Blue Willow Bookshop

We are huge fans of Lisa See and are thrilled to welcome her back to Houston!  She'll be in town to celebrate the paperback release of Shanghai Girls.

Shanghai Girls is the story of Pearl and May Chin who must flee pre-WWII Shanghai, ultimately across the Pacific to California where they face an unknown future as immigrants and wives in a hostile society.  Throughout their lives they are inseparable but face impossible choices and harbor a devastating secret.  It's a fascinating look at a little known slice of American history and a great story of two sisters' love for one another and their Shanghai.  The Dallas Morning News said, "If you’re looking for one of those wonderful 'take me someplace exotic' books for summer, you won’t do better than Shanghai Girls."

To learn more about Lisa See and all of her novels, please visit her website.

All Blue Willow Bookshop events are free and open to the public.  If you would like to go through the signing line and meet Lisa See for book personalization, you must purchase Shanghai Girls from Blue Willow Bookshop.

John Otis, who served as South America Bureau Chief for the Houston Chronicle from 1997-2008, will visit Blue Willow Bookshop to discuss and sign his new book, Law of the Jungle.

Otis, who has worked as a reporter in South America for twenty years – thirteen in Bogota – tells the story of the kidnapping of three U.S. military contractors by FARC guerrillas of Colombia – and their unbelievable rescue almost 6 years later – as a window into sobering political realities.

Mary Pope Osborne, author of The Magic Treehouse series, returns to Houston to celebrate the publication of the 43rd Magic Treehouse book, Leprechaun in Late Winter.  Mary’s sister, Natalie Pope Boyce, the author of the nonfiction companion research guide, Leprechauns and Irish Folklore, will also be here.  To learn more about Mary, visit her website.

The Magic Treehouse series follows Jack and his kid sister Annie as they find themselves traveling to a variety of places and times.  It’s a great series for emerging readers, introducing them to characters they begin to regard as friends and wish to visit again and again.  In Leprechaun in Late Winter, Annie and Jack  find themselves in the Ireland of 1862, equipped only with a magic whistle and the charge to convince an unhappy young girl that she has much to give to the cultural life of Ireland.
 

As we expect a large crowd, we will hold this event at Westchester Academy, 901 Yorkchester, in Houston.  There will be a brief presentation followed by the opportunity to meet the authors.

Instead of a traditional signing, the authors will stamp rather than sign their books.   In order to get a signing line ticket to meet the authors, you must purchase Leprechaun in Late Winter from Blue Willow Bookshop.  Signing line tickets are issued in order of purchase.  In addition, you may bring two books from home to be stamped.

No flash photography will be allowed at the event.

Little Bee was a staff favorite last year.  It is a haunting novel of a young Nigerian refugee in England, searching for someone from her past.  Little Bee's author, Chris Cleave, will be stateside to celebrate the paperback release of his wonderful novel. 

When Chris wrote to booksellers about Little Bee, he said, "I write because there are stories I want to tell about our world.  I believe that extraordinary global stories play out in the lives of ordinary people.  I think my books are popular because readers agree that people are braver and funnier and more complex than TV has the time to show.  I like humans, frankly, and with your help I will continue to write about them the best way I know how."

Click here to meet Chris and learn about his inspiration for Little Bee.  And click here to visit his website and read his highly entertaining blog.

We hope to see you at this very special event!

All Blue Willow Bookshop events are free and open to the public.  If you would like to go through the signing line and meet Chris Cleave for book personalization, you must purchase Little Bee from Blue Willow Bookshop.

We are thrilled to welcome Tim Green to Blue Willow.  Tim is the author of sports books (Baseball Great, Football Genius, Football Hero, and Football Champ) that appeal to both boys and girls.  The main characters are boys, but there is always a strong girl supporting character.  Tim will be in town to discuss and sign his newest book for young readers, Rivals.  Rivals follows Josh (star of Baseball Great) as he heads to a National Baseball tournament in Cooperstown, New York, home of the Baseball Hall of Fame.  The audience for these books is 4th – 7th graders.
 
Tim is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Syracuse University, where he was an All American football player.  He was drafted in the first round of the NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons where he was a top defensive player for eight years.  He's now an author and practicing attorney in upstate New York.

For more information about Tim and his books, visit his website or the HarperCollins website.

All Blue Willow Bookshop events are free and open to the public.  If you would like to go through the signing line and meet Tim Green for book personalization, you must purchase Rivals from Blue Willow Bookshop.