News From Secret Garden Books

Secret Garden Books

We are awfully proud to count author / illustrator Jessixa Bagley as an F.o.G. (friend of the Garden). She's so darned talented and we think her work is really special and we're thrilled to be celebrating the release of her third picture book with her!

Jessixa Bagley is a picture book author/illustrator. Her two previous picture books are Before I Leave and Boats for Papa, which earned four starred reviews. She lives in Seattle, Washington with her husband and her son where they have a laundry clothesline in their garden and when it s not raining, it gets used all the time.
This event is a donation-raiser drive for YouthCare. We will be accepting donations of warm clothing for homeless youth. Learn all about what they need here.

Event date: 

Tuesday, February 7, 2017 - 7:00pm

Event address: 

Secret Garden

2214 NW Market St

Seattle, WA 98107

***

Kevin Henkes is the author and illustrator of fifty critically acclaimed and award-winning picture books, beginning readers, and novels. He received the Caldecott Medal for Kitten’s First Full Moon in 2005, and Waiting won a Caldecott Honor and Geisel Honor in 2016.

Kevin Henkes is also the creator of a number of picture books featuring his mouse characters, including the #1 New York Times bestsellers Lilly’s Big Day and Wemberly Worried, the Caldecott Honor Book Owen, and the beloved Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse. His most recent mouse character, Penny, was introduced in Penny and Her Song (2012); her story continued in Penny and Her Doll and Penny and Her Marble (a Geisel Honor Book). Bruce Handy, in a New York Times Book Review piece about A Good Day, wrote:

“It should be said: Kevin Henkes is a genius.”

Kevin Henkes received two Newbery Honors for novels—one for his newest novel for young readers, The Year of Billy Miller, and the other for Olive’s Ocean. Also among his fiction for older readers are the novels Junonia, Bird Lake Moon, The Birthday Room, and Sun & Spoon. Kevin Henkes has been published by Greenwillow Books since the release of his first book, All Alone, in 1981. His fiftieth book, the picture book Egg, will be published in January 2017.
He lives with his family in Madison, Wisconsin. You can visit him online at www.kevinhenkes.com.

Event date: 

Friday, February 10, 2017 - 7:00pm

Event address: 

Secret Garden

2214 NW Market St

Seattle, WA 98107

***

We are honored to host the launch party for our neighbor and F.o.G. (friend of the Garden) Nina Laden's latest book!

See it, along with the rest of her amazing variety of titles below.

And enjoy the fun of a new creation with it's author and us!

Event date: 

Wednesday, February 15, 2017 - 7:00pm

Event address: 

Secret Garden

2214 NW Market St

Seattle, WA 98107

Happy Reading,

Kathleen

Nina Laden's latest launch!

From the one and only Nina Laden herself:

We are almost there! Come celebrate the launch of my newest book, Are We There Yet?, at the University Book Store in Seattle's University District. There will be things to eat, drink, read, see... things to give away... and there will be fun and signed books! 

Tell your friends!

Tell their kids!

"Are We There Yet?" is almost HERE!

WHEN: Wednesday, MARCH 2 at 7pm
WHERE: University Book Store, U-District

There will be cool swag: bookmarks, stickers, and magnets! And I designed some really cool buttons and had them made.

There will be my famous gluten-free brownies and some other treats with gluten.

(I may even bring my ukulele, but don't hold me to it.)

Cheers,

Nina

Cheers to Nina Laden!

 

 NINA! NINA! NINA!

 

Image of the author/artist from www.ninaladen.com.

 

 

Ballard resident Nina Laden is the New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of many books for children, from The Night I Followed the Dog to Peek-a-Who?. Secret Garden Books in Ballard commemorates her 20^th year in print as well as the release of her first game, based on Peek-a-Who?.

 

The Night I Followed the Dog was released in August of 1994. It is exceedingly rare for a children’s book to stay in print for that long. New York Times bestselling Peek-a-Who? has been a perennial bestseller for Chronicle Books since it was released in 2000. It has spawned additions to the series, including last year's Peek-a-Zoo!, among others. Last month Chronicle Books also released a game based on it.

 

Come celebrate Nina's continued success and her books, which have charmed children and their parents for two decades. 

Congratulations, Nina!

WHEN: Thursday, November 6 at 7pm

WHERE: Secret Garden Books, 2214 NW Market St, Ballard

WHO? Nina!

In case you didn't see it, our very own Nina Laden, the author of Peek-a-Who?, has written its sequel, titled Peek-a-ZOO! after a decade. Publisher's Weekly took notice in a great article all about it.

Nina and Elizabeth are NEXT!

Congratulations and many huzzahs to our very own Nina Laden and Elizabeth Rose Stanton, whose new and upcoming picture books have been named to the Winter 2013-14 Kids Indie Next List! This means their books are leading the push for the latest slew of kids' books to hit the shelves this winter.

Nina's book launches December 3.
Click here for launch party info!

Elizabeth's debut releases January 7.
Details on launch party coming soon!

Writing Tools for Your Head: Nina Laden's 4 R's

Author/Illustrator Nina Laden (and fellow SCBWI WWA member) had a recent post on her blog called Writing Tools for Your Head: My 4 R's.

Here's a little tidbit from the post-

We writers are all guilty of this at some point or another: we write something and we are so excited that we send it off to our agent or to our editor, or to a reader friend- and then three days later we think of a better ending- or we realize we left out an important transition. Let your work REST! If you still like it a month or so later- then send it out to see if it is worthy of publication.

Some good reminders & advice! Thanks to fabulous Wendy Wahman for sharing the link!

Authors & Illustrators Book Signing!!

Nina Laden, Paul Owen Lewis, and Craig Orback will be signing books at The Bookworm Burrow on December 12, from 1-3 p.m. Come on in, have some fun and meet children's book Authors and Illustrators!

For more information and location go to the Bookworm Burrow's website.

Nina Laden at Secret Garden Books

On Tuesday, Jan. 26, the amazing Nina Laden will be at Secret Garden Books from 7-7:30 p.m.
Nina Laden’s written many award winning books for children, including The Night I Followed the Dog, Private I-Guana, and Romeow and Drooliet. She'll be at the store to talk about her newest book for the very young, Button Nose.

Nina is part of their Ultimate Tuesdays storytime series the last Tuesday of every month. There are prizes for kids as they walk out the door.

Upcoming Class: Writing Children's Literature

Upcoming Class (attention Bellingham people, this one's for you!)

Writing Children's Literature:

Location: Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA
Taught by: Nina Laden, Paul Owen Lewis and Laurel Leigh

Turn passion into product! Three professionals conduct a series of classes offering their insight, skill and unique perspective in writing children’s literature to help you fire up your own creative abilities. With expert guidance, you will experiment and sample the field exploring children’s fiction and nonfiction, including picture books, chapter books, middle-grade books, and books for young adults. Focus will be placed on essential literary elements such as plot, character, setting, dialogue - and that all-important first chapter. All you need is paper, pencil and the courage to begin. Your passion for children’s books has another chapter: a product of your own!

Total contact hours: 30
10 sessions/10 weeks
September 21 – November 23
Mondays, 6:30 – 9:30 pm
$525