Judy Schachner with STRETCHY MCHANDSOME

Wednesday, October 16, 2019 - 4:00pm

A handsome and totally fetching street cat with a penchant for trouble stars in the new picture book by Judy Schachner, creator of the inimitable, irrepressible Skippyjon Jones

Stretchy McHandsome is not only good looking with his ginger fur, but he has personality that shines as well. Leaving the safety of the McHandsome clan, he stretches himself away from home and all around town. Out and about, he is spotted by a girl with a kindred spirit, who makes him realize the one thing missing from his life is the warm lap of a loving person. How this gadabout finds his true girl makes for a story that is a little bit wild, but a whole lot wonderful.

About the Author
Best known for her Skippyjon Jones series, Judy Schachner has illustrated many of her own stories, including the much-loved The Grannyman and its companion book, Bits & Pieces. She has also illustrated stories by others, including I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie by Alison Jackson and How the Cat Swallowed Thunder by Lloyd Alexander. She lives in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.

Event address:

Square Books, Jr.

111 Courthouse Square

Oxford, MS 38655

Stretchy McHandsome (Hardcover)

By Judy Schachner, Judy Schachner (Illustrator)

$17.99

ISBN: 9780803741218

Availability: On Our Shelves Now

Published: Dial Books - October 8th, 2019

Morgan Parker on Thacker Mountain Radio with WHO PUT THIS SONG ON? at The Lyric

Thursday, October 17, 2019 - 6:00pm

In the vein of powerful reads like The Hate U Give and Girl in Pieces, comes poet Morgan Parker's pitch-perfect novel about a black teenage girl searching for her identity when the world around her views her depression as a lack of faith and blackness as something to be politely ignored.

Trapped in sunny, stifling, small-town suburbia, seventeen-year-old Morgan knows why she's in therapy. She can't count the number of times she's been the only non-white person at the sleepover, been teased for her "weird" outfits, and been told she's not "really" black. Also, she's spent most of her summer crying in bed. So there's that, too.

Lately, it feels like the whole world is listening to the same terrible track on repeat--and it's telling them how to feel, who to vote for, what to believe. Morgan wonders, when can she turn this song off and begin living for herself?

Life may be a never-ending hamster wheel of agony, but Morgan finds her crew of fellow outcasts, blasts music like there's no tomorrow, discovers what being black means to her, and finally puts her mental health first. She decides that, no matter what, she will always be intense, ridiculous, passionate, and sometimes hilarious. After all, darkness doesn't have to be a bad thing. Darkness is just real.

Loosely based on her own teenage life and diaries, this incredible debut by award-winning poet Morgan Parker will make readers stand up and cheer for a girl brave enough to live life on her own terms--and for themselves.

About the Author
Morgan Parker is the author of Magical Negro (Tin House Books 2019), There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyoncé (Tin House Books 2017), and Other People's Comfort Keeps Me Up at Night (Switchback Books 2015). Her debut book of nonfiction will be released in 2020 by One World. Parker received her bachelor's degree in anthropology and creative writing from Columbia University and her master's in poetry from NYU. Her poetry and essays have been published and anthologized in numerous publications, including the Paris Review; The BreakBeat Poets: New American Poetry in the Age of Hip-Hop; Best American Poetry 2016; the New York Times;and the Nation. Parker is the recipient of a 2017 National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship, winner of a 2016 Pushcart Prize, and a Cave Canem graduate fellow. Find her online at morgan-parker.com and on Twitter at @morganapple.

Event address:

Off Square Books

129 Courthouse Sq

Oxford, MS 38655

Who Put This Song On? (Hardcover)

By Morgan Parker

$18.99

ISBN: 9780525707516

Availability: On Our Shelves Now

Published: Delacorte Press - September 24th, 2019

Trenton Lee Stewart with THE MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT SOCIETY AND THE RIDDLE OF AGES

Tuesday, November 5, 2019 - 4:00pm

The brilliant and beloved gang from the New York Times bestselling series is back!

The Mysterious Benedict Society is a modern classic, drawing comparisons to J.K. Rowling and Roald Dahl, named a Time magazine "Best Young Adult Book of All Time," and selling over three million copies. Some time has passed since the inimitable quartet of Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance have had a mission together. But with the arrival of a new Society member -- and a new threat -- they must reunite to face dilemmas more dangerous than ever before, including the villainous Mr. Curtain and a telepathic enemy tracking their every move, not to mention a dramatically preteen Constance.

In its triumphant return, the Society encounters all new challenges, but the series' trademark sly humor, sweet camaraderie, hairsbreadth escapes, and mind-bending puzzles are all as engaging as ever. Fans of the series will be thrilled to see the Society has grown up a little with them, while a new generation of readers will fall in love with these irresistible adventures.

About the Author
Trenton Lee Stewart is the author of the award-winning and New York Times bestselling Mysterious Benedict Society series and The Secret Keepers. He lives in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Event address:

Square Books, Jr.

111 Courthouse Square

Oxford, MS 38655

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Riddle of Ages Cover Image

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Riddle of Ages (Hardcover)

By Trenton Lee Stewart, Manu Montoya (By (artist))

$18.99

ISBN: 9780316452649

Availability: On Our Shelves Now

Published: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers - September 24th, 2019

Andrea Beaty signs SOFIA VALDEZ, FUTURE PREZ

Friday, November 15, 2019 - 4:00pm

The newest picture book from the creators of Iggy Peck, Architect; Rosie Revere, Engineer; and Ada Twist, Scientist stars Sofia Valdez, a community leader who stands up for what she believes in!

Every morning, Abuelo walks Sofia to school . . . until one day, when Abuelo hurts his ankle at a local landfill and he can no longer do so. Sofia misses her Abuelo and wonders what she can do about the dangerous Mount Trashmore. Then she gets an idea—the town can turn the slimy mess into a park! She brainstorms and plans and finally works up the courage to go to City Hall—only to be told by a clerk that she can’t build a park because she’s just a kid! Sofia is down but not out, and she sets out to prove what one kid can do.

Collect them all! Add these other STEM favorites from #1 New York Times bestselling team Andrea Beaty and David Roberts to your family library today!

Rosie Revere, Engineer
Iggy Peck, Architect
Ada Twist, Scientist
Rosie Revere and the Raucous Riveters
Ada Twist and the Perilous Pants
Ada Twist’s Big Project Book for Stellar Scientists
Iggy Peck’s Big Project Book for Amazing Architects
Rosie Revere’s Big Project Book for Bold Engineers
Questioneers Family Calendar

About the Author
Andrea Beaty is the author of the Questioneers series, Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies, and Happy Birthday, Madame Chapeau among other children’s titles. She lives just outside Chicago. Visit her online and learn more about the Questioneers at Questioneers.com.

David Roberts has illustrated many children’s books, including the Questioneers series, The Cook and the King, and Happy Birthday, Madame Chapeau. He lives in London, where, when not drawing, he likes to make hats.