array of booths and hands-on activities for all ages to learn about the health benefits of using electric solutions in your home. We’ll be hosting a special storytime in front of our store starting at 1pm.

Do you have questions about replacing your current appliances with electric alternatives? Are you hesitating to make a switch because you want a better grasp of the options available? The Living Electric Fair is the perfect opportunity to learn more about what is on the market in a fun, vibrant setting.

For more information, visit greentownlosaltos.org

Parenting Workshop: Play: Your Parenting Superpower
Thursday, May 8 at 7pm

Does it ever feel like no one is having any fun at your house? Kids and parents alike can get bogged down in our many responsibilities. On the other hand, playful moments light us up inside, ease power struggles, and bring us closer. Come learn how to tap into your own playfulness and also use play to help kids with areas of difficulty like homework, doctor's visits, picky eating, bedtime, separation and more.

This workshop will be led by Brooke Bishara, Certified Hand In Hand Parenting Instructor, parent of two teens, former classroom teacher, and current student in the Counseling Psychology Program at Santa Clara University. After three decades of working with kids, Brooke has learned they function best when feeling relaxed and close with the adults in their lives. As a parent educator, Brookeoffers strategies that ease parents' isolation and exhaustion, while also creating more joy, closeness, and cooperation in families.

Book Launch with Grace Lin
In Conversation with Gene Luen Yang
Tuesday, May 13 at 6pm

We are incredibly excited to welcome award-winning and bestselling author Grace Lin to the store to celebrate the launch of her fantastic new novel, The Gate, the Girl, and the Dragon, a gorgeously full-color illustrated story about a lion cub and a girl who must open a portal for the spirits, based on Chinese folklore. Grace will be in conversation with award-winning author Gene Luen Yang.

This is a free event, but you must RSVP as space is limited. RSVP here »

Jin is a Stone Lion—one of the guardians of the Old City Gate who is charged to watch over humans and protect the Sacred Sphere. But to Jin, those boring duties feel like a waste of time.
 
What isn’t a waste of time? Perfecting his zuqiu kick, scoring a Golden Goal, and becoming the most legendary player of all the spirit world.
 
But when Jin’s perfect kick accidentally knocks the Sacred Sphere out through the gate, he has no choice but to run after it, tumbling out of the realm he calls home and into the human world as the gate closes behind him.
 
Stuck outside the gate, Jin must find help from unlikely allies, including a girl who can hear a mysterious voice and a worm who claims he is a dragon. Together, they must find the sphere and return it to the world beyond the gate…or risk losing everything.

Storytime with Charlotte Cheng
Sunday, May 18 at 10:30am

We’re excited to welcome author Charlotte Cheng back to the store to celebrate the release of her delightful new picture book, Icy Fruit: How My Grandfather Spread the Joy of Ice Pops Across Taiwan. And, yes, there will be ice pops!

Charlotte Cheng's grandfather always had a bag of coins rustling in his pocket. That bag carried with it "a story of joyful jingles, sultry summers, and fresh frozen fruit which began in 1965 in the lush valleys and mountains of an island called Taiwan."

This story of Agong's Icy Fruit company, from first inspired idea through experimentation to countrywide success, is a lyrical, lively, and richly illustrated read that's part biography, part family tribute, and part celebration of summer. Gather round for Icy Fruit!

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

Book Launch with Ann Liang
In Conversation with Kyla Zhao
Saturday, June 7 at 6pm

We’re excited to welcome New York Times bestselling author Ann Liang back to our store to celebrate the launch of Never Thought I’d End Up Here. Ann will be in conversation with author Kyla Zhao.

This is a free event, but you must RSVP as space is limited. RSVP here »

From the author of the instant New York Times bestseller I Hope This Doesn't Find You comes another hilarious and romantic romcom, this time following a former model determined to get revenge on the boy who ruined her life.

Leah Zhang has just ruined her cousin's wedding. She didn't mean to wish the bride a depressing marriage and poor health, but she's forgotten most of her Mandarin. Her parents stage an intervention: Leah will be sent on a travel program across China's most beautiful cities. To them, it’s the perfect opportunity for Leah to get back to her roots. To Leah, it’s simply a much-needed escape.

But before Leah can even begin to enjoy the luxurious hotels, stunning scenery, and mouth-watering cuisine, she finds that also on the trip is cynical, sarcastic Cyrus Sui, who’s somehow only gotten more annoyingly handsome since the day he told a lie that ruined her life. While Leah might be tempted to shove him off the peak of the Yellow Mountain when nobody’s looking, she can’t get rid of him just yet. After all, she might never get another chance to get revenge.Yet the deeper they wander into China’s provinces, the deeper Leah finds herself falling in love — with the boy she once thought she despised, the home she never thought she’d call her own, and the parts of herself she thought were already lost.

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 Bread while your kids enjoy the stories!) All storytimes feature picture books and are appropriate for all ages.