Author Event: Katrina Moore of The Star In You

Join us for a Story Time Event!

See you Saturday, October 19th at 10:30am for a special Meet the Author Story Time! We will read Katrina’s The Star in You, then have a Q&A with the author, and a book signing. Recommended for ages 4-8, but all are welcome! (The event is FREE, but pre-order the book for a guarenteed signing copy! Pre-orders get perks like first in the Wardrobe!)

About Katrina:

Katrina Moore is an author and former elementary educator. She holds a M.A. in Teaching and taught for thirteen years in Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey. She writes in Georgia, where her mission is to create books that children will hug for ages. She is the author of acclaimed and beloved picture books, Chang’e on the Moon, Hope is a Hop, Sometimes Love, One Hug, Grandpa Grumps, Grumpy New Year, and The Star in You. She is also known for her chapter book series, Teeny Houdini.

About The Star in you:

BE KIND meets INSIDE OUT in this bright and poignant picture book that is an inspirational anthem about celebrating the unique "star" that shines brightly within all of us.

Did you know you have a star inside you?

Maybe it's vibrant pink, or glistening green, or even periwinkle blue.

Perhaps it's smooth, or sharp, or bent.

But the star is always there, guiding you when you feel lost or alone. You just have to listen to it.

Follow a young child on her first day at a new school in this uplifting ode to the extraordinary potential inside all of us, perfect for fans of YOU MATTER and BE YOU.

Can’t make it to the event? Katrina has wonderfully offered to sign copies for shipping to patrons far and wide! Snag a signed copy here!

Author Event: Mia Armstrong of I Am A Masterpiece

Join us for a Story Time Event!

See you Saturday, October 5th at 10:30am for a special Meet the Author Story Time! We will read Mia’s I AM A MASTERPIECE, then have a Q&A with the author, and a book signing. Recommended for ages 3-9, but all are welcome! (The event is FREE, but pre-order the book for a guaranteed signing copy! Pre-orders get perks like first in the Wardrobe!)

About Mia:

Mia Armstrong is a SAG-AFTRA actress, model, and voiceover artist that has declared Down syndrome her “superpower.” In 2022, she made history as the first child with Down syndrome to voiceover a cartoon character.

About I Am a Masterpiece!: An Empowering Story about Inclusivity and Growing Up with Down Syndrome:

Tween actress Mia Armstrong celebrates her fun, funny, beautiful childhood living with Down syndrome in this debut picture book.

Mia likes many of the things other people like—going to the beach, the color blue, drawing. But she doesn't like when strangers stare at her because she looks different from them.

Down syndrome allows Mia to see and understand the world in a way that may not make sense to others. She considers it her superpower—and instead of it making her strange, she considers herself a masterpiece. As we all are.

In this sparkling picture book, Mia offers a glimpse into the life of a child with Down syndrome, helping some readers see themselves in a book and helping others understand those friends, classmates, and family members who are neurodivergent.

Book Review: Olivetti

Publisher Summary

A heartfelt debut middle-grade novel told from the unique vantage points of a witty typewriter and an introverted boy—for fans of Wishtree and A Rover’s Story.

Being a typewriter is not as easy as it looks. Surrounded by books (notorious attention hogs) and recently replaced by a computer, Olivetti has been forgotten by the Brindle family—the humans he’s lived with for years. The Brindles are busy: Dad and Mom work constantly, three of their children put the extra in extra-curriculars, and Ernest, their shy twelve-year-old, goes off alone to read.

When Olivetti learns Mom has mysteriously gone missing, he believes he can help find her. He breaks the only rule of his ‘kind’ and types back to Ernest, who must face what he and his family have been running from, The Everything That Happened. Only by working together will they find the parts of themselves they’ve lost.

Bookseller Review

This bookseller devoured Olivetti in one sitting. I was in awe of the beautiful cover and whimsical summary, but this beautiful book was not at all what I have come to expect of Middle Grade Fiction; and it was magical. Millington writes the kind of hope and heartbreak and love that gets you in the corners of your heart and makes you want to laugh and cry and hug someone (or your book) all at once. Shy Ernest and opinionated Olivetti will capture your imagination and you will fall in love with the community that Millington has created. A truly enchanted tale of a boy, a typewriter, and becoming more than you thought you could be.

“A wonderful story that encourages the reader to use their imagination and solve a sweet mystery. Most importantly: the typewriter that witnesses it all; can it pull the family together?”

— Kristina Webb

Monroe Children's Book Day with Jonathan Stutzman & Heather Fox

What is Monroe Children’s Book Day?

Monroe Children’s Book Day is a day when our town celebrates the whimsy, wonder, and imagination of children’s literature! Think Unicorn Day, but for all kinds of children’s books. Find bookish details all around town, see how different businesses celebrate different books, pop in for lots of activities and photos around town, and come dressed up as your favorite book character to add to the magic!

Join us for one of our very special Story Time Events!

See you Saturday, May 7th at either 10:00am, 12:00pm, or 3:00pm for a special Meet the Author & Illustrator Story Time! Jonathan & Heather will read several of their hilariously delightful books, we’ll join Llama in some of his shenanigans, have a time for Q&A, a book signing, and top it all off with a yummy llama treat. Recommended for ages 3-9, but all are welcome!

Please Note!!

While this is not a ticketed event, the only way to guarantee entry to one of the story times is to pre-order a Llama book. Our pre-orders will enter the Wardrobe first, and then we will allow as many others in as there is room. Only one pre-order is necessary per family.

Pre-orders are also entered to win a fabulous bookish basket!

About Our Dynamic Duo:

About Jonathan: Storytelling brings me so much joy, and my hope is that my stories will give readers joy too! Here is a little more about me:

What do you do when you're not writing?

- I read A LOT 
- I play with my french bulldog (Hugo)
- I like to find ways to cheer people up
- I draw silly things
- I swing dance
- I watch old movies
- I eat donuts (Yes. Please.)
- I go on adventures (Forests and bookstores FTW)
- I make films!

Learn more about Jonathan here.

About Heather: She likes to explore the use of color and shapes to create bright and whimsical doodles! When she isn't creating, you can probably find her enjoying a cup of coffee, walking around town, or chasing down her dog (Sir Hugo) who has stolen one of her socks. She lives in Lititz, Pennsylvania with her husband (and author!) Jonathan Stutzman.

Learn more about Heather here.

Jonathan & Heather’s books:

Pre-order now to secure your spot in this amazing event!

Llama Destroys the World

Meet Llama, the next great picture-book megastar, who has most definitely driven a bus and who loves tacos way more than you.

He also loves cake, and that’s where our story begins.

On Monday, Llama discovers a pile of cake, which he promptly eats.

On Tuesday, Llama squeezes into his dancing pants, which he promptly rips.

The force of the rip creates a black hole (naturally).

By Friday, Llama will (indirectly) destroy the world.

In their debut picture book, author/illustrator team Jonathan Stutzman and Heather Fox introduce young readers to the comical, the studious, the oblivious Llama, a picture-book hero for the ages. So grab some cake and your dancing pants and prepare for Llama Destroys the World... because THE TIME FOR LLAMA IS NIGH!

Llama Unleashes the Alpacalypse

In the hilarious follow-up to Llama Destroys the World, author/illustrator team Jonathan Stutzman and Heather Fox give Llama another shot at saving the world…from himself, in Llama Unleashes the Alpacalypse.

Llama’s back and ready to destroy the world AGAIN… this time with his best camelid, Alpaca!

Llama loves cooking. And baking. And, above all, eating.

For breakfast, Llama makes one epic spread…as well as a big mess.

But Llama hates cleaning.

So by lunch, Llama has cooked up something really devious—an idea!—and by second lunch, Llama has cloned his most fastidious friend, Alpaca, to clean his house. And Llama doesn’t stop at just one clone.

By dinner, the alpaca clones threaten to tidy the world into utter destruction—THE ALPACALYPSE* IS HERE!

Will Llama be able to fix it all before dessert?

*That’s “apocalypse” with an alpaca—get it?

Llama Rocks the Cradle of Chaos

… While this one won’t be available on the day of the event, be sure to snag a copy and have a surprise waiting for you when it releases in July!

The third installment in Stutz and Fox's Llama series featuring everyone's favorite camelid, who travels through time to eat the one-of-a-kind donut . . . he just finished eating.

After devouring the most heavenly donut known to mammal-kind, Llama is desperate to relive the experience. Fortunately, every scientific-minded Llama has a pair of time-traveling pants for just this predicament!

Unfortunately, time travel requires precision, and this doomsday-prone llama is anything but precise. Despite overshooting his final destination, Llama somehow manages to find himself in front of a new donut, and this one might be even better. Without sacrificing any time, Llama swipes the precious dessert and hightails it out of there.

But something steals a ride back to the future with Llama . . . Baby Llama! And Baby Llama is not about to give up his donut. So begins a decade-tripping, belly-busting adventure that only the hilarious masterminds Jonathan Stutzman and Heather Fox could invent.

Don’t Feed the Coos

When you see a coo, you will be tempted to give it a treat.

Coos are adorable, peaceful, kind of silly.

But DON'T FEED THE COO!

If you feed one, they will ALL come...

So begins Don't Feed the Coos, a cautionary tale that details the fallout when a little girl decides to share some bread with a coo (aka pigeon). From the park to home to the arcade to karate practice, the coos follow the generous-but-foolish girl who didn’t heed the warning. Because when you give a coo a crumb…the entire population of coos will come! But fret not: our spunky little heroine will discover that even the biggest of problems can be solved with a little determination.

In the grand tradition of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, Don't Feed the Coos reminds us that the most disastrous of reactions can come from the most innocent of actions. Jonathan Stutzman and Heather Fox deliver another ridiculous and hilarious story, sure to delight fans of The Bad Seed and I Want My Hat Back.

Fitz & Cleo

Fitz and Cleo is the beginning of a delightful, hilarious new early graphic novel series about a pair of sibling ghosts and their adorable cat, Mr. Boo, perfect for fans of the Narwhal and Jelly series and Peter & Ernesto.

Fitz and Cleo are siblings by chance, but best friends by choice. Oh, and they also happen to be ghosts.

Join Cleo, a happy-go-lucky kind of gal, and Fitz, her science-minded brother, as they laugh their way through eleven gut-busting stories, including exploring the beach with a new friend, playing baseball, and gazing at the stars.

Jonathan Stutzman and Heather Fox, the dynamo team responsible for our favorite doomsday-prone Llama, team up again for a silly and heartwarming graphic novel that is perfect for newly independent readers and comics enthusiasts. The book highlights just how bright the world can be when you mix a little fun with some great friends.

Fitz & Cleo Get Creative

The second installment in Stutz and Fox's adorable early graphic novel series about a pair of sibling ghosts who are experts at raising spirits, perfect for fans of the Narwhal and Jelly series and Peter & Ernesto.

Happy-go-lucky Cleo and science buff Fitz are back again and they are feeling . . . inspired (much to their cat, Mister Boo's, dismay).

Follow the most adorable siblings this way of the afterlife through ten gut-busting creative farces, including flexing their storytelling muscles with ghost stories and writing, casting, and producing their first film.

Jonathan Stutzman and Heather Fox, the dynamo team responsible for our favorite doomsday-prone Llama, conjure up another collection of silly and heartwarming stories in the Fitz and Cleo universe that are perfect for newly independent readers and comics enthusiasts alike.

Santa Baby

The duo behind Llama Destroys the World take their trademark hijinks up to the North Pole in this laugh-out-loud, heartfelt Christmas-themed picture book.

Santa is feeling old, and being in the business of Christmas for centuries is . . . well, it isn't all milk and cookies. In hopes of regaining some of his pep, Santa asks the spirit of Christmas to give him something for a change: skim off a couple of years and make him younger.

But Christmas magic is powerful, and Santa gets more than he wished for. Instead of a fresh new outlook and boundless energy, he needs diapers and a nap―stat. With Christmas only a few days away, the elves rush to teach Santa Baby the basics. But will there be enough time to prepare their new bundle of holiday joy for the job?

Funny and spirited, bright and inspiring, and with an unforgettable title, Santa Baby is destined to be a yuletide read families revisit every year.

Author Event: Stephanie Campisi

Join us for a Free Story Time Event!

See you Saturday, April 2 at 10:30am for a special Meet the Author Story Time! Stephanie will read several of her charming books, we’ll make a cat craft, then have a Q&A, and a book signing. Recommended for ages 3-9, but all are welcome!

About Stephanie:

Stephanie Campisi (cam-PEE-zee) is an Australian author based in Tennessee. She is small and quiet enough that people readily share with her their tall tales and darkest secrets, which she then makes taller, darker, and occasionally more handsome. She suspects she might have made an excellent spy. She has slept in a cemetery, has a friend who was bullied by a prince, and has lived in a haunted house in a haunted town.

Stephanie’s books:

Pick one (or several!) up during the event!

Very Lulu

A humorous, charming picture book based on the internet phenomenon, Lulu, the black Labrador who failed at being a bomb-sniffing dog, but succeeded in winning the hearts of millions.

Lulu is a free spirit and sniffs out fun wherever she goes. That's how she ends up in the police force's K9 training program, so she can help sniff out clues!

But Lulu might be a little TOO Lulu for the program. While the other dogs are more than happy to follow procedure, Lulu marches to the beat of her own drummer. And when her owner sees that Lulu isn't happy, they both know it's probably time to find a new path for her.

Luis & Tabitha

With adorable illustrations and undeniable style, Luis and Tabitha is the story of two star-crossed kitties who prove that true love conquers all.

Luis is an alley cat who has everything figured out . . . until he meets Tabitha, a beautiful indoor cat. Separated by a tragic glass door, Luis will do anything to be with Tabitha—even brave the dangers of a fire.

Axolotls

Axolotls getting up emerging from the rocks they’re getting ready for their day—woken by their clocks.

Spend a day with the cutest smiling amphibians in their anthropomorphized world. Exercise with Flexolotl. Go to work with Lumberjaxalotl. Groove to the music with Saxolotl, and so many more! With silly wordplay and hilarious illustrations, Axolotls: Day to ZZZ is the perfect booxalotl for clever kids (and parents)!

Five Sisters

When a great white oak gifts an old man a branch imbued with magic, he carves five wooden dolls “each smaller than the last.” The wooden dolls take on a life of their own as they frolic from one season to the next bringing the old man and his wife a joy they had always longed for. Beautiful verse and stunning, traditional illustrations full of woodland creatures and playfully painted matryoshka dolls explore a tale of heartache, hope, and love.

When a great white oak gifts an old man a branch imbued with magic, he carves five wooden matryoshka dolls, “each smaller than the last.” The wooden dolls take on a life of their own as they frolic from one season to the next, bringing the old man and his wife a joy they had always longed for. Beautiful verse and stunning, traditional illustrations full of woodland creatures and playfully painted matryoshka dolls explore a tale of heartache, hope, and love.

The Ugly Dumpling

It’s not easy being the ugliest dumpling in a dim sum restaurant. Uneaten and ignored, the ugly dumpling is down in the dumps. But when an encouraging cockroach sees the dumpling’s inner beauty, this unlikely duo embarks on an eye-opening adventure, leading the ugly dumpling to discover its true identity and realize that being different is beautiful after all.

A modern fairytale retelling with a timeless moral: There’s a little ugly dumpling in all of us.

Quacks Like a Duck

When Petunia the platypus shows up to a costume party sans costume, no one knows quite what to make of her. If not a duck, what exactly is she? Petunia feels desperately out of place until another party guest arrives dressed up as a platypus, breaking the ice and reminding Petunia that good things can come in weird packages.

Quacks Like a Duck is a celebration of finding your people anywhere you go…even if it’s in costume and on the other side of the world.

Into The Heartless Wood: A Review & An Event

Bookseller Review:

A witch. A king. A tree siren. A boy.

A thrilling read from the start, Meyer’s newest novel is fantastic!

Atmospheric and earthy, it’s perfect for a reader who loves complex characters who are both thoughtful and impulsive. Owen and Seren are characters to root for, even or especially in their contrasting ordinariness and otherworldliness.

Meyer’s storytelling will cut right to your soul and is perfect for fans of myth and fairytale.

Get cozy, you’ll want to read it in one sitting!

Publisher’s Summary:

The forest is a dangerous place, where siren song lures men and women to their deaths.

Deep in the wood lives a witch queen and her eight tree siren daughters. For centuries, they have harvested souls to feed the heartless tree, using its power to grow their ever reaching kingdom of ash, birch, and oak.

Owen Merrick lives at the edge of the forest, mapping the stars for the king in his father's observatory. For years, he has resisted venturing over the garden wall, until one day he must enter the woods to find his missing sister. But one of the witch's tree siren daughters, Seren, decides to save his life instead of end it. Now, no matter how hard he tries, he can't stop thinking about her -- the birch-bright hue of her skin and the way violets bloom in her hair. Every night, he goes into the wood to meet her, and their love for each other grows.

But when the constellations shift, the stars foretell an inevitable war between the witch queen and the king. With Seren compelled to fight for her mother, and Owen forced to join the king's army, they are plunged into the heart of a conflict that seemingly no one can win and that might destroy both their kingdoms forever.

“A luminous, impassioned fairytale, alternately dark as choking briars and shot through with pulsing starlight. You may enter the Heartless Wood with your soul intact, but you'll surely leave a piece of it behind.” --Laura E. Weymouth, author of The Light Between Worlds, A Treason of Thorns, and A Rush of Wings

Joanna will be in conversation with Hanna C. Howard for our event. Learn more about Hanna’s book, Ignite the Sun!

Publisher Summary:

Once upon a time, there was something called the sun... In a kingdom ruled by a witch, the sun is just part of a legend about Light-filled days of old. But now Siria Nightingale is headed to the heart of the darkness to try and restore the Light--or lose everything trying.

Sixteen-year-old Siria Nightingale has never seen the sun. That's because Queen Iyzabel shrouded the kingdom in shadow upon her ascent to the throne, with claims it would protect her subjects from the dangerous Light.

The Darkness has always left Siria uneasy, and part of her still longs for the stories of the Light-filled days she once listened to alongside her best friend Linden, told in secret by Linden's grandfather. But Siria's need to please her strict and demanding parents means embracing the dark and heading to the royal city--the very center of Queen Izybel's power--for a chance at a coveted placement at court. And what Siria discovers at the Choosing Ball sends her on a quest toward the last vestiges of Light, alongside a ragtag group of rebels who could help her restore the sun...or doom the kingdom to shadow forever.

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Virtual Author Event:

Interested in Meyer’s work or a fan of fantasy young adult books?

Join us for a virtual event with Joanna Ruth Meyer and Hanna C. Howard in conversation about Joanna's newest book, Into the Heartless Wood on January 22 starting at 8:00pm!

Tickets include a copy of Into the Heartless Wood and some fun themed goodies. Add on Meyer’s other titles or Howard’s book for the full reading experience!

Order by January 6th for personalized bookplates. Make the note of who you would like the book(s) inscribed to in the Review Section of checkout!