Book Launch with David Levithan and Gabriel Duckels
Thursday, April 23 at 6pm

Join us for a special event with award-winning author David Levithan and scholar Gabriel Duckels as they discuss their gripping new book, The Fight of Our Lives: AIDS in America.

The AIDS crisis in America is complex and composed of countless individual stories of grief, love, and advocacy. Its history shows the power of youth activism, how creativity and community can be vehicles for social change, and how bigotry and misinformation led to inequality in care.

The early days of the AIDS crisis saw LGBTQ+ and other marginalized communities making strides in the fight for equality. As many people in positions of power were slow to act or actively didn’t pay attention until their own communities were affected, the fight for equality turned into a fight for their lives. Grassroots efforts filled in gaps where mainstream medicine and politics failed, and over time, a cultural shift of awareness emerged, which led to more research and more treatments. And while the disease has transitioned from a death sentence to one that people can live full lives with, there are still people dying of HIV/AIDS today because they can’t access the care they need. The fight may have begun decades ago, but is not yet over.

Award-winning author David Levithan and University of Cambridge PhD Gabriel Duckels detail a brief history of the epidemic, touching on key moments and figures, such as Ryan White, ACT UP, Larry Kramer and Anthony Fauci, Pedro Zamora from MTV’s The Real World, and the Names Quilt. Threaded throughout are poems, essays, and other creative works, in addition to first-person interviews and narratives. The most important takeaway is that we must remember. We need to know what happened and why. Our voices are powerful, and they can make a difference.

Storytime (and Stuffy Sleepover) with Dashka Slater
Saturday, April 25 at 11am

Come celebrate Independent Bookstore Day with author Dashka Slater and everyone's favorite French snail, Escargot!

Escargot is throwing a pajama party and you are invited! Put on your coziest jammies, grab a stuffed friend, and join us for a special storytime as Dashka Slater reads from Good Night, Escargot, the laugh-out-loud fifth book in the beloved bestselling series. After the reading, make a fun craft for your stuffy. Dashka’s visit and the craft activity are open to all.

Optional Stuffy Sleepover ($25) 

Does your stuffy want some more fun?  Then tell them goodnight - they’ll be spending the night at Linden Tree! We promise their night will be filled with fun and we’ll send you pictures to prove it.   On Sunday morning, come back to reunite with your tired but happy friend.

Price includes a personalized copy of Good Night, Escargot; a sleepover for your stuffy; and access to a digital album showcasing all the fun. 

RSVP Now for the Stuffy Sleepover »

Independent Bookstore Day
Saturday, April 25 ALL DAY LONG

Save the date for our biggest party of the year! Here's what you can look forward to:

• Storytime with Dashka Slater and our favorite French snail, Escargot. You can also sign up your favorite stuffy for a sleepover at Linden Tree, which includes a signed copy of Good Night, Escargot.
• Our legendary Mystery Wheel, where you can earn discounts up to 100% off (really) and other goodies. And every purchase over $100 gets a free Linden Tree tote bag!
• Exclusive items, including Blackwing pencils, tote bags, and more
• Hunting through the stacks for the Libro.fm golden ticket in order to win a year of free audiobooks!
• The satisfaction of knowing you’re supporting a family-owned small business instead of a trillion-dollar corporate behemoth

See you on Saturday, April 25!

Middle Grade Book Club: Space for Saffron with author Rie Neal
Sunday, April 26 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 Space for Saffron by Rie Neal, about a budding scientist who must figure out how to help save her family’s cafe and impress at her new school’s science fair. And author Rie Neal will be here to discuss the book! Please email [email protected] to RSVP. 

Curious ten-year-old Saffron Speiser-Green loves science—unfortunately, her “experiments” tend to end in more messes than actual answers. (Just ask the broken alarm clock that’s still at the bottom of her backpack.) Saffron has a plan, though—a blue ribbon in her school’s Project Showcase will show the world she means business.

But when Saffron’s beloved volcano project ruins the walls at Mama’s job and gets her fired, Saffron will do anything to make things right—including helping Mama convince her other mom, Mimi, that they should move to the Silicon Valley to run Gran’s coffee shop. Mama’s dream job is worth giving up the blue ribbon. Right?

Luckily for Saffron, her new friends in the Silicon Valley are busy preparing for a STEM Expo, and Saffron is determined to find a project “smart” enough to show everyone she belongs there. But the coffee shop? No customers, no vision, and…tons of debt. And if it closes, Saffron’s family will have to move again. After a class trip to the STEAMology Museum in San Francisco, though, Saffron knows how to save the café—and what to do for her STEM Expo project. But she’s going to need a lot of help.

Can Saffron prove she’s more than a mess-maker and rescue the family business?

Upcoming book club meetings: 

• Sunday, May 31: A Tale of Plagues & Perfumes (celebrating the club’s 4-year anniversary!)

Illustrator Workshop: Jen de Oliveira
Sunday, May 10 at 4pm
SOLD OUT

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

• Steph Lau, author-illustrator of The Abominable Snow Dancer
• Julie Downing, author-illustrator of Night in the City, Hello Sun, and more
• Bo Lu, author-illustrator of Bao’s Doll and Ren’s Pencil
• Jen de Oliveira, author-illustrator of the Reggie: Kid Penguin series

Each workshop lasts 90 minutes and costs $50. 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, so sign up now!

Story Write-athon
Sunday, May 17 at 2:30pm

Our popular Write-athon is back!

This is a community event where children, teens, and adults (ages 7+) are all invited to drop in any time between 2:30-4:30pm to work on a creative project. We'll start at 2:30pm with our group storytelling game, share a few tips for creating stories, and then allow everyone to dive into their sketching and/or writing. All genres and projects are welcome, including comics, poetry, stories, plays, research, and nonfiction topics.

We'll have a maximum of 20 seats available. To RSVP, contact [email protected]

Storytime with Sandra Salsbury
Sunday, May 24 at 10:30am

We’re excited to welcome author-illustrator Sandra Salsbury back to the store to celebrate the launch of her adorable new picture book, The Baby Who Only Said No!

 

Breakfast? NO! Sharing? NO! Clean diaper? NO! Baby is a good talker but she only knows ONE word, and she's going to use it—a lot! 

But when Baby is asked a very special question—"Do you need a kiss?"—it's finally time to learn a new word: YES. 

Celebrate the joys and challenges of toddlerhood and independence with this funny and heartwarming picture book. Parents and older siblings will love laughing along together as they try to get their own ferociously fussy little one to say anything . . . anything . . . but NO!

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.