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2026Join a young narrator and her dog on their daily walk through a bustling, colorful urban neighborhood. They greet essential community helpers—the bus driver, the sanitation workers, the mail carrier—and chat with all the neighbors they know. In the flurry of a busy day, it’s easy to hurry past the people who keep our world running, but this charming book reminds us that patience and kindness can make your neighborhood truly feel like family. < All Book Selections 2026 Bridges to Belonging Thank You, Neighbor Ruth Chan Audience: Pre-K - New Readers Join a young narrator and her dog on their daily walk through a bustling, colorful urban neighborhood. They greet essential community helpers—the bus driver, the sanitation workers, the mail carrier—and chat with all the neighbors they know. In the flurry of a busy day, it’s easy to hurry past the people who keep our world running, but this charming book reminds us that patience and kindness can make your neighborhood truly feel like family. About the Author Ruth Chan is an illustrator and author who spent her childhood tobogganing in Canada, her teens in China, a number of years studying art and education, and a decade working with youth and families in underserved communities. She now writes and illustrates full time in Brooklyn, New York. Visit OhtRuth.com for more info. Ruth Chan Author's website

2018 Books Kick-off Video Play video on YouTube Photo Album View event photos Podcast SV Reads 2018: No Matter What: Caring Coping, Compassion, with Rachel Khong and Mark Lukach held on February 1, 2018. Listen to podcast My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward Mark Lukach Audience: Adult A heart-wrenching, yet hopeful, memoir of a young marriage that is redefined by mental illness and affirms the power of love. Mark and Giulia’s life together began as a storybook romance. They fell in love at 18, married at 24, and were living their dream life in San Francisco. When Giulia was 27, she suffered a terrifying and unexpected psychotic break that landed her in the psych ward for nearly a month. One day she was vibrant and well-adjusted -- the next she was delusional and suicidal, convinced that her loved ones were not safe. Eventually, Giulia fully recovered, and the couple had a son. But, soon after Jonas was born, Giulia had another breakdown, and then a third a few years after that. Pushed to the edge of the abyss, everything the couple had once taken for granted was upended. A story of the fragility of the mind, and the tenacity of the human spirit, My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward is, above all, a love story that raises profound questions: How do we care for the people we love? What and who do we live for? Breathtaking in its candor, radiant with compassion, and written with dazzling lyricism, Lukach’s book is an intensely personal odyssey through the harrowing years of his wife’s mental illness, anchored by an abiding devotion to family that will affirm readers’ faith in the power of love. Read More Goodbye, Vitamin Rachel Khong Audience: Adult Freshly disengaged from her fiancé and feeling that life has not turned out quite the way she planned, 30-year-old Ruth quits her job, leaves town and arrives at her parents’ home to find that situation more complicated than she'd realized. Her father, a prominent history professor, is losing his memory and is only erratically lucid. Ruth’s mother, meanwhile, is lucidly erratic. But as Ruth's father’s condition intensifies, the comedy in her situation takes hold, gently transforming her and her grief. Told in captivating glimpses and drawn from a deep well of insight, humor and unexpected tenderness, Goodbye, Vitamin pilots through the loss, love, and absurdity of finding one’s footing in this life. Read More Mango, Abuela, and Me Meg Medina Audience: Grades Pre-K to 3 Mia's abuela has left her sunny house with parrots and palm trees to live with Mia and her parents in the city. The night she arrives, Mia tries to share her favorite book with Abuela before they go to sleep and discovers that Abuela can't read the words inside. So while they cook, Mia helps Abuela learn English ("Dough. Masa"), and Mia learns some Spanish too, but it's still hard for Abuela to learn the words she needs to tell Mia all her stories. Then Mia sees a parrot in the pet-shop window and has the perfecto idea for how to help them all communicate a little better. A 2016 Pura Belpré Author Award Honor Book. A 2016 Pura Belpré Illustrator Award Honor Book. Read More The Secret Life of Lincoln Jones Wendelin Van Draanen Audience: Grades 4 - 7 Lincoln Jones has a life so secret, only his mother knows where he's from, why they left, or the place he's living now. More importantly, none of the kids in his new 6th grade class know where he goes after school. After all, if they think his "Southern drawl" is funny, imagine what they'd do knowing he hangs out at a dementia-care facility where his mother works as a caregiver. To escape the real world, Lincoln writes stories in a notebook. Stories about young heroes with courage and power. Underdogs who somehow come out on top. This is a story of a boy who's closed the world out for so long, he's not sure how to let anyone in. Winner of the Bank Street College of Education's 2017 Josette Frank Award. Read More Not If I See You First Eric Lindstrom Audience: Teens Parker Grant doesn't need 20/20 vision to see right through you. That's why she created the Rules: Don't treat her any differently just because she's blind, and never take advantage. There will be no second chances. Just ask Scott Kilpatrick, the boy who broke her heart. When Scott suddenly reappears in her life after being gone for years, Parker knows there's only one way to react--shun him so hard it hurts. She has enough on her mind already, like trying out for the track team (that's right, her eyes don't work but her legs still do), doling out tough-love advice to her painfully naive classmates, and giving herself gold stars for every day she hasn't cried since her dad's death three months ago. But avoiding her past quickly proves impossible, and the more Parker learns about what really happened--both with Scott, and her dad--the more she starts to question if things are always as they seem. Maybe, just maybe, some Rules are meant to be broken. Read More

2019Violet is biracial, but she lives with her white mother and sister, attends a mostly white school in a white town, and sometimes feels like a brown leaf on a pile of snow. Now that she's eleven, she feels it's time to learn about her African American heritage, so she seeks out her paternal grandmother. When Violet is invited to spend two weeks with her new Bibi (Swahili for "grandmother") and learns about her lost heritage, her confidence in herself grows and she discovers she's not a shrinking Violet after all. < All Book Selections 2019 Finding Identity in Family History The Blossoming Universe of Violet Diamond Brenda Woods Audience: Grades 4 - 7 Violet is biracial, but she lives with her white mother and sister, attends a mostly white school in a white town, and sometimes feels like a brown leaf on a pile of snow. Now that she's eleven, she feels it's time to learn about her African American heritage, so she seeks out her paternal grandmother. When Violet is invited to spend two weeks with her new Bibi (Swahili for "grandmother") and learns about her lost heritage, her confidence in herself grows and she discovers she's not a shrinking Violet after all. About the Author Brenda Woods, an artist and self-proclaimed bookworm, is the author of numerous award winning books for young people. Her debut novel, The Red Rose Box received a Coretta Scott King Honor award and was a Pen Center USA finalist. Her follow-up, Emako Blue, was an ALA Quick Pick selection for reluctant readers and won the International Reading Association Children's Choice Young Adult Fiction award. Her latest work, The Unsung Hero of Birdsong, USA, will be released in January 2019. Brenda Woods Author's website

2025In Wendy Xu’s visually captivating graphic novel, a young inventor named Clementine Chang moves to Mars and falls for Kye, a lifelike AI assistant created by her mentor, Dr. Marcella Lin. As their relationship grows, Clem becomes increasingly aware of Kye’s intelligence and sentience, questioning the boundaries between AI and humanity. When Dr. Lin restricts Kye’s independence, Clem becomes determined to help him break free, even if it means risking her own future. The novel explores the ethical implications of creating sentient beings and the importance of recognizing their autonomy. With stunning visuals and thought-provoking themes, The Infinity Particle is a captivating exploration of the future of AI and the complexities of human connection. < All Book Selections 2025 Empowering Humanity: Technology for a Better World The Infinity Particle Wendy Xu Audience: High School/Young Adult In Wendy Xu’s visually captivating graphic novel, a young inventor named Clementine Chang moves to Mars and falls for Kye, a lifelike AI assistant created by her mentor, Dr. Marcella Lin. As their relationship grows, Clem becomes increasingly aware of Kye’s intelligence and sentience, questioning the boundaries between AI and humanity. When Dr. Lin restricts Kye’s independence, Clem becomes determined to help him break free, even if it means risking her own future. The novel explores the ethical implications of creating sentient beings and the importance of recognizing their autonomy. With stunning visuals and thought-provoking themes, The Infinity Particle is a captivating exploration of the future of AI and the complexities of human connection. About the Author Wendy Xu is a bestselling, award-nominated Brooklyn-based illustrator and comics artist. She is the creator of INFINITY PARTICLE (2023, HarperCollins/Quilltree), TIDESONG (2021 HarperCollins/Quilltree) and co-creator of MOONCAKES, a young adult fantasy graphic novel published in 2019. Her work has been featured in various places on the internet including Catapult, Barnes & Noble Sci-fi/Fantasy, and Tor.com . She loves obsessing over the perfect line, making matcha lattes, and art history. You can find more art on her instagram: @artofwendyxu; on twitter: @angrygirLcomics; or bluesky: @wendyxu Wendy Xu Author's website

2012In this satisfying, lyrical memoir of a potentially disastrous clash between East and West, a Boulder native and Boston University graduate found an unlikely fit living in Cairo, Egypt, and converting to Islam. Wilson embarked on a yearlong stint working at an English-language high school in Cairo right after her college graduation in 2003. She had already decided that of the three Abrahamic religions, Islam fulfilled her need for a monotheistic truth, even though her school did not include instruction in the Qur'an because it angered students and put everybody at risk. Once in Cairo, despite being exposed to the smoldering hostility Arab men held for Americans, especially for women, she found she was moved deeply by the daily plight of the people to scratch out a living in this dusty police state tottering on the edge of moral and financial collapse; she and her roommate, barely eating because they did not know how to buy food, were saved by Omar, an educated, English-speaking physics teacher at the school. Through her deepening relationship with Omar, she also learned Arabic and embraced the ways Islam was woven into the daily fabric of existence, such as the rituals of Ramadan and Friday prayers at the mosque. Arguably, Wilson's decision to take up the headscarf and champion the segregated, protected status of Arab women can be viewed as odd; however, her work proves a tremendously heartfelt, healing cross-cultural fusion. < All Book Selections 2012 Muslim and American: Two Perspectives The Butterfly Mosque G. Willow Wilson Audience: Adult In this satisfying, lyrical memoir of a potentially disastrous clash between East and West, a Boulder native and Boston University graduate found an unlikely fit living in Cairo, Egypt, and converting to Islam. Wilson embarked on a yearlong stint working at an English-language high school in Cairo right after her college graduation in 2003. She had already decided that of the three Abrahamic religions, Islam fulfilled her need for a monotheistic truth, even though her school did not include instruction in the Qur'an because it angered students and put everybody at risk. Once in Cairo, despite being exposed to the smoldering hostility Arab men held for Americans, especially for women, she found she was moved deeply by the daily plight of the people to scratch out a living in this dusty police state tottering on the edge of moral and financial collapse; she and her roommate, barely eating because they did not know how to buy food, were saved by Omar, an educated, English-speaking physics teacher at the school. Through her deepening relationship with Omar, she also learned Arabic and embraced the ways Islam was woven into the daily fabric of existence, such as the rituals of Ramadan and Friday prayers at the mosque. Arguably, Wilson's decision to take up the headscarf and champion the segregated, protected status of Arab women can be viewed as odd; however, her work proves a tremendously heartfelt, healing cross-cultural fusion. About the Author G. Willow Wilson is an American author and essayist who divides her time between Egypt and the US. Her articles about modern religion and the Middle East have appeared in publications including Washington Post, the Atlantic Monthly, the New York Times Magazine and the Canada National Post. Her memoir, The Butterfly Mosque, was named 'Best Book of the Year 2010' by Seattle Times, and her DC/Vertigo comic book series, Air, was nominated for an Eisner Award. She has also written Cairo, an original graphic novel by Vertigo, as well as Vixen: Return of the Lion, a DC miniseries. To learn more about Willow, visit her website gwillowwilson.com G. Willow Wilson Author's website

2019A.J. Jacobs has received some strange emails over the years, but this note was perhaps the strangest: "You don't know me, but I'm your eighth cousin. And we have over 80,000 relatives of yours in our database." That's enough family members to fill Madison Square Garden four times over. Who are these people, A.J. wondered, and how do I find them? So began Jacobs's three-year adventure to help build the biggest family tree in history. Jacobs's journey would take him to all seven continents. He drank beer with a U.S. president, found himself singing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and unearthed genetic links to Hollywood actresses and real-life scoundrels. After all, we can choose our friends, but not our family. "Whether he's posing as a celebrity, outsourcing his chores, or adhering strictly to the Bible, we love reading about the wacky lifestyle experiments of author A.J. Jacobs" (Entertainment Weekly). Now Jacobs upends, in ways both meaningful and hilarious, our understanding of genetics and genealogy, tradition and tribalism, identity and connection. It's All Relative is a fascinating look at the bonds that connect us all. < All Book Selections 2019 Finding Identity in Family History It's All Relative A.J. Jacobs Audience: Adult A.J. Jacobs has received some strange emails over the years, but this note was perhaps the strangest: "You don't know me, but I'm your eighth cousin. And we have over 80,000 relatives of yours in our database." That's enough family members to fill Madison Square Garden four times over. Who are these people, A.J. wondered, and how do I find them? So began Jacobs's three-year adventure to help build the biggest family tree in history. Jacobs's journey would take him to all seven continents. He drank beer with a U.S. president, found himself singing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and unearthed genetic links to Hollywood actresses and real-life scoundrels. After all, we can choose our friends, but not our family. "Whether he's posing as a celebrity, outsourcing his chores, or adhering strictly to the Bible, we love reading about the wacky lifestyle experiments of author A.J. Jacobs" (Entertainment Weekly). Now Jacobs upends, in ways both meaningful and hilarious, our understanding of genetics and genealogy, tradition and tribalism, identity and connection. It's All Relative is a fascinating look at the bonds that connect us all. About the Author A.J. Jacobs is an author, journalist, lecturer and human guinea pig. He has written four New York Times bestsellers that combine memoir, science, humor and a dash of self-help. He is also editor at large at Esquire magazine, a commentator on NPR, and a columnist for Mental Floss magazine. His first book is called The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World (Simon & Schuster, 2004). The memoir — which spent two months on the New York Times bestseller list — chronicles the 18 months Jacobs spent reading the entire Encyclopedia Britannica in a quest to learn everything in the world. After trying to improve his mind, he turned to his spirit. The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible (2007) tells of his attempt to follow the hundreds of rules in the Good Book. It spent three months on the NYT bestseller list, and was praised by Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, The New York Times Book Review, the Los Angeles Times, USA Today and others. In 2012, Jacobs completed his mind-spirit-body self-improvement trinity with Drop Dead Healthy: One Man's Humble Quest for Bodily Perfection. It is the tale of his quest to be as healthy as humanly possible for which he revamped his diet, exercise regimen, sleep schedule, sex life, posture and more. He wrote the book on a treadmill desk (It took him about 1,200 miles). He has appeared on Oprah, The Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, The Dr. Oz Show, Conan and The Colbert Report. He has given several TED talks and he is a periodic commentator on NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday. Jacobs grew up in New York City and lives there still with his family. A.J. Jacobs Author's website

Celebrate music, movies, and culture with exciting events, screenings, and performances. Discover programs that bring art and entertainment to life for all ages and interests. Music/Movies/Culture Thank You Neighbor: Community Multi-Language Video Project Thu, Jan 15 Online Video Project More info Details Euphrat Museum of Art Exhibit: A Sense of Belonging Thu, Jan 15 Cupertino: De Anza College Campus More info Details San Francisco Shakespeare Festival Presents: Julius Caesar Sat, Mar 14 Morgan Hill Library More info Details Celebrate Persian New Year: Read A-Louds, Presentation & Dance Performance Sun, Mar 15 Saratoga Library More info Details Celebrate Persian New Year Mon, Mar 16 Cupertino Library More info Details Midday Movie: The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014) Thu, Mar 19 Sunnyvale Library More info Details Visit Walden West: Camp Songs & Forest Walk Sat, Mar 21 Saratoga: Walden West More info Details Celebrate Persian New Year Mon, Mar 23 Los Altos Library More info Details SHADOW LINES: Pull back the curtain and see what lies beneath the surface. Thu, Mar 26 San José State University More info Details San Francisco Shakespeare Festival Presents: Julius Caesar Sat, Mar 28 Milpitas Library More info Details

2016 Books Kick-off Video Watch on YouTube Photo Album View event photos Podcast "Could It Happen Here? Dr. Brian Green, Assistant Director of Campus Ethics, Markkula Center for Applied Ethics; Assistant Director of Engineering, Santa Clara University; Jim Fiedler, Chief Operating Officer of Water Utility, Santa Clara Valley Water District; Barbara Marshman, Editorial Page Editor, San Jose Mercury News—Moderator Listen to podcast Memory of Water Emmi Itäranta Audience: Adult “I haven’t dared to go to the spring in seven weeks. Yesterday I turned on the tap in the house and held the mouth of the waterskin to its metal. I spoke to it in pretty words and ugly words, and I may have even screamed and wept, but water doesn’t care for human sorrows. It flows without slowing or quickening its pace in the darkness of the earth, where only stones will hear.” Global warming has changed the world’s geography and its politics. Wars are waged over water, and China rules Europe, including the Scandinavian Union, which is occupied by the power state of New Qian. In this far north place, 17-year-old Noria Kaitio is learning to become a tea master like her father, a position that holds great responsibility and great secrets. Tea masters alone know the location of hidden water sources, including the natural spring that Noria’s father tends, which once provided water for her whole village. But secrets do not stay hidden forever, and after her father’s death the army starts watching their town—and Noria. And as water becomes even scarcer, Noria must choose between safety and striking out, between knowledge and kinship. Imaginative and engaging, lyrical and poignant, Memory of Water is an indelible novel that portrays a future that is all too possible. EDITORIAL REVIEWS “An emotionally nuanced study in morality, which draws its suspense from love, choices, and the mark that everyone leaves on the world.” Helsingin Sanomat - Finland newspaper “Where Itäranta shines is in her rejection of conventional plots and in her understated but compelling characters. The work is a deceptively tranquil examination of a world of dust and ashes where the tenacious weed of hope still survives.” Publishers Weekly “The writing is gorgeous and delicate in this dystopian award-winning debut, which is unique in both its setting and the small scale that Finnish author Itäranta employs.” Library Journal “Itäranta’s lyrical style makes this dystopian tale a beautiful exploration of environmental ethics and the power of ritual.” Washington Post Book World “Simultaneously a coming-of-age story, a fantastic adventure, and a bold warning about a future that is all too real.” Portland Book Review Read More Sherwood Nation Benjamin Parzybok Audience: Adult “We ask that you stay calm,” the mayor said. “We’re Portlanders, right? We have thrived in prosperity, and we can endure hardship. To those who may feel the need to secure quantities of water, by whatever means, I ask you to have trust. Trust in your government, trust in me. We will provide. We will help each other get through. No one will go thirsty.” In drought-stricken Portland, Oregon, a Robin Hood-esque water thief is caught on camera redistributing an illegal truckload of water to those in need. Nicknamed Maid Marian—real name: Renee, a 20-something barista and eternal part-time college student—she is an instant folk hero. Renee rides her swelling popularity and the public's disgust at how the city has abandoned its people, raises an army . . . and secedes a quarter of the city. Even as Maid Marian and her compatriots build their community one neighbor at a time, they are making powerful enemies amongst the city government and the National Guard. Sherwood is an idealistic dream too soon caught in a brutal fight for survival. Sherwood Nation is the story of the rise and fall of a micro-nation within a city. It is a love story, a war story, a grand social experiment, a treatise on hacking and remaking government, on freedom and necessity, on individualism and community. EDITORIAL REVIEWS "With climate change and ever-increasing consumption, running out of water is a danger we don’t readily acknowledge, yet Benjamin Parzybok’s Sherwood Nation makes that danger vividly real. . . . Here we see how people behave in crisis—some better and some worse—and how idealism, self-concerned realism, and the personal hang in a balance; friends, alliances, and enemies are made.” Library Journal “What makes Sherwood Nation so compelling and, frankly, often terrifying, is how close to home it lives. This Portland is totally familiar, invoking the attitudes and spirit of today’s residents and details from the recent political landscape. It feels like the place we know — until a nightly power blackout or parade of National Guard water distribution tankers jars us with a reminder that this is, thankfully, a work of very good fiction." Register Guard "Benjamin Parzybok has reached into the post-collapse era for a story vital to our here and now. Sherwood Nation is part political thriller, part social fable, and part manifesto, its every page brimming with gonzo exuberance." Jedediah Berry Read More The Storm in the Barn Matt Phelan Audience: Ages 10+ The Dust Bowl is sweeping through 1937 Kansas, but 11-year-old Jack Clark still faces life's ordinary challenges: town bullies, a sister with an eye for trouble, and his father's failed expectations. With tensions flaring in the rising heat, Jack catches a glimpse of a sinister figure with a face like rain in a neighbor's abandoned barn. When it never rains, it's hard to trust what you see with your own eyes – and harder still to take heart and be a hero when the time comes. The Storm in the Barn is a graphic novel that has received numerous honors including the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction and Kirk Reviews Best Children’s Book of the Year. Read More Water is Water Miranda Paul Audience: Ages 3 - 9 This poetic story follows two siblings—and all the water around them—through a year’s worth of movements and changes. Includes back matter facts about the science behind the story, with additional info. Awards/Honors/Reviews: Junior Library Guild selection, Starred Review in School Library Journal Huffington Post Book Blog Review. Kirkus Reviews Read More

2016“I haven’t dared to go to the spring in seven weeks. Yesterday I turned on the tap in the house and held the mouth of the waterskin to its metal. I spoke to it in pretty words and ugly words, and I may have even screamed and wept, but water doesn’t care for human sorrows. It flows without slowing or quickening its pace in the darkness of the earth, where only stones will hear.” Global warming has changed the world’s geography and its politics. Wars are waged over water, and China rules Europe, including the Scandinavian Union, which is occupied by the power state of New Qian. In this far north place, 17-year-old Noria Kaitio is learning to become a tea master like her father, a position that holds great responsibility and great secrets. Tea masters alone know the location of hidden water sources, including the natural spring that Noria’s father tends, which once provided water for her whole village. But secrets do not stay hidden forever, and after her father’s death the army starts watching their town—and Noria. And as water becomes even scarcer, Noria must choose between safety and striking out, between knowledge and kinship. Imaginative and engaging, lyrical and poignant, Memory of Water is an indelible novel that portrays a future that is all too possible. EDITORIAL REVIEWS “An emotionally nuanced study in morality, which draws its suspense from love, choices, and the mark that everyone leaves on the world.” Helsingin Sanomat - Finland newspaper “Where Itäranta shines is in her rejection of conventional plots and in her understated but compelling characters. The work is a deceptively tranquil examination of a world of dust and ashes where the tenacious weed of hope still survives.” Publishers Weekly “The writing is gorgeous and delicate in this dystopian award-winning debut, which is unique in both its setting and the small scale that Finnish author Itäranta employs.” Library Journal “Itäranta’s lyrical style makes this dystopian tale a beautiful exploration of environmental ethics and the power of ritual.” Washington Post Book World “Simultaneously a coming-of-age story, a fantastic adventure, and a bold warning about a future that is all too real.” Portland Book Review < All Book Selections 2016 Chance of Rain? Memory of Water Emmi Itäranta Audience: Adult “I haven’t dared to go to the spring in seven weeks. Yesterday I turned on the tap in the house and held the mouth of the waterskin to its metal. I spoke to it in pretty words and ugly words, and I may have even screamed and wept, but water doesn’t care for human sorrows. It flows without slowing or quickening its pace in the darkness of the earth, where only stones will hear.” Global warming has changed the world’s geography and its politics. Wars are waged over water, and China rules Europe, including the Scandinavian Union, which is occupied by the power state of New Qian. In this far north place, 17-year-old Noria Kaitio is learning to become a tea master like her father, a position that holds great responsibility and great secrets. Tea masters alone know the location of hidden water sources, including the natural spring that Noria’s father tends, which once provided water for her whole village. But secrets do not stay hidden forever, and after her father’s death the army starts watching their town—and Noria. And as water becomes even scarcer, Noria must choose between safety and striking out, between knowledge and kinship. Imaginative and engaging, lyrical and poignant, Memory of Water is an indelible novel that portrays a future that is all too possible. EDITORIAL REVIEWS “An emotionally nuanced study in morality, which draws its suspense from love, choices, and the mark that everyone leaves on the world.” Helsingin Sanomat - Finland newspaper “Where Itäranta shines is in her rejection of conventional plots and in her understated but compelling characters. The work is a deceptively tranquil examination of a world of dust and ashes where the tenacious weed of hope still survives.” Publishers Weekly “The writing is gorgeous and delicate in this dystopian award-winning debut, which is unique in both its setting and the small scale that Finnish author Itäranta employs.” Library Journal “Itäranta’s lyrical style makes this dystopian tale a beautiful exploration of environmental ethics and the power of ritual.” Washington Post Book World “Simultaneously a coming-of-age story, a fantastic adventure, and a bold warning about a future that is all too real.” Portland Book Review About the Author Emmi Itäranta's debut novel Memory of Water (originally published in Finnish as Teemestarin kirja) has won several awards: the Fantasy and Sci-fi Literary Contest organized by the Finnish publishing house Teos in 2010, the Kalevi Jäntti Prize for young authors in 2012 and the Young Aleksis Kivi Prize in 2012. It received an honorable mention from the 2014 James Tiptree Jr. Award jury and was nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award and the Golden Tentacle Award in 2015. Translation rights to the novel have been sold in 17 territories to date. In 2014, Itäranta's work was featured in Granta Finland 3:Best of Young Finnish Novelists. Emmi grew up in Tampere, Finland. She holds an MA in Drama from the University of Tampere and an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Kent, UK. Her professional background includes stints as a columnist, theatre critic, dramaturge, scriptwriter and press officer. She lives in Canterbury, UK. Her second novel, The City of Woven Streets, will be published in the UK and US in 2016. Emmi Itäranta Author's website

2019The Stranger in My Genes: A Memoir by Bill Griffeth In 2012, longtime genealogy buff Bill Griffeth took a DNA test, just for fun, and got the shock of his life. The results suggested that his beloved father was not his father. “If the test was correct, it meant that the family tree I had spent years documenting was not, in fact, my own.” The Stranger in My Genesrecounts Bill’s two-year quest to learn the truth about his paternity, including a memorable encounter with his 95-year-old mother. In the end, the veteran CNBC-TV anchor is left to discover his real father and a new definition of “family.” < All Book Selections 2019 Finding Identity in Family History The Stranger In My Genes Bill Griffeth Audience: Adult The Stranger in My Genes: A Memoir by Bill Griffeth In 2012, longtime genealogy buff Bill Griffeth took a DNA test, just for fun, and got the shock of his life. The results suggested that his beloved father was not his father. “If the test was correct, it meant that the family tree I had spent years documenting was not, in fact, my own.” The Stranger in My Genesrecounts Bill’s two-year quest to learn the truth about his paternity, including a memorable encounter with his 95-year-old mother. In the end, the veteran CNBC-TV anchor is left to discover his real father and a new definition of “family.” About the Author Bill Griffeth is a veteran financial journalist who has covered Wall Street on television since 1981, most of that time as an anchor on CNBC. In 2018, he began a new assignment as co-anchor on the very popular Nightly Business Report on PBS, the longest-running business news show on television, produced by CNBC. Bill has been nominated for six Cable ACE awards, including Best News Anchor, and one Emmy for the CNBC documentary Game On! In 2001, he was the recipient of the National Association of Investors' Distinguished Service Award in Investor Education, and in 2017, his alma mater, California State University, Northridge, bestowed on him an honorary doctor of humane letters degree. Bill is the author of By Faith Alone: One Family's Epic Journey Through 400 Years of American Protestantism; Ten Steps to Financial Prosperity; The Mutual Fund Masters; and The Stranger in My Genes: A Memoir. Upcoming in 2019 will be the newly-revised By Faith Alone: My Family's Epic History. Since 2003, his hobby has been genealogy, and he has traveled tens of thousands of miles in the U.S. and Europe researching his and his wife's family histories. He currently serves as a Trustee of the New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston, Massachusetts. Bill and his wife, Cindy, have two grown children. American Ancestors by New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) Bill Griffeth Author's website

2013How do combat veterans and their loved ones bridge the divide that war, by its very nature, creates between them? How does someone who has fought in a war come home, especially after a tour of duty marked by near-daily mortar attacks, enemy fire, and roadside bombs? With a journalist's eye and a mother's warmth, Sue Diaz asks these questions as she chronicles the two deployments to Iraq of her son, Sgt. Roman Diaz, from the perspective of the home front. Diaz recounts the emotional rollercoaster her family and other soldiers' families experience during and after deployment. She explores this terrain not only through stories of her son's and family's experiences connected to the Iraq War, but also by insights she's gained from other veterans' accounts--from what she calls "the box" that soldiers returning from any war carry within. This added layer gives her narrative broader meaning, bringing home the impact of war in general on those who fight and on those who love them. < All Book Selections 2013 Invisible Wounds of War Minefields of the Heart Sue Diaz Audience: Adult How do combat veterans and their loved ones bridge the divide that war, by its very nature, creates between them? How does someone who has fought in a war come home, especially after a tour of duty marked by near-daily mortar attacks, enemy fire, and roadside bombs? With a journalist's eye and a mother's warmth, Sue Diaz asks these questions as she chronicles the two deployments to Iraq of her son, Sgt. Roman Diaz, from the perspective of the home front. Diaz recounts the emotional rollercoaster her family and other soldiers' families experience during and after deployment. She explores this terrain not only through stories of her son's and family's experiences connected to the Iraq War, but also by insights she's gained from other veterans' accounts--from what she calls "the box" that soldiers returning from any war carry within. This added layer gives her narrative broader meaning, bringing home the impact of war in general on those who fight and on those who love them. About the Author Sue Diaz is an award-winning journalist and author whose work has appeared in a variety of regional and national publications, including Newsweek, Reader's Digest, Family Circle, Los Angeles Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, and the Christian Science Monitor. Her essays have also aired frequently on National Public Radio. Her son, a Purple Heart veteran, served two tours of duty in Iraq's Triangle of Death during the height of the insurgency. While he was there Sue wrote about the war from the perspective of the home front in a series syndicated nationally and internationally by the Monitor. Those stories were the starting point for her book, Minefields of the Heart: A Mother's Stories of a Son at War (Potomac Books, 2010). An advocate of writing as a path to healing, Sue has led writing workshops for war veterans at the San Diego Vet Center, the Naval Medical Center, and Veterans Village of San Diego since 2007. To learn more, visit the website minefieldsoftheheart.com Sue Diaz Author's website A message from Sue: "I am honored that my book Minefields of the Heart: A Mother's Stories of a Son at War has been selected for Silicon Valley Reads 2013. "On the surface, Minefields of the Heart is about my son's two tours of duty in Iraq as an infantryman during the height of the insurgency. Like combat veterans of every war, Roman lived through events that would bring out both the best and the worst that human beings are capable of. "In my capacity as a journalist during that time, I wrote to reach readers and invite them into the uncertain world of families with loved ones in a war zone. I wanted them to pull up a chair at our kitchen tables, to watch the evening news with us in our family rooms, to feel the fears we lived with, the hope we clung to, and the joy we knew when our sons and daughters returned. "I wanted readers to realize, too, that for many combat veterans, 'coming home' is a journey - a journey that can last a lifetime. "With today's all-volunteer military, it is, I think, too easy for most Americans to feel disconnected from the conflicts our country is engaged in, to feel that war is someone else's job, someone else's responsibility. So I also wrote in hopes of bringing home the fact that when our country is at war - whether we agree or not with the politics that took us there - we, as a society, are in it together. The moral responsibility belongs to us all. "While I continued to write about the war in the series for the Christian Science Monitor that became the starting point for the book, I began to lead writing workshops for war veterans. And I became more and more aware of the fact that war is an experience that transforms those in it, as well as those who wait for them at home. What started out as one journalist's chronicle of her family's wartime experiences turned into a book that explores the impact of war on the human soul. "As the mother of a Purple Heart veteran, I deeply appreciate your organization's role in leading the community to think and talk about the 'invisible wounds of war.' Mother Teresa once said, 'If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.' It is my hope that the Silicon Valley Reads discussions next year will remind readers that we do." -- Sue Diaz REVIEW COMMENTS "Minefields of the Heart is very finely written. Because a mother's love is so overpowering, so singular in its focus, I had half-feared that this book would be a morass of melodrama. But Sue Diaz is a disciplined and careful writer and this, ultimately, is where the power of her book comes from. She is spare where most writers would be mawkish, she is understated where most writers would be sentimental, and she understands that life, death, war, grief, gratitude and the loss of innocence--hers, and her son's--need no baroque writerly adornments. The truly great and terrible stuff of life is most dramatic when told as simply and plainly as possible. Over the course of her book, the reader comes to know not just Roman, but the whole Diaz family and how they all aged and matured both during and after Roman's two harrowing deployments." --From the Foreword by Jim Frederick, author of Black Hearts: One Platoon's Descent into Madness in Iraq's Triangle of Death "Minefields of the Heart is an accessible and well told reflection on the impact of war on the families of our troops today. It is an intimate look through a mother's eyes, giving us a heartfelt appreciation of the military family experience." --Edward Tick (author of War and the Soul) and Kate Dahlstedt, co-directors of Soldier's Heart "Harrowing, hopeful, and beautifully written. Ernie Pyle meets Anne Lamott." --Sharon Bray, author of When Words Heal: Writing Through Cancer "Minefields of the Heart is a brilliant, beautiful, and compelling book. Sue Diaz writes as the mother of one soldier and the daughter of another. She traces her son's transition from a boy to a combat-wounded veteran of two tours in Iraq. She lets him speak for himself through emails, letters and conversation, all the while growing in her understanding of him and of war. She weaves together her family's history with the larger events through which they have passed. Though intended specifically `for all who have served and those who love them,' the book should be read by any American who wants to understand what war really does to those who endure and to their families. As a bonus, the book is a real page-turner. You can't put it down until you finish it." --William P. Mahedy, author of Out of the Night: The Spiritual Journey of Vietnam Vets "This is a book to break your heart, and to heal it. Diaz writes to and for her son, to and for the veterans she leads in writing workshops. The larger gift of this book is its generosity, allowing the reader to take the journey of a mother whose son carries the wounds of two deployments to Iraq. Minefields of the Heart teaches us what we might rather not know, but knowing, we are deeper and better human beings." --Pat Schneider, founder, Amherst Writers & Artists, and author of Writing Alone and with Others DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (MINEFIELDS OF THE HEART) In the Introduction, Diaz writes, "I know it's not uncommon for vets to want to keep a lid on their memories. Opening up can take some time. Years for some. Decades for others. Many never do. But it's important to try." What do you think are some of the factors that make "opening up" difficult? What are some of the ways it might be made easier? Roman's decision to join the infantry surprises his mother, who had expected that the next chapter in her son's life would have been college. How would you respond to a son's or daughter's decision to join the armed forces in a time of war? Did you enlist and how did you tell your family? On the eve of the start of military action in Iraq, Diaz attends a gathering to protest the war. "I felt grateful for the right to assemble and protest my government's policies. And I was well aware that I owed that right to the brave deeds of those who had served in our armed forces in the past," she says. What is your view of a soldier's family member participating in an anti-war rally? What impact has today's electronic communication - e-mail, Instant Messaging - had on the relationship between soldiers in combat and their loved ones at home? In your opinion, what are pluses and the drawbacks of real-time communication during a war? Though the topic of Minefields of the Heart is a serious one, the book is not without humor. What in the book that made you smile? During the most difficult stretch in his second deployment, Roman communicates very little with his family. In one Instant Message, Roman quickly answers "No," to his all of his father's offers to send things he might need. Diaz concludes, "the gist of it all seemed to me to be, 'Mom, Dad. For your sake and mine right now, don't love me so much." Do you think her interpretation is accurate? What are some circumstances that might prompt a message like that from a soldier?How do the two main characters - Diaz and her son, Roman - change over the course of the book? In what ways do they remain unchanged?Did certain parts of the book make you uncomfortable? If so, why? Did any sections of this book lead to a new understanding or awareness of war and its aftermath?According to the author, what are some things that can help a returning veteran "win the war within"? From your own experience with or as a veteran, what would you add? In one of the book's final chapters, the author quotes from a poem by Archibald MacLeish in which fallen soldiers say to the living: "Whether our lives and our deaths were for peace and a new hope or for nothing we cannot say; it is you who must say this. We leave you our deaths. Give them their meaning." What are some specific ways that we as individuals and as a society can give meaning to the sacrifices of those who have fought - and died -- for our country.To hear an excerpt from Sue Diaz's book "Minefields of the Heart," play the following video on YouTube [ youtube.com/watch?v=dj4cxp_iumI ].

2022When his father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, Richard Lui did something tough. The award-winning news anchor decided to set aside his growing career to care for family. Selflessness, however, did not come easily. So, Richard set out to explore why he struggled. In every decision, big and small, Lui discovered hidden opportunities to put others ahead of himself. Similar to training physical muscles, we must train our decision-making muscles to choose others over ourselves in order to have unexpected smiles and renewed balance in our lives. From a journalist's point of view, he digs into and shares stories from his seven-year "selfless" exploration. < All Book Selections 2022 Power of Kindness, Resilience & Hope Enough About Me Richard Lui Audience: Adult When his father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, Richard Lui did something tough. The award-winning news anchor decided to set aside his growing career to care for family. Selflessness, however, did not come easily. So, Richard set out to explore why he struggled. In every decision, big and small, Lui discovered hidden opportunities to put others ahead of himself. Similar to training physical muscles, we must train our decision-making muscles to choose others over ourselves in order to have unexpected smiles and renewed balance in our lives. From a journalist's point of view, he digs into and shares stories from his seven-year "selfless" exploration. About the Author Veteran and award-winning journalist Richard Lui has more than 30 years in television, film, technology, and business. Currently at MSNBC and previously with CNN Worldwide, he is the first Asian American man to anchor a daily national cable news program, and a team Emmy and Peabody winner. Richard recently directed the feature documentary “Sky Blossom”, an uplifting film on student caregivers in military families now available on DVD and Digital from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, and streaming on Peacock. Richard’s 15-year business career involves a fintech patent and launching six tech brands over three business cycles. Richard has lived, worked, and volunteered on every continent. Richard Lui Author's website

2019 Books Play video on YouTube View event photos Podcast SV Reads 2019: Finding Identity in Family History, interview with Bill Griffeth and Paula Williams Madison held on February 27, 2019. Listen to podcast Finding Samuel Lowe Paula Williams Madison Audience: Adult Finding Samuel Lowe by Paula Williams Madison Spanning four generations and moving between New York, Jamaica, and China, this powerful memoir that is a universal story of one woman's search for her maternal grandfather and the key to her self-identity. Thanks to her spiteful, jealous Jamaican mother, Nell Vera Lowe was cut off from her Chinese father, Samuel, when she was just a baby, after he announced he was taking a Chinese bride. By the time Nell was old enough to travel to her father's shop in St. Ann's Bay, he'd taken his family back to China, never learning what became of his eldest daughter. Bereft, Nell left Jamaica for New York to start a new life. But her Asian features set her apart from her Harlem neighbors and even her own children—a difference that contributed to her feeling of loneliness and loss which she instilled in her only daughter, Paula. Years later, with a successful corporate career behind her and the arrival of her only grandchild raising questions about family and legacy, Paula decided to search for Samuel Lowe's descendants in China. With the support of her brothers and the help of encouraging strangers, Paula eventually pieced together the full story of her grandfather's life, following his story from China to Jamaica and back, and connecting with 300 surprised relatives who were overjoyed to meet her. Finding Samuel Lowe is a remarkable journey about one woman's path to self-discovery. It is a story about love and devotion that transcends time and race, and a beautiful reflection of the power of family and the interconnectedness of our world. Read More It's All Relative A.J. Jacobs Audience: Adult A.J. Jacobs has received some strange emails over the years, but this note was perhaps the strangest: "You don't know me, but I'm your eighth cousin. And we have over 80,000 relatives of yours in our database." That's enough family members to fill Madison Square Garden four times over. Who are these people, A.J. wondered, and how do I find them? So began Jacobs's three-year adventure to help build the biggest family tree in history. Jacobs's journey would take him to all seven continents. He drank beer with a U.S. president, found himself singing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and unearthed genetic links to Hollywood actresses and real-life scoundrels. After all, we can choose our friends, but not our family. "Whether he's posing as a celebrity, outsourcing his chores, or adhering strictly to the Bible, we love reading about the wacky lifestyle experiments of author A.J. Jacobs" (Entertainment Weekly). Now Jacobs upends, in ways both meaningful and hilarious, our understanding of genetics and genealogy, tradition and tribalism, identity and connection. It's All Relative is a fascinating look at the bonds that connect us all. Read More The Stranger In My Genes Bill Griffeth Audience: Adult The Stranger in My Genes: A Memoir by Bill Griffeth In 2012, longtime genealogy buff Bill Griffeth took a DNA test, just for fun, and got the shock of his life. The results suggested that his beloved father was not his father. “If the test was correct, it meant that the family tree I had spent years documenting was not, in fact, my own.” The Stranger in My Genesrecounts Bill’s two-year quest to learn the truth about his paternity, including a memorable encounter with his 95-year-old mother. In the end, the veteran CNBC-TV anchor is left to discover his real father and a new definition of “family.” Read More Alma and How She Got Her Name Juana Martinez-Neal Audience: Pre-K to 3 If you ask her, Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela has way too many names: six! How did such a small person wind up with such a large name? Alma turns to Daddy for an answer and learns of Sofia, the grandmother who loved books and flowers; Esperanza, the great-grandmother who longed to travel; José, the grandfather who was an artist; and other namesakes, too. As she hears the story of her name, Alma starts to think it might be a perfect fit after all — and realizes that she will one day have her own story to tell. Read More The Blossoming Universe of Violet Diamond Brenda Woods Audience: Grades 4 - 7 Violet is biracial, but she lives with her white mother and sister, attends a mostly white school in a white town, and sometimes feels like a brown leaf on a pile of snow. Now that she's eleven, she feels it's time to learn about her African American heritage, so she seeks out her paternal grandmother. When Violet is invited to spend two weeks with her new Bibi (Swahili for "grandmother") and learns about her lost heritage, her confidence in herself grows and she discovers she's not a shrinking Violet after all. Read More Picture Us In The Light Kelly Loy Gilbert Audience: Grades 8+ Danny Cheng has always known his parents have secrets. But when he discovers a taped-up box in his father's closet filled with old letters and a file on a powerful Silicon Valley family, he realizes there's much more to his family's past than he ever imagined. Danny has been an artist for as long as he can remember and it seems his path is set, with a scholarship to RISD and his family's blessing to pursue the career he's always dreamed of. Still, contemplating a future without his best friend, Harry Wong, by his side makes Danny feel a panic he can barely put into words. Harry and Danny's lives are deeply intertwined and as they approach the one-year anniversary of a tragedy that shook their friend group to its core, Danny can't stop asking himself if Harry is truly in love with his girlfriend, Regina Chan. When Danny digs deeper into his parents' past, he uncovers a secret that disturbs the foundations of his family history and the carefully constructed façade his parents have maintained begins to crumble. With everything he loves in danger of being stripped away, Danny must face the ghosts of the past in order to build a future that belongs to him. Read More

2021Alice Wright marries handsome American Bennett Van Cleve, hoping to escape her stifling life in England. But small-town Kentucky quickly proves equally claustrophobic, especially living alongside her overbearing father-in-law. So when a call goes out for a team of women to deliver books as part of Eleanor Roosevelt’s new traveling library, Alice signs on enthusiastically. The leader, and soon Alice's greatest ally, is Margery, a smart-talking, self-sufficient woman who's never asked a man's permission for anything. They will be joined by three other singular women who become known as the Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky. What happens to them--and to the men they love--becomes an unforgettable drama of loyalty, justice, humanity, and passion. These heroic women refuse to be cowed by men or by convention. And though they face all kinds of dangers in a landscape that is at times breathtakingly beautiful, at others brutal, they’re committed to their job: bringing books to people who have never had any, arming them with facts that will change their lives. Based on a true story rooted in America’s past, The Giver of Stars is unparalleled in its scope and epic in its storytelling. Funny, heartbreaking, enthralling, it is destined to become a modern classic--a richly rewarding novel of women’s friendship, of true love, and of what happens when we reach beyond our grasp for the great beyond. < All Book Selections 2021 Connecting The Giver of Stars Jojo Moyes Audience: Adult Alice Wright marries handsome American Bennett Van Cleve, hoping to escape her stifling life in England. But small-town Kentucky quickly proves equally claustrophobic, especially living alongside her overbearing father-in-law. So when a call goes out for a team of women to deliver books as part of Eleanor Roosevelt’s new traveling library, Alice signs on enthusiastically. The leader, and soon Alice's greatest ally, is Margery, a smart-talking, self-sufficient woman who's never asked a man's permission for anything. They will be joined by three other singular women who become known as the Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky. What happens to them--and to the men they love--becomes an unforgettable drama of loyalty, justice, humanity, and passion. These heroic women refuse to be cowed by men or by convention. And though they face all kinds of dangers in a landscape that is at times breathtakingly beautiful, at others brutal, they’re committed to their job: bringing books to people who have never had any, arming them with facts that will change their lives. Based on a true story rooted in America’s past, The Giver of Stars is unparalleled in its scope and epic in its storytelling. Funny, heartbreaking, enthralling, it is destined to become a modern classic--a richly rewarding novel of women’s friendship, of true love, and of what happens when we reach beyond our grasp for the great beyond. About the Author Jojo Moyes is a British novelist who studied at Royal Holloway, University of London. She won a bursary financed by The Independent newspaper to study journalism at City University and subsequently worked for The Independent for 10 years. In 2001 she became a full time novelist. She is one of only a few authors to have twice won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award by the Romantic Novelists' Association and has been translated into twenty-eight languages. She is married to journalist Charles Arthur and has three children. View a reading group guide and a link to a Q&A with Jojo Moyes. Jojo Moyes Author's website

2017Marcus and Eddie are best friends who found the strength to break through the racial barrier. Marcus is black; Eddie is white. Stars of their school basketball team, they are true leaders who look past the stereotypes and come out on top. They are inseparable, watching each other’s backs, both on and off the basketball court. But one decision – one mistake – will change their friendship, and their lives, forever. Can Marcus and Eddie rise above their differences and save their friendship? < All Book Selections 2017 ...and justice for all Black and White Paul Volponi Audience: Young Adult Marcus and Eddie are best friends who found the strength to break through the racial barrier. Marcus is black; Eddie is white. Stars of their school basketball team, they are true leaders who look past the stereotypes and come out on top. They are inseparable, watching each other’s backs, both on and off the basketball court. But one decision – one mistake – will change their friendship, and their lives, forever. Can Marcus and Eddie rise above their differences and save their friendship? About the Author Paul Volponi is the award-winning author of 12 novels for young adults. He spent six years on New York City’s infamous Rikers island, the world's largest jail, teaching teens awaiting trial there to read and write. His novel Black and White, winner of the International Reading Association's Children's Book Award, explores the unbalanced scales of the criminal justice system. His novel, Rikers High, an American Library Association Quick Pick Top 10, takes the reader through the hallways and classrooms of the jail with very little fiction involved. Paul, who is the recipient of 11 ALA awards, believes the job of the author is to hold an accurate mirror up to the society and let the readers make their own judgments on what they see. Paul Volponi Author's website

2026In this visually stunning picture book, Joy and her diverse class explore a forest where every student, including those who are neurodivergent or use mobility aids, discovers their unique connection to nature. Joy is initially anxious about finding her "one thing" for a project, but she soon sees how her classmates' different ways of experiencing the world reflect the complex beauty of the ecosystem. The book compares the essential diversity of trees, fungi, and rushing water to the diversity of the class. It reminds readers of all ages that there is no "one right way" for a mind, body, or person to be, and that our unique differences are what create a truly vibrant, flourishing community. < All Book Selections 2026 Bridges to Belonging Together, A Forest Roz MacLean Audience: Elementary In this visually stunning picture book, Joy and her diverse class explore a forest where every student, including those who are neurodivergent or use mobility aids, discovers their unique connection to nature. Joy is initially anxious about finding her "one thing" for a project, but she soon sees how her classmates' different ways of experiencing the world reflect the complex beauty of the ecosystem. The book compares the essential diversity of trees, fungi, and rushing water to the diversity of the class. It reminds readers of all ages that there is no "one right way" for a mind, body, or person to be, and that our unique differences are what create a truly vibrant, flourishing community. About the Author Roz MacLean is a Canadian children's book author and illustrator who lives on Vancouver Island. She is interested in reflecting the rich and diverse world we live in and using imagination to wonder, explore and create. Her stories often reflect on themes of neurodiversity and disability, the natural world, community and relationships. Her books include More Than Words: So Many Ways to Say What We Mean and Together, a Forest , with the upcoming title Do You Know The Dark? set for release in May 2026. Roz MacLean Author's website

2021A moving and scientific look at the curative powers--both physical and mental--of rescuing a shelter animal, by the president of Humane Society Silicon Valley. Mutual Rescue profiles the transformational impact that shelter pets have on humans, exploring the emotional, physical, and spiritual gifts that rescued animals provide. It explores through anecdote, observation, and scientific research, the complexity and depth of the role that pets play in our lives. Every story in the book brings an unrecognized benefit of adopting homeless animals to the forefront of the rescue conversation. In a nation plagued by illnesses--16 million adults suffer from depression, 29 million have diabetes, 8 million in any given year have PTSD, and nearly 40% are obese--rescue pets can help: 60% of doctors said they prescribe pet adoption and a staggering 97% believe that pet ownership provides health benefits. For people in chronic emotional, physical, or spiritual pain, adopting an animal can transform, and even save, their lives. Each story in the book takes a deep dive into one potent aspect of animal adoption, told through the lens of people's personal experiences with their rescued pets and the science that backs up the results. This book will resonate with readers hungering for stories of healing and redemption. < All Book Selections 2021 Connecting Mutual Rescue Carol Novello Audience: Adult A moving and scientific look at the curative powers--both physical and mental--of rescuing a shelter animal, by the president of Humane Society Silicon Valley. Mutual Rescue profiles the transformational impact that shelter pets have on humans, exploring the emotional, physical, and spiritual gifts that rescued animals provide. It explores through anecdote, observation, and scientific research, the complexity and depth of the role that pets play in our lives. Every story in the book brings an unrecognized benefit of adopting homeless animals to the forefront of the rescue conversation. In a nation plagued by illnesses--16 million adults suffer from depression, 29 million have diabetes, 8 million in any given year have PTSD, and nearly 40% are obese--rescue pets can help: 60% of doctors said they prescribe pet adoption and a staggering 97% believe that pet ownership provides health benefits. For people in chronic emotional, physical, or spiritual pain, adopting an animal can transform, and even save, their lives. Each story in the book takes a deep dive into one potent aspect of animal adoption, told through the lens of people's personal experiences with their rescued pets and the science that backs up the results. This book will resonate with readers hungering for stories of healing and redemption. About the Author Carol Novello is the founder of Mutual RescueTM, a national initiative that highlights the life-changing power of human-animal relationships. The initiative's first short film, "Eric & Peety," went viral around the world with over 100 million views and was named the number #1 video news story in CA by the NY Times in 2016. She is currently expanding the initiative into a new, national non-profit brand to collaborate with local animal shelters and rescue groups and their communities across the country and bring new funding into the sector through corporate sponsorships. Her first book Mutual Rescue: How Adopting a Homeless Animal Can Save You, Too was published in April 2019, with international versions of the book released in Germany and Italy in 2020. Mutual Rescue was created during the nearly decade long tenure that Carol served as President of Humane Society Silicon Valley (HSSV) from 2010 to 2020. She also served one year on their Board of Directors prior to that role. Through her leadership, HSSV became the first "model shelter" – the first organization in the nation to meet all guidelines set forth by the Association of Shelter Veterinarians. Her work at HSSV also resulted in significant increases in the rescue organization's adoption numbers, save rates and the number of animals receiving extended care. In 2016, she was one of nine animal welfare leaders across the country to receive the first Maddie Hero Award created by Maddie's Fund for recognizing innovation and leadership in the sector. She is also currently serving as a member of the Board of Directors at CUDDLY, Inc, a for-profit company that has created a fundraising and wishlist platform focused on the animal welfare sector. Prior to entering the field of animal rescue, Carol was a senior executive at Intuit where she held numerous positions including President of MasterBuilder Software, Vice President/General Manager of QuickBooks Online and Vice President of Marketing for QuickBooks and Small Business Services. Carol earned her MBA from Harvard Business School and her BA in English and Economics from Dickinson College. She currently resides in Serenbe, a community outside of Atlanta, GA and shares her home with two rescue cats, Bode and Herbie. Carol Novello Author's website

2012From Booklist: Bilal and his sister, Ayesha, who are Muslim, start school in a new city. At first Bilal tries to blend into the largely non-Muslim environment, calling himself Bill and ducking out of sight when two boys try to pull off Ayesha's head scarf. Encouraged by a sympathetic teacher and his own faith, Bilal finds the courage to stand up with his sister the next time the boys tease her. Bilal and Ayesha point out to their adversaries that they too were born in America and that being American means that they can wear what they want. By standing up for his sister, Bilal earns the boys' respect and takes the first step toward a possible friendship. The story is told in picture-book format, though the text is longer than that of most picture books. In the illustrations, the students appear to be in middle school, but the book is accessible to younger children as well. Appearing on nearly every double-page spread, large-scale watercolor paintings clearly portray the actions and attitudes of the characters. A good starting place for discussions of cultural differences, prejudice, and respect for the beliefs of others. < All Book Selections 2012 Muslim and American: Two Perspectives My Name is Bilal Asma Mobin-Uddin Audience: Grades 2 - 6 From Booklist: Bilal and his sister, Ayesha, who are Muslim, start school in a new city. At first Bilal tries to blend into the largely non-Muslim environment, calling himself Bill and ducking out of sight when two boys try to pull off Ayesha's head scarf. Encouraged by a sympathetic teacher and his own faith, Bilal finds the courage to stand up with his sister the next time the boys tease her. Bilal and Ayesha point out to their adversaries that they too were born in America and that being American means that they can wear what they want. By standing up for his sister, Bilal earns the boys' respect and takes the first step toward a possible friendship. The story is told in picture-book format, though the text is longer than that of most picture books. In the illustrations, the students appear to be in middle school, but the book is accessible to younger children as well. Appearing on nearly every double-page spread, large-scale watercolor paintings clearly portray the actions and attitudes of the characters. A good starting place for discussions of cultural differences, prejudice, and respect for the beliefs of others. About the Author Dr. Asma Mobin-Uddin was born and raised in the U.S. and attended public grade school and a Catholic high school in a small Ohio town where there were few other Muslim families. She received her undergraduate and medical school degrees from The Ohio State University and did her internship and residency training in Pediatrics at Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. She was a private practice pediatrician for several years before taking time off to stay home with her children when they were young. She began to write about the Muslim-American experience because she had difficulty in finding good books in this area to read to her children. In addition to My Name is Bilal, she is the author of The Best Eid Holiday Book. Asma Mobin-Uddin Author's website

2024Working to Restore examines revolutionary approaches in agriculture, waste, supply chain, inclusivity for the collective good, women in the workforce, travel, health, energy, and finance. The companies profiled are solving global issues, promoting responsible production and consumption, creating equitable opportunities for all, encouraging climate action, and more. Chhabra highlights how their work moves beyond the greenwashed idea of “sustainability” into a new era of regeneration and restoration across industries and geographies—to paint a broader picture of a global movement through a journalistic lens. < All Book Selections 2024 A Greener Tomorrow Starts Today Working to Restore: Harnessing the Power of Regenerative Business to Heal the World Esha Chhabra Audience: Adult Working to Restore examines revolutionary approaches in agriculture, waste, supply chain, inclusivity for the collective good, women in the workforce, travel, health, energy, and finance. The companies profiled are solving global issues, promoting responsible production and consumption, creating equitable opportunities for all, encouraging climate action, and more. Chhabra highlights how their work moves beyond the greenwashed idea of “sustainability” into a new era of regeneration and restoration across industries and geographies—to paint a broader picture of a global movement through a journalistic lens. About the Author Esha Chhabra Author's website

2013When Private Matt Duffy wakes up in an army hospital in Iraq, he's honored with a Purple Heart. But he doesn't feel like a hero. There's a memory that haunts him: an image of a young Iraqi boy as a bullet hits his chest. Matt can't shake the feeling that he was somehow involved in his death. But because of a head injury he sustained just moments after the boy was shot, Matt can't quite put all the pieces together. Eventually Matt is sent back into combat with his squad-Justin, Wolf, and Charlene-the soldiers who have become his family during his time in Iraq. He just wants to go back to being the soldier he once was. But he sees potential threats everywhere and lives in fear of not being able to pull the trigger when the time comes. In combat there is no black-and-white, and Matt soon discovers that the notion of who is guilty is very complicated indeed. < All Book Selections 2013 Invisible Wounds of War Purple Heart Patricia McCormick Audience: Ages 14+ When Private Matt Duffy wakes up in an army hospital in Iraq, he's honored with a Purple Heart. But he doesn't feel like a hero. There's a memory that haunts him: an image of a young Iraqi boy as a bullet hits his chest. Matt can't shake the feeling that he was somehow involved in his death. But because of a head injury he sustained just moments after the boy was shot, Matt can't quite put all the pieces together. Eventually Matt is sent back into combat with his squad-Justin, Wolf, and Charlene-the soldiers who have become his family during his time in Iraq. He just wants to go back to being the soldier he once was. But he sees potential threats everywhere and lives in fear of not being able to pull the trigger when the time comes. In combat there is no black-and-white, and Matt soon discovers that the notion of who is guilty is very complicated indeed. About the Author Patricia McCormick is a former journalist, novelist and National Book Award Finalist. She has a B.S. from Rosemont College, an M.S. from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, and an M.F.A. from The New School. Her other books include Cut, Sold, My Brother's Keeper and Never Fall Down. She has received numerous awards for her writing. Patricia McCormick Author's website

Join engaging adult classes, talks, and activities that inspire learning and connection. Explore workshops, lectures, and creative programs designed for personal growth and community involvement. Adult Classes/Talks/Activities Thank You Neighbor: Community Multi-Language Video Project Thu, Jan 15 Online Video Project More info Details Toolkit for Parents/Teachers: Tools to Engage Young Readers! Thu, Jan 15 Online Toolkit More info Details Community Cookbook: Submit Your Recipes! Thu, Jan 15 Santa Clara County Residents Can Submit More info Details Build a Bridge of Belonging Across Silicon Valley: Paper Chain of Kindness Thu, Jan 15 Libraries Across the County More info Details Euphrat Museum of Art Exhibit: A Sense of Belonging Thu, Jan 15 Cupertino: De Anza College Campus More info Details Intro to Resin: Build a connection! Thu, Mar 12 Saratoga Library More info Details Virtual Author Talk, Kate Quinn Thu, Mar 12 Virtual Event More info Details Multiple Dates Watercolor Painting for Individuals with Disabilities Thu, Mar 12 Sunnyvale Community Center More info Details A Virtual Conversation with Clare Pooley, "Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting" Sat, Mar 14 Virtual Event More info Details San Francisco Shakespeare Festival Presents: Julius Caesar Sat, Mar 14 Morgan Hill Library More info Details Celebrate Persian New Year: Read A-Louds, Presentation & Dance Performance Sun, Mar 15 Saratoga Library More info Details Adult Enrichment Storytime Mon, Mar 16 Santa Clara: Central Park Library More info Details Celebrate Persian New Year Mon, Mar 16 Cupertino Library More info Details Finding Belonging in Our Common Humanity Sat, Mar 21 Virtual Event More info Details Pokemon Go at the Library! Sat, Mar 21 Morgan Hill Library More info Details Celebrate Persian New Year Mon, Mar 23 Los Altos Library More info Details Finding Belonging in Our Common Humanity Tue, Mar 24 Online More info Details Sit & Be Fit! Thu, Mar 26 Gilroy Library More info Details Load More

2021Humans are social creatures: In this simple and obvious fact lies both the problem and the solution to the current crisis of loneliness. In his groundbreaking book, the 19th surgeon general of the United States Dr. Vivek Murthy makes a case for loneliness as a public health concern: a root cause and contributor to many of the epidemics sweeping the world today from alcohol and drug addiction to violence to depression and anxiety. Loneliness, he argues, is affecting not only our health, but also how our children experience school, how we perform in the workplace, and the sense of division and polarization in our society. But, at the center of our loneliness is our innate desire to connect. We have evolved to participate in community, to forge lasting bonds with others, to help one another, and to share life experiences. We are, simply, better together. The lessons in Together have immediate relevance and application. These four key strategies will help us not only to weather this crisis, but also to heal our social world far into the future. Spend time each day with those you love. Devote at least 15 minutes each day to connecting with those you most care about. Focus on each other. Forget about multitasking and give the other person the gift of your full attention, making eye contact, if possible, and genuinely listening. Embrace solitude. The first step toward building stronger connections with others is to build a stronger connection with oneself. Meditation, prayer, art, music, and time spent outdoors can all be sources of solitary comfort and joy. Help and be helped. Service is a form of human connection that reminds us of our value and purpose in life. Checking on a neighbor, seeking advice, even just offering a smile to a stranger six feet away, all can make us stronger. < All Book Selections 2021 Connecting Together Vivek H. Murthy, MD Audience: Adult Humans are social creatures: In this simple and obvious fact lies both the problem and the solution to the current crisis of loneliness. In his groundbreaking book, the 19th surgeon general of the United States Dr. Vivek Murthy makes a case for loneliness as a public health concern: a root cause and contributor to many of the epidemics sweeping the world today from alcohol and drug addiction to violence to depression and anxiety. Loneliness, he argues, is affecting not only our health, but also how our children experience school, how we perform in the workplace, and the sense of division and polarization in our society. But, at the center of our loneliness is our innate desire to connect. We have evolved to participate in community, to forge lasting bonds with others, to help one another, and to share life experiences. We are, simply, better together. The lessons in Together have immediate relevance and application. These four key strategies will help us not only to weather this crisis, but also to heal our social world far into the future. Spend time each day with those you love. Devote at least 15 minutes each day to connecting with those you most care about. Focus on each other. Forget about multitasking and give the other person the gift of your full attention, making eye contact, if possible, and genuinely listening. Embrace solitude. The first step toward building stronger connections with others is to build a stronger connection with oneself. Meditation, prayer, art, music, and time spent outdoors can all be sources of solitary comfort and joy. Help and be helped. Service is a form of human connection that reminds us of our value and purpose in life. Checking on a neighbor, seeking advice, even just offering a smile to a stranger six feet away, all can make us stronger. About the Author Dr. Vivek H. Murthy served as the 19th Surgeon General of the United States from December 15, 2014 to April 21, 2017. As America’s Doctor, Dr. Murthy created initiatives to tackle our country’s most urgent public health issues. In 2017, Dr. Murthy focused his attention on chronic stress and isolation as prevalent problems that have profound implications for health, productivity, and happiness. Partnering with the Veterans Health Administration, he brought together leading thinkers, researchers, and practitioners to identify scientifically proven ways we can cultivate emotional well-being and fitness to help us thrive among the most challenging circumstances. In addition to his role as America’s Doctor, as the Vice Admiral of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, Dr. Murthy commanded a uniformed service of 6,600 public health officers, serving the most underserved and vulnerable populations in over 800 locations domestically and abroad. He worked with thousands of Commissioned Corps officers to strengthen the Corps and protect the nation from Ebola and Zika and to respond to the Flint water crisis, major hurricanes, and frequent health care shortages in rural communities. Dr. Murthy’s commitment to medicine and health began early in life. The son of immigrants from India, he discovered the art of healing watching his parents - Hallegere and Myetriae Murthy - treat patients like family in his father’s medical clinic in Miami, Florida. Dr. Murthy received his bachelor’s degree from Harvard and his M.D. and M.B.A. degrees from Yale. He completed his internal medicine residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and later joined Harvard Medical School as faculty in internal medicine. Dr. Murthy resides in Washington, D.C. with his wife, Dr. Alice Chen, and their two young children. Vivek H. Murthy, MD Author's website

2025Local author and founder of Khan Academy, Salman Khan's latest book, Brave New Words, is a must-read for anyone interested in the future of education. Khan explores how AI and GPT technology will transform learning, offering a roadmap for teachers, parents, and students to navigate this exciting new world. Khan examines the benefits and challenges of AI in education, emphasizing the importance of human interaction while leveraging AI for personalized learning. He also delves into the ethical implications of AI, providing insights into how we can use these tools to build a more accessible and equitable education system. < All Book Selections 2025 Empowering Humanity: Technology for a Better World Brave New Words (NF) Salman Khan Audience: Adult Local author and founder of Khan Academy, Salman Khan's latest book, Brave New Words, is a must-read for anyone interested in the future of education. Khan explores how AI and GPT technology will transform learning, offering a roadmap for teachers, parents, and students to navigate this exciting new world. Khan examines the benefits and challenges of AI in education, emphasizing the importance of human interaction while leveraging AI for personalized learning. He also delves into the ethical implications of AI, providing insights into how we can use these tools to build a more accessible and equitable education system. About the Author Salman Khan Author's website

2016The Dust Bowl is sweeping through 1937 Kansas, but 11-year-old Jack Clark still faces life's ordinary challenges: town bullies, a sister with an eye for trouble, and his father's failed expectations. With tensions flaring in the rising heat, Jack catches a glimpse of a sinister figure with a face like rain in a neighbor's abandoned barn. When it never rains, it's hard to trust what you see with your own eyes – and harder still to take heart and be a hero when the time comes. The Storm in the Barn is a graphic novel that has received numerous honors including the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction and Kirk Reviews Best Children’s Book of the Year. < All Book Selections 2016 Chance of Rain? The Storm in the Barn Matt Phelan Audience: Ages 10+ The Dust Bowl is sweeping through 1937 Kansas, but 11-year-old Jack Clark still faces life's ordinary challenges: town bullies, a sister with an eye for trouble, and his father's failed expectations. With tensions flaring in the rising heat, Jack catches a glimpse of a sinister figure with a face like rain in a neighbor's abandoned barn. When it never rains, it's hard to trust what you see with your own eyes – and harder still to take heart and be a hero when the time comes. The Storm in the Barn is a graphic novel that has received numerous honors including the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction and Kirk Reviews Best Children’s Book of the Year. About the Author Matt Phelan is the illustrator of many books for young readers, including Flora’s Very Windy Day by Jeanne Birdsall, Always by Ann Stott, Xander’s Panda Party by Linda Sue Park, and The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron, winner of the 2007 Newbery Medal. He is the author/illustrator of the graphic novel The Storm in the Barn, which won the 2010 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction. His second graphic novel Around the World received the 2012 Carolyn W.Field Award from the Pennsylvania Library Association and two Eisner Award nominations. His latest graphic novel, Bluffton, is about summertime, vaudeville, and the young Buster Keaton. It has been nominated for three Eisner Awards including Best Graphic Album. His first picture book, Druthers, was published in September 2014. In 2014, Matt was awarded the Free Library of Philadelphia/Drexel University Children's Literature Citation. Matt lives in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. Matt Phelan Author's website

Resources Resources for parents and educators. A series of toolkits to support companion children & teen books featured by Silicon Valley Reads. Toolkits 2026 Tool Kit for Parents & Educators (TK-12) Welcome to the 2026 Silicon Valley Reads Reader Engagement Toolkit. This toolkit is designed to support you with engaging youth with this year’s children/teen companion books focused on “Bridges to Belonging.” For each book, you will find a brief summary of the text, potential discussion questions, tools to support literacy and interactive reading, social emotional resources as well as a focus on belonging. We hope this provides you with a robust set of tools to engage students in this year’s fantastic children & teen companion books. Past Toolkits 2025 Toolkit for Educators & Parents Toolkit for Reader Engagement: Use this tool to help engage youth in the Silicon Valley Reads book selections for 2025- Empowering Humanity: Technology for a Better World. 2024 Toolkit for Parents (TK-12) Toolkit for Family and Community Engagement (2024) 2024 Toolkit for Educators (TK-12) Educator Resources to support the 2024 Companion Children & Teen Books. Silicon Valley Reads book theme: A Greener Tomorrow Starts Today. 2023 Toolkit for Educators (TK-12) Educator Resources to support the 2023 Companion Children & Teen Books. Silicon Valley Reads book theme: Journey to New Beginnings. 2023 Toolkit for Parents (TK-12) Toolkit for Family Engagement (2023) 2022 Toolkit for Parents (TK-12) Toolkit for Family and Community Engagement (2022 The Power of Kindness, Resilience & Hope) Educator Resources Button This is a title. Click here to edit. Button This is a title. Click here to edit and add your own text. Button This is a title. Click here to edit and add your own text. Button This is an extra long title. Click here to edit and add your own text. It's easy. Parent Resources Button toolkit for 2023 Button This is a title. Click here to edit and add your own text. Button This is a title. Click here to edit and add your own text. Button This is an extra long title. Click here to edit and add your own text. It's easy. Button This is a title. Click here to edit. Button This is a title. Click here to edit and add your own text. Button This is a title. Click here to edit and add your own text. Button This is an extra long title. Click here to edit and add your own text. It's easy.

Learn about our accessibility programs that ensure inclusive experiences for all visitors. Discover services, resources, and accommodations designed to make events and activities accessible to everyone. Accessibility Programs Thank You, Neighbor StoryWalk® Tue, Jan 20 Multiple Local Parks More info Details Multiple Dates Watercolor Painting for Individuals with Disabilities Thu, Mar 12 Sunnyvale Community Center More info Details Adult Enrichment Storytime Mon, Mar 16 Santa Clara: Central Park Library More info Details Give Me a Sign Book Discussion & Author Visit Fri, Mar 20 Online More info Details Thank You, Neighbor- Storytime ASL Mon, Mar 23 Sunnyvale Library More info Details

2013When a soldier's work takes him halfway around the world, he enlists the help of the North Star for a nightly game of catch with his son. Night Catch is a timeless story that connects families while they are apart and offers comforting hope for their reunion. The book has been endorsed by the Military Child Education Coalition, United Through Reading and Army Wife Network. < All Book Selections 2013 Invisible Wounds of War Night Catch Brenda Ehrmantraut Audience: Pre-K to Grade 2 When a soldier's work takes him halfway around the world, he enlists the help of the North Star for a nightly game of catch with his son. Night Catch is a timeless story that connects families while they are apart and offers comforting hope for their reunion. The book has been endorsed by the Military Child Education Coalition, United Through Reading and Army Wife Network. About the Author Brenda lives in South Dakota where she is on the Aberdeen Area Arts Council. She is a graduate of North Dakota State University and Miami University (of Ohio). She has taught Language Arts and Reading at all levels 1-12 and is now president of Bubblegum Press, a publisher of children's books. She is also the author of I Want One Too! Brenda Ehrmantraut Author's website

2023Omar and his younger brother, Hassan, have spent most of their lives in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya. Life is hard there: never enough food, achingly dull, and without access to the medical care Omar knows his nonverbal brother needs. So when Omar has the opportunity to go to school, he knows it might be a chance to change their future . . . but it would also mean leaving his brother, the only family member he has left, every day. Heartbreak, hope, and gentle humor exist together in this graphic novel about a childhood spent waiting, and a young man who is able to create a sense of family and home in the most difficult of settings. It's an intimate, important, unforgettable look at the day-to-day life of a refugee, as told to New York Times Bestselling author/artist Victoria Jamieson by Omar Mohamed, the Somali man who lived the story. < All Book Selections 2023 Journey to New Beginnings When Stars are Scattered Victoria Jamieson & Omar Mohamed Audience: Grades 5-8 Omar and his younger brother, Hassan, have spent most of their lives in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya. Life is hard there: never enough food, achingly dull, and without access to the medical care Omar knows his nonverbal brother needs. So when Omar has the opportunity to go to school, he knows it might be a chance to change their future . . . but it would also mean leaving his brother, the only family member he has left, every day. Heartbreak, hope, and gentle humor exist together in this graphic novel about a childhood spent waiting, and a young man who is able to create a sense of family and home in the most difficult of settings. It's an intimate, important, unforgettable look at the day-to-day life of a refugee, as told to New York Times Bestselling author/artist Victoria Jamieson by Omar Mohamed, the Somali man who lived the story. About the Author Victoria Jamieson Co-author/Illustrator Victoria Jamieson is a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of books for children. Her graphic novel Roller Girl was awarded a 2016 Newbery Honor. When Stars Are Scattered, co-written with Omar Mohamed, was named a National Book Award Finalist in 2020. She lives with her family in Pennsylvania. Omar Mohamed Co-author Born in Somalia, at age 4, Omar fled to Dadaab Refugee Camp, and spent the next 15 years in the camp. Despite the difficulties of living in the refugee camp, Omar completed his primary and secondary school in Dadaab. He came to the U.S. in 2009 as a refugee, traveling with his younger brother who is mentality handicapped. In 2010 Omar became a US citizen and was also accepted into the University of Arizona where he completed his degree in International Development. Omar started Refugee Strong, a 501(C) (3) nonprofit organization committed to empowering refugee communities by providing support and hope through education. Having grown up in Dadaab Refugee Camp, Omar is a constant advocate for those who live there. Omar co-authored When Stars are Scattered based on his experience. Victoria Jamieson & Omar Mohamed Author's website

2015Ten-year-old Darling and her friends navigate their shantytown with the exuberance and mischievous spirit of children everywhere. But they are shadowed by memories of Before -- before their homes were destroyed by paramilitary policemen, before the schools closed, before their fathers left for dangerous jobs abroad. When Darling escapes to suburban America, she finds that—far from the comforts of her childhood community—America’s abundance is hard to reach, and she reckons alone with the sacrifices and mixed rewards of assimilating. Channeling the rhythm and vibrancy of the storytellers who raised her in Zimbabwe, Bulawayo tells a potent story of displacement and arrival, at once disarmingly playful and devastatingly candid, with a power all its own. < All Book Selections 2015 Homeland & Home: The Immigrant Experience We Need New Names NoViolet Bulawayo Audience: Adult Ten-year-old Darling and her friends navigate their shantytown with the exuberance and mischievous spirit of children everywhere. But they are shadowed by memories of Before -- before their homes were destroyed by paramilitary policemen, before the schools closed, before their fathers left for dangerous jobs abroad. When Darling escapes to suburban America, she finds that—far from the comforts of her childhood community—America’s abundance is hard to reach, and she reckons alone with the sacrifices and mixed rewards of assimilating. Channeling the rhythm and vibrancy of the storytellers who raised her in Zimbabwe, Bulawayo tells a potent story of displacement and arrival, at once disarmingly playful and devastatingly candid, with a power all its own. About the Author NoViolet Bulawayo is the author of We Need New Names (May 2013) which has been recognized with the Los Angeles Times Book Prize Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction, the Pen/Hemingway Award, the Etisalat Prize for Literature, the Barnes and Noble Discover Award (second place), and the National Book Foundation “5 Under 35” Fiction Selection. We Need New Names was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and the Guardian First Book Award, and selected to the New York Times Notable Books of 2013 list, the Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers list, and others. NoViolet’s story “Hitting Budapest” won the 2011 Caine Prize for African Writing. NoViolet earned her MFA at Cornell University where she was a recipient of the Truman Capote Fellowship. She was a Stegner Fellow at Stanford University, where she now teaches as a Jones Lecturer in Fiction. NoViolet grew up in Zimbabwe. NoViolet Bulawayo Author's website

2016“We ask that you stay calm,” the mayor said. “We’re Portlanders, right? We have thrived in prosperity, and we can endure hardship. To those who may feel the need to secure quantities of water, by whatever means, I ask you to have trust. Trust in your government, trust in me. We will provide. We will help each other get through. No one will go thirsty.” In drought-stricken Portland, Oregon, a Robin Hood-esque water thief is caught on camera redistributing an illegal truckload of water to those in need. Nicknamed Maid Marian—real name: Renee, a 20-something barista and eternal part-time college student—she is an instant folk hero. Renee rides her swelling popularity and the public's disgust at how the city has abandoned its people, raises an army . . . and secedes a quarter of the city. Even as Maid Marian and her compatriots build their community one neighbor at a time, they are making powerful enemies amongst the city government and the National Guard. Sherwood is an idealistic dream too soon caught in a brutal fight for survival. Sherwood Nation is the story of the rise and fall of a micro-nation within a city. It is a love story, a war story, a grand social experiment, a treatise on hacking and remaking government, on freedom and necessity, on individualism and community. EDITORIAL REVIEWS "With climate change and ever-increasing consumption, running out of water is a danger we don’t readily acknowledge, yet Benjamin Parzybok’s Sherwood Nation makes that danger vividly real. . . . Here we see how people behave in crisis—some better and some worse—and how idealism, self-concerned realism, and the personal hang in a balance; friends, alliances, and enemies are made.” Library Journal “What makes Sherwood Nation so compelling and, frankly, often terrifying, is how close to home it lives. This Portland is totally familiar, invoking the attitudes and spirit of today’s residents and details from the recent political landscape. It feels like the place we know — until a nightly power blackout or parade of National Guard water distribution tankers jars us with a reminder that this is, thankfully, a work of very good fiction." Register Guard "Benjamin Parzybok has reached into the post-collapse era for a story vital to our here and now. Sherwood Nation is part political thriller, part social fable, and part manifesto, its every page brimming with gonzo exuberance." Jedediah Berry < All Book Selections 2016 Chance of Rain? Sherwood Nation Benjamin Parzybok Audience: Adult “We ask that you stay calm,” the mayor said. “We’re Portlanders, right? We have thrived in prosperity, and we can endure hardship. To those who may feel the need to secure quantities of water, by whatever means, I ask you to have trust. Trust in your government, trust in me. We will provide. We will help each other get through. No one will go thirsty.” In drought-stricken Portland, Oregon, a Robin Hood-esque water thief is caught on camera redistributing an illegal truckload of water to those in need. Nicknamed Maid Marian—real name: Renee, a 20-something barista and eternal part-time college student—she is an instant folk hero. Renee rides her swelling popularity and the public's disgust at how the city has abandoned its people, raises an army . . . and secedes a quarter of the city. Even as Maid Marian and her compatriots build their community one neighbor at a time, they are making powerful enemies amongst the city government and the National Guard. Sherwood is an idealistic dream too soon caught in a brutal fight for survival. Sherwood Nation is the story of the rise and fall of a micro-nation within a city. It is a love story, a war story, a grand social experiment, a treatise on hacking and remaking government, on freedom and necessity, on individualism and community. EDITORIAL REVIEWS "With climate change and ever-increasing consumption, running out of water is a danger we don’t readily acknowledge, yet Benjamin Parzybok’s Sherwood Nation makes that danger vividly real. . . . Here we see how people behave in crisis—some better and some worse—and how idealism, self-concerned realism, and the personal hang in a balance; friends, alliances, and enemies are made.” Library Journal “What makes Sherwood Nation so compelling and, frankly, often terrifying, is how close to home it lives. This Portland is totally familiar, invoking the attitudes and spirit of today’s residents and details from the recent political landscape. It feels like the place we know — until a nightly power blackout or parade of National Guard water distribution tankers jars us with a reminder that this is, thankfully, a work of very good fiction." Register Guard "Benjamin Parzybok has reached into the post-collapse era for a story vital to our here and now. Sherwood Nation is part political thriller, part social fable, and part manifesto, its every page brimming with gonzo exuberance." Jedediah Berry About the Author Benjamin Parzybok is the author of the novels Couch (two time Indie-Next pick) and Sherwood Nation. His short stories have appeared in the Bellevue Literary Review, Strange Horizons, Lightspeed Magazine and West Branch. Among his other projects, he co-founded Gumball Poetry, a literary journal published in gumball capsule machines, co-ran Project Hamad, an effort to free a Guantanamo inmate Adel Hamad (who is now free) and co-runs “Black Magic Insurance Agency,” a one-night city-wide alternative reality game. He currently lives in Portland, Oregon with the artist Laura Moulton. He also founded and is the current Chief Technology Officer of the startup Walker Tracker. levinofearth.com and @sparkwatson Benjamin Parzybok Author's website

2020The Tenth Muse is an exhilarating, moving novel about a trailblazing mathematician whose research unearths her own extraordinary family story and its roots in World War II From the days of her childhood in the 1950s Midwest, Katherine knows she is different, and that her parents are not who they seem. As she matures from a girl of rare intelligence into an exceptional mathematician, traveling to Europe to further her studies, she must face the most human of problems—who is she? What is the cost of love, and what is the cost of ambition? These questions grow ever more entangled as Katherine strives to take her place in the world of higher mathematics and becomes involved with a brilliant and charismatic professor. When she embarks on a quest to conquer the Riemann hypothesis, the greatest unsolved mathematical problem of her time, she turns to a theorem with a mysterious history that may hold both the lock and the key to her identity, and to secrets long buried during World War II. Forced to confront some of the most consequential events of the 20th century and rethink everything she knows of herself, she finds kinship in the stories of the women who came before her, and discovers how seemingly distant stories, lives, and ideas are inextricably linked to her own. < All Book Selections 2020 Women Making It Happen The Tenth Muse Catherine Chung Audience: Adult The Tenth Muse is an exhilarating, moving novel about a trailblazing mathematician whose research unearths her own extraordinary family story and its roots in World War II From the days of her childhood in the 1950s Midwest, Katherine knows she is different, and that her parents are not who they seem. As she matures from a girl of rare intelligence into an exceptional mathematician, traveling to Europe to further her studies, she must face the most human of problems—who is she? What is the cost of love, and what is the cost of ambition? These questions grow ever more entangled as Katherine strives to take her place in the world of higher mathematics and becomes involved with a brilliant and charismatic professor. When she embarks on a quest to conquer the Riemann hypothesis, the greatest unsolved mathematical problem of her time, she turns to a theorem with a mysterious history that may hold both the lock and the key to her identity, and to secrets long buried during World War II. Forced to confront some of the most consequential events of the 20th century and rethink everything she knows of herself, she finds kinship in the stories of the women who came before her, and discovers how seemingly distant stories, lives, and ideas are inextricably linked to her own. About the Author Catherine Chung is the author of The Tenth Muse and Forgotten Country, for which she won an Honorable Mention for the PEN/Hemingway Award. She has been a National Endowment for the Arts Fellow, a Granta New Voice, a Director's Visitor at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, and the recipient of a Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Prize in poetry. She has a degree in mathematics from the University of Chicago and worked at a think tank in Santa Monica before receiving her MFA from Cornell University. She has published work in The New York Times and Granta, among others. Catherine Chung Author's website A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR "I am so delighted that The Tenth Muse has been chosen for the Silicon Valley Reads program, with its focus this year on women breaking gender barriers. To the extent that I meant The Tenth Muse to be both a chronicle of such women in history (particularly those working in STEM) as well as a contribution to the collective imagination around such women, I feel it couldn't be a more perfect fit, and I am beyond excited to get to be part of your community to talk with you about these things." - Catherine Chung

2010Large, dynamic double-page-spread paintings are only part of the charm of this very funny picture book. Easily recognizable as a trickster tale (Stevens' source note roots the story in European folktales and slave stories of the American South), this features appealing, contemporary cousins of Brer Rabbit and Brer Bear. Here, Bear and Hare are involved in a gardening partnership, with industrious, clever Hare reaping all the vegetable profits. As usual, Stevens' animal characters, bold and colorful, are delightful. Hare, decked out in a lively gardening shirt and surrounded by mischievous offspring, is the image of determination. It's Bear, however, who wins the personality prize: he snoozes away each planting season squashed in his favorite chair, changing positions with each flip of the page. It's all wonderful fun, and the book opens, fittingly, from top to bottom instead of from side to side, making it perfect for story-time sharing. < All Book Selections 2010 Tops & Bottoms Adapted and illustrated by Janet Stevens Audience: Ages 4 - 7 Large, dynamic double-page-spread paintings are only part of the charm of this very funny picture book. Easily recognizable as a trickster tale (Stevens' source note roots the story in European folktales and slave stories of the American South), this features appealing, contemporary cousins of Brer Rabbit and Brer Bear. Here, Bear and Hare are involved in a gardening partnership, with industrious, clever Hare reaping all the vegetable profits. As usual, Stevens' animal characters, bold and colorful, are delightful. Hare, decked out in a lively gardening shirt and surrounded by mischievous offspring, is the image of determination. It's Bear, however, who wins the personality prize: he snoozes away each planting season squashed in his favorite chair, changing positions with each flip of the page. It's all wonderful fun, and the book opens, fittingly, from top to bottom instead of from side to side, making it perfect for story-time sharing. About the Author Janet Stevens has been writing and or illustrating books for over 30 years. Her love of reading, art and children have combined to create the perfect career. Lately her collaboration with her sister, Susan Stevens Crummel have made the experience even more fun. Their titles include such favorites as Cook- a- Doodle-Doo, The Great Fuzz Frenzy, Help Me, Mr. Mutt and The Little Red Pen. Janet’s books have received numerous honors including, Time Magazine Best Books of the Year, ALA Notable books, Children’s Choice awards, Wanda Gag Book Best Read Aloud Award, New York Times Best Seller list and the Caldecott Honor for Tops and Bottoms. However, her most coveted awards are those voted on by young readers. She has won over 30 state book awards. Janet explains, “ When children read and love my books I feel as if I have done myjob. My greatest compliment is, read it again!” Adapted and illustrated by Janet Stevens Author's website

2025Dr. Fei-Fei Li, the "Godmother of AI" according to Wired Magazine, has been a driving force behind recent breakthroughs in artificial intelligence. Her creation of ImageNet, a massive dataset of images, has been instrumental in training deep learning models. Despite facing adversity early in life, Li’s passion for physics led her to pursue a career in computer science. Her work has positioned her at the forefront of AI research, where she has witnessed both the incredible potential and the significant risks of this technology. The Worlds I See offers a personal glimpse into her journey and a clear explanation of AI's development. < All Book Selections 2025 Empowering Humanity: Technology for a Better World The Worlds I See Dr. Fei-Fei Li Audience: Adult Dr. Fei-Fei Li, the "Godmother of AI" according to Wired Magazine, has been a driving force behind recent breakthroughs in artificial intelligence. Her creation of ImageNet, a massive dataset of images, has been instrumental in training deep learning models. Despite facing adversity early in life, Li’s passion for physics led her to pursue a career in computer science. Her work has positioned her at the forefront of AI research, where she has witnessed both the incredible potential and the significant risks of this technology. The Worlds I See offers a personal glimpse into her journey and a clear explanation of AI's development. About the Author Dr. Fei-Fei Li is the inaugural Sequoia Professor in the Computer Science Department at Stanford University, and Founding Co-Director of Stanford’s Human-Centered AI Institute. She served as the Director of Stanford’s AI Lab from 2013 to 2018, and during her sabbatical from Stanford, she was Vice President at Google and served as Chief Scientist of AI/ML at Google Cloud. Dr. Li holds a B.A. in physics from Princeton, a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Caltech, and an honorary doctorate from Harvey Mudd College. Her research focuses on cognitively inspired AI, machine learning, deep learning, computer vision, robotic learning, and AI+healthcare. She has published over 300 scientific articles, and her groundbreaking work in creating ImageNet, the first big training and benchmarking dataset in AI, was instrumental in catalyzing the onset of modern AI. She is a leading advocate for diversity in STEM and AI, co-founding AI4ALL to promote inclusion in AI education. Dr. Fei-Fei Li Author's website

2025 Books Videos & Photos 2025 Videos 2025 Event Photos Featured Books for Adults The Worlds I See Dr. Fei-Fei Li, the "Godmother of AI" according to Wired Magazine, has been a driving force behind recent breakthroughs in artificial intelligence. Her creation of ImageNet, a massive dataset of images, has been instrumental in training deep learning models. Despite facing adversity early in life, Li’s passion for physics led her to pursue a career in computer science. Her work has positioned her at the forefront of AI research, where she has witnessed both the incredible potential and the significant risks of this technology. The Worlds I See offers a personal glimpse into her journey and a clear explanation of AI's development. Read More Loneliness & Company In the near-future New York City, Lee, a promising graduate, finds herself unexpectedly assigned to a secretive government project. Her task: to train an AI named Vicky to be a friend. As Lee delves into the research, she uncovers a world where loneliness has been eradicated, and the government is desperate to maintain this illusion. With a determination to succeed, Lee embarks on a dangerous mission to gather data for Vicky, pushing the boundaries of her own understanding of friendship and the profound impact technology can have on human connection. Read More The Mountain in the Sea The Mountain in the Sea is a captivating novel set in a near-future world where the discovery of intelligent octopuses on a remote archipelago sparks a global race for technological dominance. A powerful tech corporation, DIANIMA, secures exclusive access to the islands, aiming to harness the octopuses' extraordinary intelligence for AI development. Dr. Ha Nguyen, a renowned marine biologist, joins DIANIMA's team to study these remarkable creatures and their unique language and culture. As research progresses, tensions escalate, and forces from around the world converge, each vying to control this extraordinary discovery. The novel delves into themes of consciousness, communication, and the ethical implications of human interaction with advanced alien intelligence. It also serves as a cautionary tale about the potential consequences of unchecked technological advancement and human exploitation of the natural world. Read More View All Book Selections Companion Books Someday, Maybe Someday, Maybe is a vibrant picture book that sparks imagination about the limitless possibilities of the future. Featuring futuristic jobs like intergalactic rock bands with riffing robots and doctors with X-ray glasses, the book encourages children to dream big and envision exciting careers that haven’t even been invented yet. With self-driving cars and commercial launches to space, the future has arrived, and the opportunities are endless. Join a group of intrepid young innovators as they explore the exciting possibilities that await them in this imaginative picture book. Read More ARTificial Intelligence Ever since he was a little chip, Robot knew he was ART-ificially different. A funny and heartfelt picture book exploring AI, art, and creativity, the story follows Robot as he tries to fit in at the warehouse. But when he’s sent off for reprogramming, he takes a wrong turn and discovers a world of music, dancing, and art. Struggling to understand and express himself through these creative outlets, Robot eventually discovers a unique ability: he can sense the emotions behind the music and the movements of the dancers. Inspired by this newfound understanding, Robot begins to experiment with his own artistic creations, combining his mechanical precision with his newfound appreciation for art. Soon, the warehouse, once a dull and monotonous place, is transformed by Robot’s artistic creations. The other robots, inspired by his passion, begin to experiment with their own forms of expression. Together, they create a vibrant and dynamic environment where technology and art coexist. Read More The Wild Robot The Wild Robot, a heartwarming and action-packed novel, now a DreamWorks movie, tells the story of Roz, a robot stranded on a remote island. As she battles the elements and learns to adapt to her wild surroundings, Roz forms unlikely friendships with the island’s animal inhabitants. But her mysterious past threatens to disrupt her newfound peace. From bestselling author and illustrator Peter Brown comes a captivating tale exploring the collision of nature and technology. Read More Farther than the Moon From award-winning author Lindsay Lackey, Farther Than the Moon is a heartfelt story about a thirteen-year-old boy named Houston who dreams of becoming an astronaut. When he’s accepted to a prestigious astronaut program, Houston faces a dilemma: his younger brother, Robbie, has disabilities that prevent him from attending. Despite the challenges, Houston is determined to honor Robbie’s dream of space exploration, even if it means making sacrifices. As Houston navigates the demands of the program and confronts the reality of his brother’s limitations, he discovers the true meaning of friendship, perseverance, and the power of hope. Read More View All Companion Books Recommended Reading Unmasking AI (NF) Dr. Joy Buolamwini, a leading AI researcher, has been warning about the dangers of biased AI for years. Her groundbreaking work exposed racial and gender biases in AI systems from major tech companies. In her book, Unmasking AI, she discusses how these biases can harm marginalized groups. Buolamwini argues that we need to ensure AI is developed ethically and equitably for the benefit of everyone. She founded the Algorithmic Justice League to advocate for algorithmic justice and prevent AI harms. Brave New Words (NF) Local author and founder of Khan Academy, Salman Khan's latest book, Brave New Words, is a must-read for anyone interested in the future of education. Khan explores how AI and GPT technology will transform learning, offering a roadmap for teachers, parents, and students to navigate this exciting new world. Khan examines the benefits and challenges of AI in education, emphasizing the importance of human interaction while leveraging AI for personalized learning. He also delves into the ethical implications of AI, providing insights into how we can use these tools to build a more accessible and equitable education system. Breaking Through: My Life in Science (NF) Katalin Karikó, a Nobel Prize-winning biochemist, overcame countless obstacles to revolutionize medicine. Despite facing discrimination and skepticism, she persisted in her research on messenger RNA (mRNA). Her groundbreaking work led to the development of COVID-19 vaccines, saving millions of lives. Karikó's story is a testament to the power of perseverance and the importance of pursuing scientific discovery, even in the face of adversity. The Verifiers (Fiction) Claudia Lin, a sharp-witted amateur sleuth, investigates a missing client while working for a unique online-dating detective agency. As she delves deeper, she uncovers a web of deceit and explores the complexities of love and technology in the digital age. This debut novel offers a clever and incisive examination of modern relationships and the impact of technology on our lives. Annie Bot (Fiction- Adult Content) Annie Bot, a female robot designed to be the perfect girlfriend, is learning and growing beyond her programmed role. As she becomes more self-aware, she challenges the boundaries of her relationship with her human owner, Doug. This provocative novel explores themes of power, autonomy, and the complexities of human-AI relationships in a world where creations may surpass their creators. Recommended Reading

2012Since 9/11, stories about Muslims and the Islamic world have flooded headlines, politics, and water-cooler conversations all across the country. And, although Americans hear about Islam on a daily basis, there remains no clear explanation of Islam or its people. The Muslim Next Door offers easy-to-understand yet academically sound answers to these questions while also dispelling commonly held misconceptions. Written from the point of view of an American Muslim, the book addresses what readers in the Western world are most curious about, beginning with the basics of Islam and how Muslims practice their religion before easing into more complicated issues like jihad, Islamic fundamentalism, and the status of women in Islam. Author Sumbul Ali-Karamali's vivid anecdotes about growing up Muslim and female in the West, along with her sensitive, scholarly overview of Islam, combine for a uniquely insightful look at the world's fastest growing religion. < All Book Selections 2012 Muslim and American: Two Perspectives The Muslim Next Door Sumbul Ali-Karamali Audience: Adult Since 9/11, stories about Muslims and the Islamic world have flooded headlines, politics, and water-cooler conversations all across the country. And, although Americans hear about Islam on a daily basis, there remains no clear explanation of Islam or its people. The Muslim Next Door offers easy-to-understand yet academically sound answers to these questions while also dispelling commonly held misconceptions. Written from the point of view of an American Muslim, the book addresses what readers in the Western world are most curious about, beginning with the basics of Islam and how Muslims practice their religion before easing into more complicated issues like jihad, Islamic fundamentalism, and the status of women in Islam. Author Sumbul Ali-Karamali's vivid anecdotes about growing up Muslim and female in the West, along with her sensitive, scholarly overview of Islam, combine for a uniquely insightful look at the world's fastest growing religion. About the Author Sumbul Ali-Karamali grew up in California, balancing her South Asian, Muslim, and American identities. Often the only Muslim her acquaintances knew, she had ample practice answering questions about Islam and Muslims. ("What do you mean you can't go to the prom because of your religion?") While working as a corporate lawyer, she was repeatedly asked to recommend books on Islam, so she decided to write a book that was both academically reliable and entertaining to read. Consequently, she moved to London and earned her L.L.M. in Islamic Law from the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies. She served as a teaching assistant in Islamic Law at SOAS and a research associate at the Centre of Islamic and Middle Eastern Law in London, and then she wrote The Muslim Next Door for everyone who ever asked - or wanted to ask - a question about Islam. To learn more about Sumbul, visit her website muslimnextdoor.com Sumbul Ali-Karamali Author's website REVIEW FROM BLOGCRITICS MAGAZINE "Sumbul Ali-Karamali's exceptional The Muslim Next Door: The Qur'an, the Media, and That Veil Thing is a conversational piece of work that illuminates numerous facets of the Muslim faith in terms and language that the average reader can understand. Ali-Karamali's book illuminates what it means to be a Muslim and what it means to live with honour and dignity. She is academic, yet never exclusive, in her approach to the subject matter. Always kind and credible, Ali-Karamali delivers point after point of intelligibility and authority.... Sumbul Ali-Karamali's The Muslim Next Door should be required reading (along with a Qur'an) for anyone interested in the subject of Islam and its many misconceptions among Westerners. While we aim for a future in which harmony prevails and justice and compassion are tantamount, we must remember to combat the most portentous demon of them all: misinformation. Ali-Karamali's book does that beautifully." DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (THE MUSLIM NEXT DOOR) What is religion? What is the purpose of religion? What is the difference between religious doctrine and what religionists do in practice? What is culture? How is it intertwined with religion? Is it so intertwined in the United States? Why or why not? What was your perception of Islam before reading this book and has it been transformed or confirmed after reading The Muslim Next Door? In what ways, if any, has it transformed? What information or argument or perspective in the book did you find especially surprising or compelling? Did this book inspire you to read more about the history of Islam and Muslims? Is there anything you learned about this history that you wish to investigate further? Samuel Huntingdon and others insist that a "clash of civilizations" is inevitable. What do you think? Do you adhere to a religion that has a religious text? If so, how old is that text? Do you know what every word means? Would you take every word literally? If not, why not? The author claims that we in the United States grow up with the white, Western viewpoint. Do you agree? Give examples supporting your view. Why does the Muslim head covering provoke such reflexive reactions in many non-Muslims? Is it different from nuns' habits? Jewish orthodox head coverings? What are the issues involved in religious dress? What are the parameters of dress and modesty in our own world, religious or non-religious? Are the words "objective," "apologist," and "biased," appropriate to a discussion of religion? How are they used in the public discourse? Is there an objective view or only different points of view? Can you think of aspects of your own traditions or cultures or religions that could be misunderstood or that other people could point to in a negative light?

2011A baby kangaroo takes his first tentative hops outside of his mama's pouch, meeting other creatures and growing bolder each time. < All Book Selections 2011 Pouch! David Ezra Stein Audience: Pre-K A baby kangaroo takes his first tentative hops outside of his mama's pouch, meeting other creatures and growing bolder each time. About the Author Award-winning children's author and illustrator David Ezra Stein was born in Brooklyn, NY. By the time he was three, he was asking adults, "Wanna come to my room? Read books?" This love of reading grew into a love of telling stories, and then, writing. David Ezra Stein’s Interrupting Chicken was awarded a 2011 Caldecott Honor, as well as many state awards. His picture book Leaves won the Ezra Jack Keats award and was a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year, a Kirkus Reviews Editor’s Choice, and a School Library Journal Best Book. Booklist called his book Monster Hug! “a cousin to Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are.” Pouch! (Putnam), was a 2010 Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book. His books have been translated into Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Spanish, Catalan, Dutch, French, and Finnish David Ezra Stein Author's website "With each vivacious bounce, a baby kangaroo seeks independence-bit by bit. Ready, more or less, to venture forth from his mama's pouch, this tenacious tyke now explores the world around him. With a few hops, Joey greets each creature he meets with a forceful, "who are you?" Their one-word responses alarm him; Joey quickly cries "Pouch!" as he returns to his mother's side. When Joey meets another joey, though, he gains courage with his newfound friend. Punchy dialogue zings during the kangaroo's brief interactions, and repetition successfully accelerates the story. Succinct phrases maintain playful pacing and provide a fluid read-aloud. The bold, white hand-lettered dialogue predominately placed against the vignettes expresses the toddler's fledgling growth. Rich colors, mostly in orangey-browns, golden yellows and rustic greens, evoke an earthy atmosphere. The background surroundings seamlessly blend, maintaining focus on the central characters, and soft curves convey maternal love as Joey's mother supports his maturity. Warm and inviting, this buoyant tale is hopping good fun." —Kirkus Reviews

Recommended Reading Silicon Valley Reads is pleased to provide a curated list of recommended reading for our Bridges to Belonging theme. 2026 Bridges to Belonging What it Takes to Save a Life: A Veterinarian's Quest of Healing and Hope Dr. Kwane Stewart Audience: Adult Dr. Kwane Stewart, founder of Project Street Vet and CNN's 2023 Hero of the Year, was a struggling veterinarian on the brink of burnout when a single, spontaneous act of kindness changed everything: offering free treatment to a homeless man's dog. This powerful, honest memoir takes you onto the streets of California and beyond, revealing the extraordinary bonds of unconditional love between unhoused individuals and their animal companions. For people facing extreme loneliness and invisibility, a pet is their only family, their lifeline, and their bridge to stability. In What It Takes to Save a Life, Kwane Stewart shows how healing these animals is a crucial step in recognizing the humanity of their owners. His journey is a profound reminder that we are all part of a wider community, and by extending compassion to our most vulnerable neighbors—and their beloved pets—we can save not just an animal, but a human soul. 2026 Bridges to Belonging Connecting Dots Joshua A. Miele Audience: Adult The memoir of MacArthur "Genius" award winner Dr. Joshua A. Miele is a powerful testament to finding connection and building a life of purpose in a world not built for you. Badly burned and blinded at age four, Miele refused to be a victim. Instead, his natural curiosity and problem-solving skills led him to the heart of the tech industry—from working at NASA to pioneering revolutionary accessibility technologies like screen readers and tactile maps. Connecting Dots is an unforgettable, funny, and deeply honest journey of a blind scientist who channels his experiences into creations that connect the disabled community to the world. Miele’s life demonstrates that the ingenuity spurred by necessity creates the strongest bridges to belonging, allowing millions to fully participate in a society designed for the sighted. 2026 Bridges to Belonging Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting Clare Pooley Audience: Adult Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting by Clare Pooley is a heartwarming story that proves the most rigid social contract—never talk to strangers—is meant to be broken. Iona Iverson, an eccentric advice columnist, lives by an ironclad rule: ignore everyone on her daily train ride, whom she knows only by self-assigned nicknames like "Smart-But-Sexist-Manspreader." But when a fellow commuter suddenly chokes, a single, life-saving act of intervention shatters Iona's carefully constructed isolation. Watch as this unlikely cast of characters—each dealing with their own private struggles with loneliness, aging, and career anxiety—evolves from anonymous passengers into a found family. This story explores how breaking down barriers of judgment and embracing vulnerability can lead to unexpected, life-altering connections, transforming a train car of strangers into a true community. More Books for Adults If you'd like to continue viewing a list of adult recommended reading from past years, scroll down to the "Previous Years' Recommended Reading" section below. Otherwise, select the button below to view a complete list of books that have been featured by Silicon Valley Reads. All Book Selections Over 150 Events Author talks, book clubs, community events and more! Please join us for many more events celebrating Bridges to Belonging! 2026 Calendar of Events Previous Years' Recommended Reading Selections Explore past adult Recommended Reading titles, arranged by featured year and theme. 2025 Empowering Humanity: Technology for a Better World Unmasking AI (NF) Dr. Joy Buolamwini Audience: Adult Dr. Joy Buolamwini, a leading AI researcher, has been warning about the dangers of biased AI for years. Her groundbreaking work exposed racial and gender biases in AI systems from major tech companies. In her book, Unmasking AI, she discusses how these biases can harm marginalized groups. Buolamwini argues that we need to ensure AI is developed ethically and equitably for the benefit of everyone. She founded the Algorithmic Justice League to advocate for algorithmic justice and prevent AI harms. 2025 Empowering Humanity: Technology for a Better World Brave New Words (NF) Salman Khan Audience: Adult Local author and founder of Khan Academy, Salman Khan's latest book, Brave New Words, is a must-read for anyone interested in the future of education. Khan explores how AI and GPT technology will transform learning, offering a roadmap for teachers, parents, and students to navigate this exciting new world. Khan examines the benefits and challenges of AI in education, emphasizing the importance of human interaction while leveraging AI for personalized learning. He also delves into the ethical implications of AI, providing insights into how we can use these tools to build a more accessible and equitable education system. 2025 Empowering Humanity: Technology for a Better World Breaking Through: My Life in Science (NF) Katalin Karikó Audience: Adult Katalin Karikó, a Nobel Prize-winning biochemist, overcame countless obstacles to revolutionize medicine. Despite facing discrimination and skepticism, she persisted in her research on messenger RNA (mRNA). Her groundbreaking work led to the development of COVID-19 vaccines, saving millions of lives. Karikó's story is a testament to the power of perseverance and the importance of pursuing scientific discovery, even in the face of adversity. 2025 Empowering Humanity: Technology for a Better World The Verifiers (Fiction) Jane Pek Audience: Adult Claudia Lin, a sharp-witted amateur sleuth, investigates a missing client while working for a unique online-dating detective agency. As she delves deeper, she uncovers a web of deceit and explores the complexities of love and technology in the digital age. This debut novel offers a clever and incisive examination of modern relationships and the impact of technology on our lives. 2025 Empowering Humanity: Technology for a Better World Annie Bot (Fiction- Adult Content) Sierra Greer Audience: Adult Annie Bot, a female robot designed to be the perfect girlfriend, is learning and growing beyond her programmed role. As she becomes more self-aware, she challenges the boundaries of her relationship with her human owner, Doug. This provocative novel explores themes of power, autonomy, and the complexities of human-AI relationships in a world where creations may surpass their creators. 2024 A Greener Tomorrow Starts Today Under a White Sky: The Nature of The Future Elizabeth Kolbert Audience: Adult Under a White Sky by Elizabeth Kolbert (Pulitzer Prize winning journalist) takes the reader through various fields of study, speaking to experts on ways they are assisting environments, flora, and fauna that are affected by climate change. The intimate nature of the prose makes the reader feel like they're tagging along with a friend. Exploration is conducted on: the impacts of the Asian carp in the rivers of Chicago, the receding coastline of Louisiana, a pond in the middle of Death Valley with a unique species of fish, to name a few. Kolbert is frank about the reality of the situation, but because of her curious and questioning tone, the subject matter doesn't feel overwhelming. 2024 A Greener Tomorrow Starts Today Working to Restore: Harnessing the Power of Regenerative Business to Heal the World Esha Chhabra Audience: Adult Working to Restore examines revolutionary approaches in agriculture, waste, supply chain, inclusivity for the collective good, women in the workforce, travel, health, energy, and finance. The companies profiled are solving global issues, promoting responsible production and consumption, creating equitable opportunities for all, encouraging climate action, and more. Chhabra highlights how their work moves beyond the greenwashed idea of “sustainability” into a new era of regeneration and restoration across industries and geographies—to paint a broader picture of a global movement through a journalistic lens. 2024 A Greener Tomorrow Starts Today Burnt: A Memoir of Fighting Fire Clare Frank Audience: Adult Burnt is Clare Frank’s inspiring, richly detailed, and open-hearted account of an extraordinary life in fire. It chronicles the transformation of a young adult determined to prove her mettle into a scarred and sensitive veteran, grappling with the weight of her duties as chief of fire protection—one of the highest-ranking women in Cal Fire history—while record-setting fires engulf her home state. 2024 A Greener Tomorrow Starts Today Damnation Spring (Fiction) Ash Davidson Audience: Adult Damnation Spring beautifully captures a sense of time and place in 1970s Arcata, California. What sets it apart is its unique take on the traditional conservation narrative. For generations, the community has lived and breathed timber; now that way of life is threatened. Amidst the backdrop of environmental concerns, Damnation Spring introduces an intriguing juxtaposition. The loggers share an intimate bond with the forest that outsiders, advocating for its preservation through protected parklands, can never fully comprehend. This novel opens a new perspective on environmentalism, exploring the intricate relationship between humanity and nature.

2025The Wild Robot, a heartwarming and action-packed novel, now a DreamWorks movie, tells the story of Roz, a robot stranded on a remote island. As she battles the elements and learns to adapt to her wild surroundings, Roz forms unlikely friendships with the island’s animal inhabitants. But her mysterious past threatens to disrupt her newfound peace. From bestselling author and illustrator Peter Brown comes a captivating tale exploring the collision of nature and technology. < All Book Selections 2025 Empowering Humanity: Technology for a Better World The Wild Robot Peter Brown Audience: Upper Elementary The Wild Robot, a heartwarming and action-packed novel, now a DreamWorks movie, tells the story of Roz, a robot stranded on a remote island. As she battles the elements and learns to adapt to her wild surroundings, Roz forms unlikely friendships with the island’s animal inhabitants. But her mysterious past threatens to disrupt her newfound peace. From bestselling author and illustrator Peter Brown comes a captivating tale exploring the collision of nature and technology. About the Author Peter Brown writes and illustrates books for children. His picture books include The Curious Garden, Children Make Terrible Pets, and Mr. Tiger Goes Wild. His work has earned numerous honors, including a Horn Book Award, a Children’s Choice Illustrator of the Year Award, a New York Times Best Illustrated Book Award, and a Caldecott Honor. Peter’s #1 New York Times bestselling novel for children, The Wild Robot, was the inspiration for The Wild Robot animated film from DreamWorks. He lives in Maine with his wife, X. Fang, who is also an author and illustrator. Peter Brown Author's website

2010 Books Play video on YouTube In Defense of Food Michael Pollan Audience: Adult Real food -- the kind of food your great-grandmother would recognize as food - is being undermined by science on one side and the food industry on the other, both of whom want us focus on nutrients, good and bad, rather than actual plants, animals and fungi. According to author Michael Pollan, the rise of "nutritionism" has vastly complicated the lives of American eaters without doing anything for our health, except possibly to make it worse. Nutritionism arose to deal with a genuine problem -- the fact that the modern American diet is responsible for an epidemic of chronic diseases, from obesity and type II diabetes to heart disease and many cancers -- but it has obscured the real roots of that problem and stood in the way of a solution. In 200 pages, Pollan outlines the challenge and offers a straightforward manifesto -- "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." -- as well as practical advice on how to accomplish these deceptively simple goals. Read More SeedFolks Paul Fleischman Audience: Young Adult Nine-year-old Kim plants lima beans in an empty, trash-filled lot as a memorial to her Vietnamese father. Her planting is discovered by Anna, a Rumanian immigrant who has lived on Gibbs Street in Cleveland for 70 years. This discovery leads to the clearing of the lot and the beginning of a community garden, which grows both plants and relationships. The immigrant families of Gibbs Street are living in the isolation caused by poverty and escalated by cultural and language differences. Through the voices and dialects of 13 of the gardeners, we learn about the day-to-day life of the inner-city poor. The walls of isolation break down among the community members as they discuss gardening, assist each other in transporting water, and watch over each others' precious crops. Fleischman has carefully woven the lives of the characters with the common thread of the garden. His succinct use of language creates physical and personality images of each character. Children and adults will enjoy his short book. Teachers will delight in the first-person narratives as a beginning point for writing assignments. The book could be read aloud to classes as a starting point for research on the problems in big cities or on the building of communities. It will be used by social studies teachers, writing teachers, and teachers of literature. Read More Tops & Bottoms Adapted and illustrated by Janet Stevens Audience: Ages 4 - 7 Large, dynamic double-page-spread paintings are only part of the charm of this very funny picture book. Easily recognizable as a trickster tale (Stevens' source note roots the story in European folktales and slave stories of the American South), this features appealing, contemporary cousins of Brer Rabbit and Brer Bear. Here, Bear and Hare are involved in a gardening partnership, with industrious, clever Hare reaping all the vegetable profits. As usual, Stevens' animal characters, bold and colorful, are delightful. Hare, decked out in a lively gardening shirt and surrounded by mischievous offspring, is the image of determination. It's Bear, however, who wins the personality prize: he snoozes away each planting season squashed in his favorite chair, changing positions with each flip of the page. It's all wonderful fun, and the book opens, fittingly, from top to bottom instead of from side to side, making it perfect for story-time sharing. Read More Carrot Soup John Segal Audience: Pre-K Rabbit, a very organized animal, loves carrot soup. He spends the long winter paging through carrot catalogs (a full-page spread shows the different colors, shapes, and sizes of eight kinds of carrots). Then he plows and plants, waters and weeds, and waits. Finally it's time to harvest, but when he goes to pick the carrots, they are all gone. He frantically questions all the animals he knows, but not one admits to liking carrots. "Discouraged and disappointed, Rabbit went home," where he discovered a wonderful surprise. Read More

2024It's been five years since a hurricane ravaged Eliza Marino's life and home in her quiet town on the Jersey shore. Now a senior in high school, Eliza is passionate about fighting climate change-starting with saving Clam Cove Reserve, an area of marshland that is scheduled to be turned into buildable lots. Protecting the island helps Eliza deal with her lingering trauma from the storm, but she still can't shake the fear that something will come along and wash out her life once again. When Eliza meets Milo Harris at a party, she tries to hate him. Milo is one of the rich tourists who flock to the island every summer. But after Eliza reluctantly agrees to give Milo surfing lessons, she can't help falling for him. Still, Eliza's not sure if she's ready to risk letting an outsider into the life she's rebuilt. Especially once she discovers that Milo is keeping a devastating secret. < All Book Selections 2024 A Greener Tomorrow Starts Today Don't Call Me a Hurricane (High School/Young Adult) Ellen Hagan Audience: High School/Young Adult It's been five years since a hurricane ravaged Eliza Marino's life and home in her quiet town on the Jersey shore. Now a senior in high school, Eliza is passionate about fighting climate change-starting with saving Clam Cove Reserve, an area of marshland that is scheduled to be turned into buildable lots. Protecting the island helps Eliza deal with her lingering trauma from the storm, but she still can't shake the fear that something will come along and wash out her life once again. When Eliza meets Milo Harris at a party, she tries to hate him. Milo is one of the rich tourists who flock to the island every summer. But after Eliza reluctantly agrees to give Milo surfing lessons, she can't help falling for him. Still, Eliza's not sure if she's ready to risk letting an outsider into the life she's rebuilt. Especially once she discovers that Milo is keeping a devastating secret. About the Author Ellen Hagan is a writer, performer, and educator. Her books include: Crowned, Hemisphere, Watch Us Rise, a YA collaboration with Renée Watson, Blooming Fiascoes, Reckless, Glorious, Girl and Don’t Call Me a Hurricane (YA novel in verse). Ellen is Head of the Poetry & Theatre Departments at the DreamYard Project and directs their International Poetry Exchange Program with Japan, South Korea and the Philippines. She is on faculty in the low residency MFA program at Spalding University and co-leads the Alice Hoffman Young Writer's Retreat at Adelphi University. A proud Kentucky writer, Ellen is a member of the Affrilachian Poets, Conjure Women, and is co-founder of the girlstory collective. She lives with her partner and children in New York City. Ellen Hagan Author's website

2024Climate issues and the resulting eco-anxiety is the biggest challenge of our time. The anxiety that comes with worrying about how environmental harm will impact our—and our children’s—lives can be overwhelming. Learn how to balance practicing daily sustainability actions while caring for your own eco-anxiety in this revolutionary book from noted environmentalist Heather White. In  One Green Thing , White shows you how to contribute to the climate movement through self-discovery and self-care. < All Book Selections 2024 A Greener Tomorrow Starts Today One Green Thing Heather White Audience: Adult Climate issues and the resulting eco-anxiety is the biggest challenge of our time. The anxiety that comes with worrying about how environmental harm will impact our—and our children’s—lives can be overwhelming. Learn how to balance practicing daily sustainability actions while caring for your own eco-anxiety in this revolutionary book from noted environmentalist Heather White. In One Green Thing , White shows you how to contribute to the climate movement through self-discovery and self-care. About the Author Heather White is a nationally recognized conservation and environmental policy expert and a frequent spokesperson in national media on climate, energy, and conservation issues. Heather is the founder & CEO of the nonprofit, OneGreenThing.org , and author of One Green Thing: Discover Your Hidden Power to Help Save the Planet (Harper Collins, 2022). OneGreenThing is a nonprofit that tackles eco-anxiety through joyful daily action, inspiring culture change for policy solutions. Her twenty-plus years experience of service including working as a litigator at a prominent Nashville law firm, a campaign staffer and recount attorney for Al Gore's presidential campaign, the energy and environmental policy legislative counsel for U.S. Senator Russ Feingold, and adjunct law professor at Georgetown University Law Center and the University of Tennessee College of Law. White directed environmental education advocacy at the nation's largest conservation organization, ran an environmental health watchdog in Washington, DC, and led the nonprofit partner to Yellowstone National Park. Heather was named one of the "Top 20 Women Leaders in Sustainability" by Green Building & Design magazine and "100 Women to Watch in Wellness" by MindBodyGreen. Heather has been featured on Good Morning America, CBS News, MSNBC, KTLA5, ACB7 in San Francisco, WGN in Chicago, and quoted in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and Teen Vogue. Heather White Author's website

2014“I wrote this book because it’s the one I wanted to read, and I tried to pack it full of the things I love: books and bookstores; design and typography; Silicon Valley and San Francisco; fantasy and science fiction; quests and projects. If you love those things too, I hope and believe you will enjoy a visit to the tall skinny bookstore next to the strip club.” Robin Sloan Mr. Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore has been described as a gleeful and exhilarating tale of global conspiracy, complex code-breaking, high-tech data visualization, young love, rollicking adventure, and the secret to eternal life—mostly set in a hole-in-the-wall San Francisco bookstore The Great Recession has shuffled Clay Jannon out of his life as a San Francisco Web-design drone—and serendipity, sheer curiosity, and the ability to climb a ladder like a monkey has landed him a new gig working the night shift at Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore. But after just a few days on the job, Clay begins to realize that this store is even more curious than the name suggests. There are only a few customers, but they come in repeatedly and never seem to actually buy anything, instead “checking out” impossibly obscure volumes from strange corners of the store, all according to some elaborate, long-standing arrangement with the gnomic Mr. Penumbra. The store must be a front for something larger, Clay concludes, and soon he’s embarked on a complex analysis of the customers’ behavior and roped his friends into helping to figure out just what’s going on. But once they bring their findings to Mr. Penumbra, it turns out the secrets extend far outside the walls of the bookstore. With irresistible brio and dazzling intelligence, Robin Sloan has crafted a literary adventure story for the twenty-first century, evoking both the fairy-tale charm of Haruki Murakami and the enthusiastic novel-of-ideas wizardry of Neal Stephenson or a young Umberto Eco, but with a unique and feisty sensibility that’s rare to the world of literary fiction. Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore is exactly what it sounds like: an establishment you have to enter and will never want to leave, a modern-day cabinet of wonders ready to give a jolt of energy to every curious reader, no matter the time of day. < All Book Selections 2014 Books & Technology: Friends or Foes? Mr. Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore Robin Sloan Audience: Adult “I wrote this book because it’s the one I wanted to read, and I tried to pack it full of the things I love: books and bookstores; design and typography; Silicon Valley and San Francisco; fantasy and science fiction; quests and projects. If you love those things too, I hope and believe you will enjoy a visit to the tall skinny bookstore next to the strip club.” Robin Sloan Mr. Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore has been described as a gleeful and exhilarating tale of global conspiracy, complex code-breaking, high-tech data visualization, young love, rollicking adventure, and the secret to eternal life—mostly set in a hole-in-the-wall San Francisco bookstore The Great Recession has shuffled Clay Jannon out of his life as a San Francisco Web-design drone—and serendipity, sheer curiosity, and the ability to climb a ladder like a monkey has landed him a new gig working the night shift at Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore. But after just a few days on the job, Clay begins to realize that this store is even more curious than the name suggests. There are only a few customers, but they come in repeatedly and never seem to actually buy anything, instead “checking out” impossibly obscure volumes from strange corners of the store, all according to some elaborate, long-standing arrangement with the gnomic Mr. Penumbra. The store must be a front for something larger, Clay concludes, and soon he’s embarked on a complex analysis of the customers’ behavior and roped his friends into helping to figure out just what’s going on. But once they bring their findings to Mr. Penumbra, it turns out the secrets extend far outside the walls of the bookstore. With irresistible brio and dazzling intelligence, Robin Sloan has crafted a literary adventure story for the twenty-first century, evoking both the fairy-tale charm of Haruki Murakami and the enthusiastic novel-of-ideas wizardry of Neal Stephenson or a young Umberto Eco, but with a unique and feisty sensibility that’s rare to the world of literary fiction. Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore is exactly what it sounds like: an establishment you have to enter and will never want to leave, a modern-day cabinet of wonders ready to give a jolt of energy to every curious reader, no matter the time of day. About the Author Robin Sloan grew up near Detroit and now splits his time between Berkeley and the internet. He graduated from Michigan State with a degree in economics and, from 2002 to 2012, worked at Poynter, Current TV, and finally at Twitter in San Francisco, where he worked on media partnerships. Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore is his first novel. Ajax Penumbra 1969 , a short prequel, was released in September. Robin Sloan Author's website

2013Rachel "Brownie" Browning is thirteen when her father comes back from the war in Iraq. Of course she understands that he has been injured and that he will be a little different, at least for a while. But Brownie doesn't even know the man with a prosthetic arm and leg who sits in the living room day after day. He's certainly not the father who helped her build a fort in her backyard, or played basketball with her sister, or hauled her little brother around like a sack of potatoes. Brownie's mother says that because of his traumatic brain injury, their father needs their affection and patience. In time, he'll be better - Dad will be back. But Dad doesn't seem to be making much progress, or much effort. He doesn't smile. He doesn't talk. He won't even get out of his wheelchair, even though the doctors have taught him how and say that walking is essential to his recovery. And Brownie begins to wonder, will her family ever be able to return to the way life was before the war? A story about an ordinary family forced to deal with an extraordinary loss, Back Home tells the tale of families scarred and the battle just beginning when their wounded loved ones return home. < All Book Selections 2013 Invisible Wounds of War Back Home Julia Keller Audience: Grades 5 - 8 Rachel "Brownie" Browning is thirteen when her father comes back from the war in Iraq. Of course she understands that he has been injured and that he will be a little different, at least for a while. But Brownie doesn't even know the man with a prosthetic arm and leg who sits in the living room day after day. He's certainly not the father who helped her build a fort in her backyard, or played basketball with her sister, or hauled her little brother around like a sack of potatoes. Brownie's mother says that because of his traumatic brain injury, their father needs their affection and patience. In time, he'll be better - Dad will be back. But Dad doesn't seem to be making much progress, or much effort. He doesn't smile. He doesn't talk. He won't even get out of his wheelchair, even though the doctors have taught him how and say that walking is essential to his recovery. And Brownie begins to wonder, will her family ever be able to return to the way life was before the war? A story about an ordinary family forced to deal with an extraordinary loss, Back Home tells the tale of families scarred and the battle just beginning when their wounded loved ones return home. About the Author Julia Keller was born and raised in Huntington, West Virginia. Her father was a mathematics professor and her mother was a high-school English teacher. Julia has taught at Ohio State and Princeton universities and the University of Notre Dame. She won a Pulitzer Prize for feature writing for her work at the Chicago Tribune. She is also the author of Mr. Gatling's Terrible Marvel and a recently-published murder mystery, A Killing in the Hills. Julia Keller Author's website

2021Garvey's father has always wanted Garvey to be athletic, but Garvey is interested in astronomy, science fiction, reading - anything but sports. Feeling like a failure, he comforts himself with food. Garvey is kind, funny, smart, a loyal friend, and he is also overweight, teased by bullies, and lonely. When his only friend encourages him to join the school chorus, Garvey's life changes. The chorus finds a new soloist in Garvey, and through chorus, Garvey finds a way to accept himself, and a way to finally reach his distant father - by speaking the language of music instead of the language of sports. < All Book Selections 2021 Connecting Garvey’s Choice Nikki Grimes Audience: Grades 4 - 8 Garvey's father has always wanted Garvey to be athletic, but Garvey is interested in astronomy, science fiction, reading - anything but sports. Feeling like a failure, he comforts himself with food. Garvey is kind, funny, smart, a loyal friend, and he is also overweight, teased by bullies, and lonely. When his only friend encourages him to join the school chorus, Garvey's life changes. The chorus finds a new soloist in Garvey, and through chorus, Garvey finds a way to accept himself, and a way to finally reach his distant father - by speaking the language of music instead of the language of sports. About the Author New York Times bestselling author Nikki Grimes is the recipient of the ALAN Award for outstanding contributions to the field of adolescent literature, the 2017 Children's Literature Legacy Award, the 2016 Virginia Hamilton Literary Award, and the 2006 NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. Her distinguished works include the much-honored books Garvey's Choice, ALA Notable book What is Goodbye?, Coretta Scott King Award winner Bronx Masquerade, and Coretta Scott King Author Honor books Jazmin's Notebook, Talkin' About Bessie, Dark Sons, Words with Wings, and The Road to Paris. Creator of the popular Meet Danitra Brown, Ms. Grimes lives in Corona, California. Nikki Grimes Author's website

2019Danny Cheng has always known his parents have secrets. But when he discovers a taped-up box in his father's closet filled with old letters and a file on a powerful Silicon Valley family, he realizes there's much more to his family's past than he ever imagined. Danny has been an artist for as long as he can remember and it seems his path is set, with a scholarship to RISD and his family's blessing to pursue the career he's always dreamed of. Still, contemplating a future without his best friend, Harry Wong, by his side makes Danny feel a panic he can barely put into words. Harry and Danny's lives are deeply intertwined and as they approach the one-year anniversary of a tragedy that shook their friend group to its core, Danny can't stop asking himself if Harry is truly in love with his girlfriend, Regina Chan. When Danny digs deeper into his parents' past, he uncovers a secret that disturbs the foundations of his family history and the carefully constructed façade his parents have maintained begins to crumble. With everything he loves in danger of being stripped away, Danny must face the ghosts of the past in order to build a future that belongs to him. < All Book Selections 2019 Finding Identity in Family History Picture Us In The Light Kelly Loy Gilbert Audience: Grades 8+ Danny Cheng has always known his parents have secrets. But when he discovers a taped-up box in his father's closet filled with old letters and a file on a powerful Silicon Valley family, he realizes there's much more to his family's past than he ever imagined. Danny has been an artist for as long as he can remember and it seems his path is set, with a scholarship to RISD and his family's blessing to pursue the career he's always dreamed of. Still, contemplating a future without his best friend, Harry Wong, by his side makes Danny feel a panic he can barely put into words. Harry and Danny's lives are deeply intertwined and as they approach the one-year anniversary of a tragedy that shook their friend group to its core, Danny can't stop asking himself if Harry is truly in love with his girlfriend, Regina Chan. When Danny digs deeper into his parents' past, he uncovers a secret that disturbs the foundations of his family history and the carefully constructed façade his parents have maintained begins to crumble. With everything he loves in danger of being stripped away, Danny must face the ghosts of the past in order to build a future that belongs to him. About the Author Kelly Loy Gilbert is the author of Conviction, which was a William C. Morris Award Finalist, and the recently-released Picture Us In The Light, which is set in Cupertino, and explores family bonds, guilt, art, the Asian American experience and life at a competitive Bay Area high school. Kelly believes deeply in the power of stories to illuminate a shared humanity and give voice to complex, broken people. Aside from writing novels, she teaches fiction writing in various capacities. She is a nearly-lifelong Bay Area resident. Kelly Loy Gilbert Author's website

2015In this timely tale of immigration, two cousins learn the importance of family and friendship. Mexico may be her parents’ home, but it’s certainly not Margie’s. She has finally convinced the other kids at school she is 100% American—just like them. But when her Mexican cousin Lupe visits, the image she’s created for herself crumbles. Things aren’t easy for Lupe, either. Mexico hadn’t felt like home since her father went North to find work. Lupe’s hope of seeing him in the United States comforts her some, but learning a new language in a new school is tough. Lupe, as much as Margie, is in need of a friend. Little by little, the girls’ individual steps find the rhythm of one shared dance, and they learn what “home” really means. In the tradition of My Name is Maria Isabel—and simultaneously published in English and in Spanish—Alma Flor Ada and her son Gabriel M. Zubizarreta offer an honest story of family, friendship, and the classic immigrant experience: becoming part of something new, while straying true to who you are. < All Book Selections 2015 Homeland & Home: The Immigrant Experience Dancing Home Alma Flor Ada and Gabriel Zubizaretta Audience: Ages 8 - 12 In this timely tale of immigration, two cousins learn the importance of family and friendship. Mexico may be her parents’ home, but it’s certainly not Margie’s. She has finally convinced the other kids at school she is 100% American—just like them. But when her Mexican cousin Lupe visits, the image she’s created for herself crumbles. Things aren’t easy for Lupe, either. Mexico hadn’t felt like home since her father went North to find work. Lupe’s hope of seeing him in the United States comforts her some, but learning a new language in a new school is tough. Lupe, as much as Margie, is in need of a friend. Little by little, the girls’ individual steps find the rhythm of one shared dance, and they learn what “home” really means. In the tradition of My Name is Maria Isabel—and simultaneously published in English and in Spanish—Alma Flor Ada and her son Gabriel M. Zubizarreta offer an honest story of family, friendship, and the classic immigrant experience: becoming part of something new, while straying true to who you are. Available in Spanish About the Author Alma Flor Ada, Professor Emerita at the University of San Francisco, has devoted her life to advocacy for peace by promoting a pedagogy oriented to personal realization and social justice. A former Radcliffe Scholar at Harvard University and Fulbright Research Scholar she is an internationally re-known speaker. Her professional books for educators, include A Magical Encounter: Latino Children’s Literature in the Classroom, and Authors in the Classroom: A Transformative Education Processco-authored with F. Isabel Campoy, about their work promoting authorship in students, teachers, and parents. Alma Flor’s numerous children’s books of poetry, narrative, folklore and non fiction have received prestigious awards including: Christopher Medal (The Gold Coin), Pura Belpré Medal (Under the Royal Palms), Once Upon a World (Gathering the Sun), Parents’ Choice Honor (Dear Peter Rabbit), NCSS and CBC Notable Book (My Name is María Isabel), Marta Salotti Gold Medal (Encaje de piedra). In 2012 she received the Virginia Hamilton Literary Award in recognition of her body of work for children. Gabriel Zubizaretta has co-authored two children’s books with his mother, Alma Flor Ada – Dancing Home and Love, Amalia. He is CEO, Financial Effectiveness & Transformation Leader for Silicon Valley Accountants. He holds a B.S.A. degree from University of San Francisco. Alma Flor Ada and Gabriel Zubizaretta Author's website

2021When Parker Curry came face-to-face with Amy Sherald’s transcendent portrait of First Lady Michelle Obama at the National Portrait Gallery, she didn’t just see the First Lady of the United States. She saw a queen - one with dynamic self-assurance, regality, beauty, and truth who captured this young girl’s imagination. When a nearby museum-goer snapped a photo of a mesmerized Parker, it became an internet sensation. Inspired by this visit, Parker, and her mother, Jessica Curry, tell the story of a young girl and her family, whose trip to a museum becomes an extraordinary moment, in a moving picture book. Parker Looks Up follows Parker, along with her baby sister and her mother, and her best friend Gia and Gia’s mother, as they walk the halls of a museum, seeing paintings of everyone and everything from George Washington Carver to Frida Kahlo, exotic flowers to graceful ballerinas. Then, Parker walks by Sherald’s portrait of Michelle Obama…and almost passes it. But she stops...and looks up! Parker saw the possibility and promise, the hopes and dreams of herself in this powerful painting of Michelle Obama. An everyday moment became an extraordinary one…that continues to resonate its power, inspiration, and indelible impact. Because, as Jessica Curry said, “anything is possible regardless of race, class, or gender.” < All Book Selections 2021 Connecting Parker Looks Up Jessica Curry and Parker Curry Audience: Picture Book When Parker Curry came face-to-face with Amy Sherald’s transcendent portrait of First Lady Michelle Obama at the National Portrait Gallery, she didn’t just see the First Lady of the United States. She saw a queen - one with dynamic self-assurance, regality, beauty, and truth who captured this young girl’s imagination. When a nearby museum-goer snapped a photo of a mesmerized Parker, it became an internet sensation. Inspired by this visit, Parker, and her mother, Jessica Curry, tell the story of a young girl and her family, whose trip to a museum becomes an extraordinary moment, in a moving picture book. Parker Looks Up follows Parker, along with her baby sister and her mother, and her best friend Gia and Gia’s mother, as they walk the halls of a museum, seeing paintings of everyone and everything from George Washington Carver to Frida Kahlo, exotic flowers to graceful ballerinas. Then, Parker walks by Sherald’s portrait of Michelle Obama…and almost passes it. But she stops...and looks up! Parker saw the possibility and promise, the hopes and dreams of herself in this powerful painting of Michelle Obama. An everyday moment became an extraordinary one…that continues to resonate its power, inspiration, and indelible impact. Because, as Jessica Curry said, “anything is possible regardless of race, class, or gender.” About the Author ! Widget Didn’t Load Check your internet and refresh this page. If that doesn’t work, contact us. Jessica Curry and Parker Curry Author's website Photograph © Christa Houser, CALH Photography

2019Finding Samuel Lowe by Paula Williams Madison Spanning four generations and moving between New York, Jamaica, and China, this powerful memoir that is a universal story of one woman's search for her maternal grandfather and the key to her self-identity. Thanks to her spiteful, jealous Jamaican mother, Nell Vera Lowe was cut off from her Chinese father, Samuel, when she was just a baby, after he announced he was taking a Chinese bride. By the time Nell was old enough to travel to her father's shop in St. Ann's Bay, he'd taken his family back to China, never learning what became of his eldest daughter. Bereft, Nell left Jamaica for New York to start a new life. But her Asian features set her apart from her Harlem neighbors and even her own children—a difference that contributed to her feeling of loneliness and loss which she instilled in her only daughter, Paula. Years later, with a successful corporate career behind her and the arrival of her only grandchild raising questions about family and legacy, Paula decided to search for Samuel Lowe's descendants in China. With the support of her brothers and the help of encouraging strangers, Paula eventually pieced together the full story of her grandfather's life, following his story from China to Jamaica and back, and connecting with 300 surprised relatives who were overjoyed to meet her. Finding Samuel Lowe is a remarkable journey about one woman's path to self-discovery. It is a story about love and devotion that transcends time and race, and a beautiful reflection of the power of family and the interconnectedness of our world.  < All Book Selections 2019 Finding Identity in Family History Finding Samuel Lowe Paula Williams Madison Audience: Adult Finding Samuel Lowe by Paula Williams Madison Spanning four generations and moving between New York, Jamaica, and China, this powerful memoir that is a universal story of one woman's search for her maternal grandfather and the key to her self-identity. Thanks to her spiteful, jealous Jamaican mother, Nell Vera Lowe was cut off from her Chinese father, Samuel, when she was just a baby, after he announced he was taking a Chinese bride. By the time Nell was old enough to travel to her father's shop in St. Ann's Bay, he'd taken his family back to China, never learning what became of his eldest daughter. Bereft, Nell left Jamaica for New York to start a new life. But her Asian features set her apart from her Harlem neighbors and even her own children—a difference that contributed to her feeling of loneliness and loss which she instilled in her only daughter, Paula. Years later, with a successful corporate career behind her and the arrival of her only grandchild raising questions about family and legacy, Paula decided to search for Samuel Lowe's descendants in China. With the support of her brothers and the help of encouraging strangers, Paula eventually pieced together the full story of her grandfather's life, following his story from China to Jamaica and back, and connecting with 300 surprised relatives who were overjoyed to meet her. Finding Samuel Lowe is a remarkable journey about one woman's path to self-discovery. It is a story about love and devotion that transcends time and race, and a beautiful reflection of the power of family and the interconnectedness of our world. About the Author Paula Williams Madison is Chairman and CEO of Madison Media Management LLC, a Los Angeles based media consultancy company with global reach. In 2011, Madison retired from NBCUniversal, where she had been Executive Vice President of Diversity as well as a Vice President of the General Electric Company (GE), then the parent company of NBCU. During her 22 years with NBCU, she held a number of successful leadership roles, including President and General Manager of NBC4 Los Angeles, Los Angeles Regional General Manager for NBCU's Telemundo TV stations and Vice President and News Director of NBC4 New York. Her career as a journalist led to a 1996 Peabody Award for NBC4 New York's investigation, "A License to Kill." Madison's continued dedication to quality journalism helped NBC4 Los Angeles earn numerous Emmy, Golden Mike and Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards. She is a highly regarded public speaker, particularly on the topics of corporate diversity, multigenerational wealth, entrepreneurship and multicultural issues. Honored for corporate leadership and community outreach, Madison was named one of the "75 Most Powerful African Americans in Corporate America" by Black Enterprise Magazine in 2005 and included in the Hollywood Reporter's "Power 100." She's been honored by Asian organizations as well, having been recognized in 2014 as one of the Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business, by the East West Players and AARP with their Visionary Award, and the Los Angeles Chinese American Museum with its 2015 Chinese American Heritage and Legacy Award. A former marathoner, Madison also received the "Citizen of the Year Award" from the City of Los Angeles Marathon in 2004 and the AntiDefamation League's "2003 Deborah Award." And in 2013, Ebony Magazine named her to its second "Power 100" list. Madison is a Board Member of the Los Angeles Chinese American Museum, the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education, the Center for Asian American Media, Cardinal Spellman High School, the Greater Los Angeles United Way, the California Science Center Foundation, Chair of The Nell Williams Family Foundation as well as a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Paula Williams Madison Author's website A documentary version of Finding Samuel Lowe is also available. Preview at https://vimeo.com/84472327

2005"Epitaph for a Peach: Four Seasons on My Family Farm," by David Mas Masumoto, is the chronicle of a year in the author’s quest to save the Sun Crest peaches grown on his family’s farm. But more is at stake than peaches. This son of Japanese Americans interned during World War II is also working to preserve a way of life. Interweaving his family’s story through the four seasons of his story, Masumoto demonstrates the faith, patience, and determination required to run a family farm in a world of agribusiness. As Publishers Weekly puts it "This is a peach of a book, as delectable as the Sun Crest peach Masumoto is struggling to save." < All Book Selections 2005 Epitaph for a Peach David Mas Masumoto Audience: Adult "Epitaph for a Peach: Four Seasons on My Family Farm," by David Mas Masumoto, is the chronicle of a year in the author’s quest to save the Sun Crest peaches grown on his family’s farm. But more is at stake than peaches. This son of Japanese Americans interned during World War II is also working to preserve a way of life. Interweaving his family’s story through the four seasons of his story, Masumoto demonstrates the faith, patience, and determination required to run a family farm in a world of agribusiness. As Publishers Weekly puts it "This is a peach of a book, as delectable as the Sun Crest peach Masumoto is struggling to save." About the Author David Mas Masumoto is the author of "Harvest Son," "Planting Roots in American Soil," "Epitaph For A Peach: Four Seasons on My Family Farm," "Four Seasons in Five Senses, Things Worth Savoring," "Silent Strength," "Home Bound," "Country Voices, The Oral History of a Japanese American Family Farm Community," and "Letters to the Valley: A Harvest of Memories." He received the James Clavell Japanese American National Literacy Award in 1986. A third generation farmer, Masumoto has a bachelor's degree in sociology from U.C. Berkeley and a master's degree in community development from U.C. Davis. He also attended International University in Tokyo, Japan. "Epitaph for a Peach" won the 1995 Julia Child Cookbook Award in the Literary Food Writing category and was a finalist for the 1996 James Beard Foundation Food Writing Award. It also received the San Francisco Review of Books Critics' Choice Award 1995-1996. Masumoto was appointed to the California Council for the Humanities board in 1994 and served as Co-Chair from 1998 to 2001. In 2002, Masumoto joined the Board of Directors of the Irvine Foundation, dedicated to enhancing the social, economic and physical quality of life throughout California and to enriching the state's intellectual and cultural environment. David Mas Masumoto Author's website SELECTED REVIEWS: From Publishers Weekly This is a peach of a book, as delectable as the Sun Crest peach Masumoto is struggling to save. It is a superior variety as to taste but has a short shelf life. The author, a third-generation farmer, gives an eloquent account of one year on his farm in the California desert. He notes that grape and tree fruit farmers are deprived of an annual rite that other farmers have planting a new crop. Peach trees are planted every 15 to 20 years; grapevines, once in a lifetime. And, according to the author, a new planting is like having another child, requiring patience and sacrifice and a resounding optimism for the future. Masumoto's book reveals his commitment to the land and his family; it is also a cogent commentary on American agriculture. From Library Journal This book is a delightful narrative on the life of a Japanese American peach and grape farmer in the San Joaquin Valley near Del Rey, California. With poetic flair and a sense of humor, Masumoto offers his perspectives on the joys and frustrations of raising and tending peaches and grapes. He describes his relationship with the weeds and insects that invade his fields, the unpredictability of the weather, his desire to treat workers fairly, and the realities of the market structure. From New York Times Book Review "Masumoto's style is lyrical... Epitaph for a Peach is an important book. It is not resignation but stoicism that tinges this text, eliciting sympathy and admiration."

2009In the summer of 1972, when Brian Copeland was eight, his family moved from Oakland to San Leandro, hoping for a better life. At the time, San Leandro was 99.99% white and the suburban community was not welcoming to African Americans. This reputation was confirmed almost immediately: Brian got his first look at the inside of a cop car, forced into the backseat after walking to the park with a baseball bat in hand. Days later, Brian was turned away by several barbers who said "we don't cut that kind of hair." And that Christmas, while shopping at a local department store, Brian was accused of stealing and forced to empty his pockets in front of store security. It was a time that Brian spent his adult years trying to forget, until one day an anonymous letter arrived that forced him to reevaluate his childhood: "As an African American, I am disgusted every time I hear your voice because YOU are not a genuine black man!" A poignant, hilarious, and disarming memoir about growing up black in an all-white suburb, Not a Genuine Black Man is also a powerful contemplation on the meaning of race, and a thoughtful examination of how our surroundings make us who we are. < All Book Selections 2009 Not a Genuine Black Man Brian Copeland Audience: Adult In the summer of 1972, when Brian Copeland was eight, his family moved from Oakland to San Leandro, hoping for a better life. At the time, San Leandro was 99.99% white and the suburban community was not welcoming to African Americans. This reputation was confirmed almost immediately: Brian got his first look at the inside of a cop car, forced into the backseat after walking to the park with a baseball bat in hand. Days later, Brian was turned away by several barbers who said "we don't cut that kind of hair." And that Christmas, while shopping at a local department store, Brian was accused of stealing and forced to empty his pockets in front of store security. It was a time that Brian spent his adult years trying to forget, until one day an anonymous letter arrived that forced him to reevaluate his childhood: "As an African American, I am disgusted every time I hear your voice because YOU are not a genuine black man!" A poignant, hilarious, and disarming memoir about growing up black in an all-white suburb, Not a Genuine Black Man is also a powerful contemplation on the meaning of race, and a thoughtful examination of how our surroundings make us who we are. About the Author Brian Copeland is an award-winning writer, stand-up comedian, television host, radio personality, and actor. His one-man show, also entitled Not a Genuine Black Man, was the longest-running solo show in San Francisco history and went on to acclaimed runs in New York City and Los Angeles. He lives in San Leandro with his wife and children. Brian Copeland Author's website SELECTED REVIEWS "In this funny memoir about racism (it sounds strange, but that's what this is), Copeland's wit is the spoonful of sugar that helps his sad stories go down... it's a forum for his lingering bafflement over the insidious tactics of racism. 'Can you believe these things happened?' he seems to ask on every page. We can only laugh at his jokes and wish we could say 'No.'" -- New York Times DISCUSSION GUIDE Q> Do you think that a very large majority of the black population is depressed due to all of the acts of prejudice against them? Q> How can people help change and eliminate prejudice? Q> How are black gangs or gangs of any color the result of racism? Q> How can we identify racism within ourselves, even if we think we aren't racist (maybe we are)? Q> What was the turning point in the book where Brian felt 'genuinely' black? What inner feelings brought him to that point?Q> Imagine what it would be like to have a lifetime of pain heaped upon you because of the color of your skin. How would it feel to you? How would you adapt to it?Q> Do you think Brian's mother, Carolyn, was right in trying to bring up her family in a white enclave despite the costs to her family in suffering racism?Q> Brian has been accused of being an 'Oreo cookie', white on the inside. Is there any validity to analogies such as 'Oreo', 'banana' or 'coconut' or are they simply pejoratives? Is it an expected adaptation to living in a 'white' neighborhood? Does 'keeping it real' foster racism against whites?Q> There are several success stories in the book. Name them.Q> The book felt like an iconic identity crisis, embodying in one man's story the pain of the black race. It is easier to digest because it is couched as a human story. How can the book be used to eliminate the racism it describes?Q> When was a time in your life when you were 'the only one'? What did it feel like? How did you react to the situation? Study Guide for "Not a Genunine Black Man"