Join me at the Montana Branch of the Santa Monica Library on April 30 at 3:30 for a fun reading and a book giveaway. This event is free and open to the public — hope to see you there! More info is here.
Event in Santa Monica (with a book giveaway!)
Santa Monica Public Library
I did my first in-person school event in several years, and was honored to visit @mcnairelementary in Compton this morning ❤️ What an amazing school full of curious minds! One brave girl even raised her hand to tell me that she shared my story -- she also had to often go to work with her brother and uncle, who worked as night janitors 😭I love speaking with students who remind me of little Helena, who hungered for a world beyond her own and found solace in books. Thank you, @accessbooksca & @puente_strategies for such a great visit and for gifting the students with copies of The Paper Kingdom to take home! #authorsofinstagram #schoolvisit #compton
I'll be speaking with some friends & heroes this upcoming week at two free events -- one is virtual, the other is in-person. All are welcome ❤️
- WED., MAY 11 -- Virtual AAPI author chat with @kellyyanghk & @dsantat , hosted by @teachaapi & @cbwchildrensbooks
Register for free at teachaapi.org
- SAT, MAY 14 @1:30 -- In-person panel with @danamiddletonbooks, @marlafrazee, @andreajloney & Michelle Markel, hosted by @litfestpasadena
Exactly 30 years ago, the L.A. riots ripped apart the City of Angels. I wrote a personal piece for Los Angeles Times about how that awful event impacted my Korean-Black family. It appears in print and online today, and I hope you’ll give it a read. I ❤️ L.A.
I call the Big Island of Hawai’i the “Magical Island” because something amazing happens every time we go. After our last trip back in November, I started researching more about the history of the island because I simply love it. I landed on an article about a secret cemetery that serves as the burial site of the earliest Korean immigrants to the U.S., who worked on the sugar plantations of Hawai’i.
I emailed the writer of that article, Deborah, to let her know that we were on our way to the Big Island in April and if it’d be possible for us to visit that cemetery. Well, last week, Deborah drove four hours roundtrip from the other side of the island to meet us and guide us through the well-hidden site, which she’s helped preserve for years. It’s located beyond an old, abandoned road and covered in vegetation -- kept a secret for years for fear of vandals/looters. Trekking into the quiet, shadow-filled cemetery was like entering a time portal, with Deborah telling us about how her grandfather first settled on the island in the early 1900s, and how he met his German wife during a time when interracial marriages were illegal in certain parts of the country – but it was acceptable in Hawai’i, always more tolerant than the mainland. So moving.
A few days after that incredible journey, we went on the most thrilling horseback riding tour. Rainbows, grazing cows (who knew that happy bulls are friendly!?!), a vista overlooking the glorious Pacific. If you’ve ever cantered/galloped uphill on a horse, you know that these magnificent creatures deserve tremendous respect. They’re extremely powerful vegetarians! My horse Maile and I were very simpatico, and I captured Gene looking like the Lone Ranger on a hill. If you go to the Big Island, do yourself a favor and go on a sunset tour with Paniolo Adventures (but you have to be okay with galloping on a horse and roaming free, often far from guides).
And finally, lots of R&R at our breathtaking resort at Hualalai. 😊 I am so grateful for the Big Island. May we take care of our precious planet. 🌎
Springtime brought a lovely gift: advance copies of ROSA’S SONG! The book & audiobook are available for pre-order now, and will officially release on June 7. I’m giving a gift to all who pre-order: a fun new 10-page creativity roadmap I put together to help you realize your own dreams (there’s a kids’ version, too!). See the link in my bio for details.
I’ll be honest: I love this book, but I’m nervous about it because it deals with a tricky topic (no spoilers!). It’s a story about two kids from different backgrounds who share an intense friendship. Like my prior book, THE PAPER KINGDOM, this story is also based on my childhood, when my family lived in an apartment building near downtown L.A. – it was a place of transition for many, and so friendships often underwent upheaval, usually due to a family’s change in financial, marital or even immigration status. I tried to capture both the wonder and heartache of childhood, while ending with a note of hope. Will the reader feel the emotions I was trying to convey? I sure hope so.
@pascalcampionart truly captured the warmth between the two young characters, and @randomhousestudio did a phenomenal job of producing a companion book to THE PAPER KINGDOM.
I hope you’ll pre-order and participate in the giveaway. I think you’ll enjoy the creativity roadmap I’m gifting to all participants (as well as the kids’ version, if you’d like!). 😊 And it'd be so good to see you at one of my events, especially after these two tough years.
- Sat, May 14 @ 1:30 – LitFest Pasadena – Picture Book Panel
- Tue, June 7 @ 5:30 p.m. – Children’s Book World, L.A. - Launch Event + Chat
- Fri, June 10 @ 11 a.m. – Books Are Magic, Brooklyn - Storytime + Chat
Thank you, all! ❤️