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Middle Grade Reviews, Part Four

5/23/2020

We know you’ve been missing browsing our shelves and discovering a book that wasn’t on your radar. So, we’ll be sharing some newer middle grade releases throughout the week.

Give us a call at 503-954-2354 if you want any of them. And have your kids leave reviews in the comments of good books they’ve read recently.

All the Impossible Things by Lindsay Lackey

Ruby “Red” Byrd has moved around from one foster home to another. And, when she thinks her life is settling down a bit, an unexpected arrival shakes things up again. Not to mention she also has the magical power to control the wind based on her emotions. If you want a moving story with a touch of magical elements, look not further!

For fans of The Thing about Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin.

How to Make Friends with the Sea by Tanya Guerrero

After moving around all his life, Pablo and his recently divorced mother have settled down in the Philippines. As if that wasn’t enough to take in, they end up taking in an orphaned girl with a cleft lip. Will Pablo find a way to make his new situation feel like home?

For fans of Everlasting Nora by Marie Miranda Cruz, Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly and Pie in the Sky by Remy Lai.

Middle Grade Reviews, Part Three

5/10/2020

We know you’ve been missing browsing our shelves and discovering a book that wasn’t on your radar. So, we’ll be sharing some newer middle grade releases throughout the week.

Give us a call at 503-954-2354 if you want any of them. And have your kids leave reviews in the comments of good books they’ve read recently.

Echo Mountain by Lauren Wolk

One of the masters of historical fiction for young readers returns with another gripping novel that sees a family down on their luck try to make it in a new town with its own witch or hag on top of the mountain that may be able to solve their problems. Echo Mountain by Lauren Wolk is a must read.

Stuffed by Liz Braswell

Fans of Monsters, Inc. will enjoy this novel about a ten-year-old boy who must convince everyone around him that the stuffed animals we all know and love are fighting a battle that is getting too close to home!

Middle Grade Reviews, Part Two

5/9/2020

We know you’ve been missing browsing our shelves and discovering a book that wasn’t on your radar. So, we’ll be sharing some newer middle grade releases throughout the week.

Give us a call at 503-954-2354 if you want any of them. And have your kids leave reviews in the comments of good books they’ve read recently.

Itch by Polly Farquhar

Isaac (a.k.a. Itch) is having the worst school year ever. First, a tornado damages the school cafeteria. And, he may have caused one of his friends to have a severe food allergy reaction when they traded lunches. How can things get better for him when the troubles seem to be non-stop?

For fans of: Lost in the Sun by Lisa Graff and Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World by Ashley Herring Blake

Mary Underwater by Shannon Doleski

Mary Murphy doesn’t have the easiest life ever with an abusive father at home and a potentially failing grade at school. But she’s sick and tired of playing the victim. So she hatches a plan involving a submarine to save herself.

For fans of: The Line Tender by Kate Allen, No Fixed Address by Susan Nielsen, and Mostly the Honest Truth by Jody Little

Ghost Squad by Claribel A. Ortega

When Lucely and Syd inadvertently releases evil spirits into the real world, it’ll be up to them with the help of Syd’s witch grandmother to bring things back to normal.

For fans of: Goosebumps by R.L. Stine, Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier, and The Real Boy by Anne Ursu

Middle Grade Reviews, Part One

5/4/2020

We know you’ve been missing browsing our shelves and discovering a book that wasn’t on your radar. So, we’ll be sharing some newer middle grade releases throughout the week.

Give us a call at 503-954-2354 if you want any of them. And have your kids leave reviews in the comments of good books they’ve read recently.

The Newspaper Club by Beth Vrabel

Cub reporter Nellie Murrow is on the case when a series of theft and vandalism rock her town of Bear Creek. It’ll take all her journalistic skills to solve the mystery in this new mystery series inspired by Nellie Bly herself.

For fans of: Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova, The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart, and Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein

Fins by Randy Wayne White

Poachers are endangering the shark population to use their fins in soup. It’ll be up to the newly formed Sharks Inc. to make sure they don’t get away with it. Will the kids succeed in their mission? Or have they bitten off more than they can chew?

For fans of: The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty, Ali Cross by James Patterson, and Science Comics: Sharks by Joe Flood

Can You See Me? by Libby Scott ad Rebecca Westcott

Inspired by Libby’s real life experiences, this moving middle grade novel explores Tally trying to fit in without letting her autism completely define who she is.

For fans of: Wonder by R. J. Palacio, Rules by Cynthia Lord, and Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

New Green Bean Books COVID-19 Crisis Services!

3/14/2020

During these unusual times, Green Bean Books will be rolling out some new services to make sure we get books to people who need books and also want to support your local independent bookstore! These services will start Monday, March 16th.

Go, Green Bean, Go! Delivery Service

We’ll deliver books to you for free with a purchase of $25 or more- if you live within a 2-mile radius of Green Bean Books! (If you live a little farther away, let us know if we can make an exception!) It’s easy as 1-2-3!

1. Give us a call at 503-954-2354- or send us a message through our contact form- with the books you want. If we don’t have a certain book, we can special order most books in print-including adult books!!!
2. Then just make a payment over the phone.
3. We’ll take down your information and let you know when we’ll be delivering your books! If we have the book in the store we will make every effort to do same day delivery!

Green Bean To-Go Curbside Pick-Up Service

If you prefer to pick-up your books but don’t want to leave your car, give us a call when you’re outside the store and we’ll be more than happy to walk your books up to your car window! This service is for any purchase of any amount.

Other Ways to Support Us:

Gift Certificates

You can buy a gift certificate for any denomination over the phone. Give us a call at 503-954-2354. We can mail it to you or the recipient. We can also keep it at the store until you're ready to use it!

Birthdays and Other Occasions

If you know someone who’s celebrating a birthday or any special occasion and want to give them books as gifts, follow the directions for our Delivery Service and give us their information so we can deliver the books to them! We'll even wrap them for you!

Not sure of what you're in the mood for reading? Give us a call at 503-954-2354 or send us a message through our contact form. We’re always happy to make book recommendations. Check our social media daily because we'll be suggesting many of our favorites for you to call-in and order over the coming weeks.

Most of all, we thank you from the bottoms of our hearts for supporting Green Bean Books during these difficult times!
Stay well and keep reading!!!

Oregon Children's Theatre presents The Journal of Ben Uchida: Citizen 13559

2/18/2020

We're thrilled to partner with Oregon Children's Theatre for their amazing 2019-2020 season to bring children’s books to life on stage.

We'll periodically have special story times with cast members of current shows. We'll also be recommending perfect book companions with each show's big ideas. These recommended books will be 20% off at Green Bean Books while each show is running!

Next up is The Journal of Ben Uchida: Citizen 13559.

About the show

In 1942, 12-year-old Ben Uchida and his family are forcibly removed from their home in San Francisco and imprisoned at Mirror Lake, an American concentration camp, along with hundreds of thousands of other Japanese-American families. In this unfamiliar place, removed from everything he once knew, Ben’s emotional journey is even more upsetting than his physical one.
Originally commissioned by the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, this play details—with anger, despair, sadness, and hope—a dark chapter in this country’s history; it tells a story that is relevant, moving, and one that cannot be forgotten.

Recommended for
Ages 10 and up

Content Advisory
This show uses historically accurate language (from the 1940s/WWII), including racial slurs, and bias-motivated violence. Additionally, the play contains visual imagery and indirect references to suicide in the concentration camp. The word suicide is not used in the play, nor is the act dramatized or seen on stage.

The Journal of Ben Uchida: Citizen 13559
February 29–March 22, 2020
Saturdays at 2pm & 5pm
Sundays at 11am & 2pm
Fridays 3/6 & 3/13 at 7pm
Runtime: 60 minutes

Location
Winningstad Theatre, 1111 SW Broadway

Ticket prices starting at $15

For show info and to get your tickets now, click here.

Book Recommendations
Check out our curated list of 10 books related to themes in the play.

The Big Ideas
Hearing personal stories are a powerful way to learn about painful historical events.
Remembering family and relationships can help in difficult times.
Learning about your family’s history and culture is important.

These books will be 20% off during the run of the play.

Baseball Saved Us
by Ken Mochizuki
iluustrated by Dom Lee

Shorty and his family, along with thousands of Japanese Americans, are sent to an internment camp after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Fighting the heat and dust of the desert, Shorty and his father decide to build a baseball diamond and form a league in order to boost the spirits of the internees. Shorty quickly learns that he is playing not only to win, but to gain dignity and self-respect as well.

Baseball Saved Us is the ultimate rite of passage story. It will appeal again and again to readers who enjoy cheering for the underdog.

So Far from the Sea
by Eve Bunting
illustrated by Chris K. Soentpiet

Laura Iwasaki and her family are paying what may be their last visit to Laura's grandfather's grave. The grave is at Manzanar, where thousands of Americans of Japanese heritage were interned during World War II. Among those rounded up and taken to the internment camp were Laura's father, then a small boy, and his parents. Now Laura says goodbye to Grandfather in her own special way, with a gesture that crosses generational lines and bears witness to the patriotism that survived a shameful episode in America's history. Eve Bunting's poignant text and Chris K. Soentpiet's detailed, evocative paintings make the story of this family's visit to Manzanar, and of the memories stirred by the experience, one that will linger in readers' minds and hearts.

The Bracelet
by Yoshiko Uchida
illustrated by Joanna Yardley

In 1942, during the war with Japan, a Japanese-American girl must leave her home. She receives a good-bye gift from her best friend, but loses it at her new home. Emi is afraid that without the bracelet Laurie will disappear from her mind forever. Warm watercolor paintings beautifully complement this story of the power of memory.

Emmanuel's Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah
by Laurie Ann Thompson
illustrated by Sean Qualls

Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah's inspiring true story—which was turned into a film, Emmanuel's Gift, narrated by Oprah Winfrey—is nothing short of remarkable.

Born in Ghana, West Africa, with one deformed leg, he was dismissed by most people—but not by his mother, who taught him to reach for his dreams. As a boy, Emmanuel hopped to school more than two miles each way, learned to play soccer, left home at age thirteen to provide for his family, and, eventually, became a cyclist. He rode an astonishing four hundred miles across Ghana in 2001, spreading his powerful message: disability is not inability. Today, Emmanuel continues to work on behalf of the disabled.

Thompson's lyrical prose and Qualls's bold collage illustrations offer a powerful celebration of triumphing over adversity.

Includes an author's note with more information about Emmanuel's charity.

The Dreamer
by Il Sung Na

Even pigs can learn to fly: Once, there was a pig who admired birds. But he could never join them. Or could he? Thus begins the journey of a pig with big dreams, and the perseverance to make them come true. He develops flight plans, builds experimental contraptions, and has far-flung adventures, but at the end of the day, his favorite thing to do is sit and watch for those he loves best: birds.

Il Sung Na creates a world at once whimsical and aspirational, where anything is possible and, yes, even pigs can learn to fly.

A Place to Belong
by Cynthia Kadohata

A Japanese-American family, reeling from their ill treatment in the Japanese internment camps, gives up their American citizenship to move back to Hiroshima, unaware of the devastation wreaked by the atomic bomb in this piercing look at the aftermath of World War II by Newbery Medalist Cynthia Kadohata.

World War II has ended, but while America has won the war, twelve-year-old Hanako feels lost. To her, the world, and her world, seems irrevocably broken.

America, the only home she’s ever known, imprisoned then rejected her and her family—and thousands of other innocent Americans—because of their Japanese heritage, because Japan had bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Japan, the country they’ve been forced to move to, the country they hope will be the family’s saving grace, where they were supposed to start new and better lives, is in shambles because America dropped bombs of their own—one on Hiroshima unlike any other in history. And Hanako’s grandparents live in a small village just outside the ravaged city.

The country is starving, the black markets run rampant, and countless orphans beg for food on the streets, but how can Hanako help them when there is not even enough food for her own brother?

Hanako feels she could crack under the pressure, but just because something is broken doesn’t mean it can’t be fixed. Cracks can make room for gold, her grandfather explains when he tells her about the tradition of kintsukuroi—fixing broken objects with gold lacquer, making them stronger and more beautiful than ever. As she struggles to adjust to find her place in a new world, Hanako will find that the gold can come in many forms, and family may be hers.

The War I Finally Won
by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Ada and her younger brother, Jamie, now have a permanent home with their loving legal guardian, Susan Smith. Although Jamie adapts more easily, Ada still struggles with the aftermath of her old life, and how to fit into her new life.

World War II continues, and forces the small community to come together and rely on one another. Ada has never been interested in getting to know her friend’s family—especially Maggie’s mother, the formidable Lady Thorton. However, circumstances bring them in close proximity along with other unexpected characters.

Ada comes face to face with another German! This time she isn’t sure what she should do. How can she help the ones she loves and keep them safe?

Ada’s first story, The War that Saved My Life, won a Newbery Honor, the Schneider Family Book Award, and the Josette Frank Award, in addition to appearing on multiple best-of-the-year lists. This second, marvelous volume continues Ada’s powerful, uplifting story.

The Red Pencil
by Andrea Davis Pinkney
illustrated by Shane W. Evans

Finally, Amira is twelve. Old enough to wear a toob, old enough for new responsibilities. And maybe old enough to go to school in Nyala--Amira's one true dream.

But life in her peaceful Sudanese village is shattered when the Janjaweed arrive. The terrifying attackers ravage the town and unleash unspeakable horrors. After she loses nearly everything, Amira needs to dig deep within herself to find the strength to make the long journey--on foot--to safety at a refugee camp. Her days are tough at the camp, until the gift of a simple red pencil opens her mind--and all kinds of possibilities.

New York Times bestselling and Coretta Scott King Award-winning author Andrea Davis Pinkney's powerful verse and Coretta Scott King Award-winning artist Shane W. Evans's breathtaking illustrations combine to tell an inspiring tale of one girl's triumph against all odds.

A Long Walk to Water
by Linda Sue Park

A Long Walk to Water begins as two stories, told in alternating sections, about a girl in Sudan in 2008 and a boy in Sudan in 1985. The girl, Nya, is fetching water from a pond that is two hours’ walk from her home: she makes two trips to the pond every day. The boy, Salva, becomes one of the "lost boys" of Sudan, refugees who cover the African continent on foot as they search for their families and for a safe place to stay. Enduring every hardship from loneliness to attack by armed rebels to contact with killer lions and crocodiles, Salva is a survivor, and his story goes on to intersect with Nya’s in an astonishing and moving way.

The Paper Crane
by Molly Bang

A beautifully illustrated retelling of an ancient Japanese folktale by Molly Bang.

A mysterious man enters a restaurant and pays for his dinner with a paper crane that magically comes alive and dances.

The Paper Crane is illustrated with cut-paper collages and paintings. It is a wonderful book to use with children learning about patterns in storytelling.

Oregon Children's Theatre presents Dragons Love Tacos

12/28/2019

We're thrilled to partner with Oregon Children's Theatre for their amazing 2019-2020 season to bring children’s books to life on stage.

We'll periodically have special story times with cast members of current shows. We'll also be recommending perfect book companions with each show's big ideas. These recommended books will be 20% off at Green Bean Books while each show is running!

Next up is the hilarious Dragons Love Tacos. Join costumed cast member Ashley Mellinger, who plays the dog, for a special story time on Tuesday, January 7th at 11am! You'll get a sneak peek of the upcoming play and we'll even be handing out coupons!

About the show

The mind-blowing, earth-shattering, tantalizing secrets of dragons REVEALED! When Mom runs down the street to pick up dinner, a boy and his faithful dog Leroy encounter a quartet of dancing dragons. Each one has its own unique style and personality, but they all have one thing in common: they’re hungry!

This hilarious, dance-filled journey into the field of Dragonology is equal parts ridiculous and delicious, and has all the ingredients for a fantastic time!

Dragons Love Tacos
January 18–February 16, 2020
Saturdays at 2pm & 5pm
Sundays at 11am & 2pm
Newmark Theatre, 1111 SW Broadway
Ticket prices starting at $15

For show info and to get your tickets now, click here.

Book Recommendations
Check out our curated list of 10 books related to themes in the play.

The Big Ideas
When you are determined, amazing things can happen.
Experiencing new things can be fun.
It’s important to learn about others; first impressions can be misleading.

These books will be 20% off during the run of the play.

Dragons Love Tacos
by Adam Rubin
with illustrations by Daniel Salmieri

Dragons love tacos. They love chicken tacos, beef tacos, great big tacos, and teeny tiny tacos. So if you want to lure a bunch of dragons to your party, you should definitely serve tacos. Buckets and buckets of tacos. Unfortunately, where there are tacos, there is also salsa. And if a dragon accidentally eats spicy salsa . . . oh, boy. You're in red-hot trouble.

Dragons Love Tacos 2: The Sequel
by Adam Rubin
with illustrations by Daniel Salmieri

News alert! It has just been discovered that there are NO MORE TACOS left anywhere in the world. This is a huge problem because, as you know, dragons love tacos. If only there was a way for the dragons to travel back in time, to before tacos went extinct. Then they could grab lots of tacos and bring them back! It's the perfect plan, as long as there's no spicy salsa. You remember what happened last time . . .

Dragonology
by Dugald A. Steer

Do you believe in dragons? Now, for the first time, the long-lost research of renowned nineteenth century dragonologist Dr. Ernest Drake is presented in all its eccentric glory, happily bridging the gap between dragon legend and fact. The meticulous Dr. Drake assigns Latin names to various dragon species, ruminates on why dragons are able to speak, speculates on how they could fly, and explains the true purpose of their notorious hoarding habits.

Apocalypse Taco
by Nathan Hale

Sid, Axl, and Ivan volunteer to make a late-night fast-food run for the high school theater crew, and when they return, they find themselves. Not in a deep, metaphoric sense: They find copies of themselves onstage. As they look closer, they begin to realize that the world around them isn’t quite right. Turns out, when they went to the taco place across town, they actually crossed into an alien dimension that’s eerily similar to their world. The aliens have made sinister copies of cars, buildings, and people—and they all want to get Sid, Axl, and Ivan. Now the group will have to use their wits, their truck, and even their windshield scraper to escape! But they may be too late. They may now be copies themselves . . .

Dragon Masters series
by Tracey West

A fully-illustrated early chapter book series filled with dragons, wizards, magic, and more! The Dragon Stone has chosen Drake, Ana, Rori, and Bo. They live in King Roland’s castle in the Kingdom of Bracken. There, they learn how to connect with the dragon they have been paired with. With the help of Griffith, a wizard, they must uncover their dragons’ special powers.

How to Train Your Dragon series
by Cressida Cowell

Action-packed, hilarious, and perfectly illustrated, How to Train Your Dragon is a beloved modern classic with millions of fans across the globe.

In the book that started it all, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, the smallish Viking with a longish name, tries to pass the important initiation test of his Viking clan by catching and training a dragon. Can Hiccup do it without being torn limb from limb? And when a new terror threatens to devour every Viking on the Isle of Berk, can he save the tribe and become a hero?

Stef Soto, Taco Queen
by Jennifer Torres

Estefania "Stef" Soto is itching to shake off the onion-and-cilantro embrace of Tia Perla, her family's taco truck. She wants nothing more than for her dad to get a normal job and for Tia Perla to be put out to pasture. It's no fun being known as the "Taco Queen" at school. But just when it looks like Stef is going to get exactly what she wants, and her family's livelihood is threatened, she will have to become the truck's unlikely champion.

The Most Magnificent Thing
by Ashley Spires

A little girl and her canine assistant set out to make the most magnificent thing. But after much hard work, the end result is not what the girl had in mind. Frustrated, she quits. Her assistant suggests a long walk, and as they walk, it slowly becomes clear what the girl needs to do to succeed. A charming story that will give kids the most magnificent thing: perspective!

Stuck
by Oliver Jeffers

When Floyd's kite gets stuck in a tree, he's determined to get it out. But how? Well, by knocking it down with his shoe, of course. But strangely enough, it too gets stuck. And the only logical course of action . . . is to throw his other shoe. Only now it's stuck! Surely there must be something he can use to get his kite unstuck. An orangutan? A boat? His front door? Yes, yes, and yes. And that's only the beginning. Stuck is Oliver Jeffers' most absurdly funny story since The Incredible Book-Eating Boy. Childlike in concept and vibrantly illustrated as only Oliver Jeffers could, here is a picture book worth rescuing from any tree.

Neighborhood School Holiday Book Drive!

12/1/2019

This year we are teaming up with nearby Vernon K-8 School to help increase the number of high quality and diverse books in their student library!

Buy a Green Bean Book Angel at Green Bean Books this holiday season for your choice of only $6, $9 or $18 and we will turn that money into hopefully hundreds of books to enhance the Vernon School Library book selection.

It's so easy to make a difference in your own community and get more books into the hands of more kids!

This book campaign will run
from November 29 to December 31st.

Spread the word!

We're grateful for these Book Angels who've bought books for Vernon Elementary School Library so far! Come and help us get a whole new collection of diverse books for this beloved neighborhood school and let us add your picture to the slideshow!

Me...Jane: The Dreams & Adventures of Young Jane Goodall

9/17/2019

We're thrilled to partner with Oregon Children's Theatre for their amazing 2019-2020 season to bring children’s books to life on stage.

We'll periodically have special story times with cast members of current shows. We'll also be recommending perfect book companions with each show's big ideas. These recommended books will be 20% off at Green Bean Books while each show is running!

First up is Me... Jane, a musical about Jane Goodall. Join "Jane's mum" for a story time and song on Tuesday, October 8th at 11am!

About the show

Before she was an internationally renowned naturalist, conservationist, and activist, Jane Goodall was a young girl with big aspirations—and a stuffed chimpanzee named Jubilee. Journey into Jane’s vivid daydreams as she and Jubilee eat breakfast on the Sahara, feel the ground shake during the Great Migration on the Serengeti, and smell the air on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. Childhood imagination leads the way in this musical portrayal of Jane’s childhood, encouraging boys and girls of all ages to pursue their ambitions in the face of adversity. It’s a magical nature adventure that the whole family will treasure!

Me...Jane: The Dreams & Adventures of Young Jane Goodall
October 19—November 17, 2019
Saturdays at 2pm & 5pm
Sundays at 11am & 2pm
Newmark Theatre, 1111 SW Broadway
Ticket prices starting at $15

For show info and to get your tickets now, click here.

Book Recommendations

Me...Jane
by Patrick McDonnell

In his characteristic heartwarming style, Patrick McDonnell tells the story of the young Jane Goodall and her special childhood toy chimpanzee named Jubilee. As the young Jane observes the natural world around her with wonder, she dreams of "a life living with and helping all animals," until one day she finds that her dream has come true. With anecdotes taken directly from Jane Goodall's autobiography, McDonnell makes this very true story accessible for the very young--and young at heart.

Who Is Jane Goodall?
by Roberta Edwards
illustrated by John O'Brien

A life in the wild!

Jane Goodall, born in London, England, always loved animals and wanted to study them in their natural habitats. So at age twenty-six, off she went to Africa! Goodall's up-close observations of chimpanzees changed what we know about them and paved the way for many female scientists who came after her. Now her story comes to life in this biography with black-and-white illustrations throughout.

Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas
by Jim Ottaviani,
illustrated by Maris Wicks

Jim Ottaviani returns with an action-packed account of the three greatest primatologists of the last century: Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas. These three ground-breaking researchers were all students of the great Louis Leakey, and each made profound contributions to primatology—and to our own understanding of ourselves.

Tackling Goodall, Fossey, and Galdikas in turn, and covering the highlights of their respective careers, Primates is an accessible, entertaining, and informative look at the field of primatology and at the lives of three of the most remarkable women scientists of the twentieth century. Thanks to the charming and inviting illustrations by Maris Wicks, this is a nonfiction graphic novel with broad appeal.

Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race
by Margot Lee Shetterly and Winifred Conkling
illustrated by Laura Freeman

Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden were good at math...really good.

They participated in some of NASA's greatest successes, like providing the calculations for America's first journeys into space. And they did so during a time when being black and a woman limited what they could do. But they worked hard. They persisted. And they used their genius minds to change the world.

This illustrated picture book edition explores the story of four female African American mathematicians at NASA, known as "colored computers," and how they overcame gender and racial barriers to succeed in a highly challenging STEM-based career.

Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World
by Rachel Ignotofsky

A charmingly illustrated and educational book, Women in Science highlights the contributions of fifty notable women to the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) from the ancient to the modern world. Full of striking, singular art, this fascinating collection also contains infographics about relevant topics such as lab equipment, rates of women currently working in STEM fields, and an illustrated scientific glossary. The trailblazing women profiled include well-known figures like primatologist Jane Goodall, as well as lesser-known pioneers such as Katherine Johnson, the African-American physicist and mathematician who calculated the trajectory of the 1969 Apollo 11 mission to the moon.

Little Dreamers: Visionary Women Around the World
by Vashti Harrison

From the author of Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History comes the highly anticipated follow-up, a beautifully illustrated collectible detailing the lives of women creators around the world.

Featuring the true stories of 35 women creators, ranging from writers to inventors, artists to scientists, Little Dreamers: Visionary Women Around the World inspires as it educates. Readers will meet trailblazing women like Mary Blair, an American modernist painter who had a major influence on how color was used in early animated films, actor/inventor Hedy Lamarr, environmental activist Wangari Maathai, architect Zaha Hadid, filmmaker Maya Deren, and physicist Chien-Shiung Wu. Some names are known, some are not, but all of the women had a lasting effect on the fields they worked in.

The charming, information-filled full-color spreads show the Dreamers as both accessible and aspirational so readers know they, too, can grow up to do something amazing.

Wangari's Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africa
by Jeanette Winter

As a young girl growing up in Kenya, Wangari was surrounded by trees. But years later when she returns home, she is shocked to see whole forests being cut down, and she knows that soon all the trees will be destroyed. So Wangari decides to do something—and starts by planting nine seedlings in her own backyard. And as they grow, so do her plans . . .

This true story of Wangari Maathai, environmentalist and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, is a shining example of how one woman’s passion, vision, and determination inspired great change.

Includes an author’s note.

Spring After Spring: How Rachel Carson Inspired the Environmental Movement
by Stephanie Roth Sisson

As a child, Rachel Carson lived by the rhythms of the natural world. Spring after spring, year after year, she observed how all living things are connected. And as an adult, Rachel watched and listened as the natural world she loved so much began to fall silent. Spring After Spring traces Rachel’s journey as scientist and writer, speaking truth to an often hostile world through her book, and ultimately paving the way for the modern environmental movement.

Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean's Most Fearless Scientist
by Jess Keating
illustrated by Marta Álvarez Miguéns

At 9 years old, Eugenie Clark developed an unexpected passion for sharks after a visit to the Battery Park Aquarium in New York City. At the time, sharks were seen as mindless killing machines, but Eugenie knew better and set out to prove it. Despite many obstacles in her path, Eugenie was able to study the creatures she loved so much. From her many discoveries to the shark-related myths she dispelled, Eugenie's wide scientific contributions led to the well-earned nickname "Shark Lady."

Ada Twist, Scientist
by Andrea Beaty
illustrated by David Roberts

Scientist Ada has a boundless imagination and has always been hopelessly curious. Why are there pointy things stuck to a rose? Why are there hairs growing inside your nose? When her house fills with a horrific, toe-curling smell, Ada knows it’s up to her to find the source. What would you do with a problem like this? Not afraid of failure, Ada embarks on a fact-finding mission and conducts scientific experiments, all in the name of discovery. But, this time, her experiments lead to even more stink and get her into trouble!

Green Bean Books Presents: Kate DiCamillo in an Evening of Hope!

1/5/2018

Exciting Family Event Coming this Spring:
An Evening of Hope with Kate DiCamillo!!!

Green Bean Books is hosting a very special event with beloved children's author
Kate DiCamillo: An Evening of Hope
on Friday, March 2nd at 7pm
at The Alberta Rose Theater
just down the street.
Two-time Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo and #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator Jaime Kim have collaborated on a stirring picture book entitled La La La: A Story of Hope. A nearly wordless story, La La La follows a lonely young girl as she journeys from one fantastical world to another, sharing her unique song in a poignant quest for friendship and connection. It's powerful and timeless message of hope will inspire and move readers of all ages.

During this event, Kate DiCamillo will talk about her inspiration behind this beautiful new book and her writing process. She will discuss the importance of connecting with each other through stories, a key point of her literacy advocacy during her years as National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, and a timely message to heal divisions in our country by expanding the hearts and growing the empathy of our young readers.

Tickets are $22 each and include admission for one adult and one child plus a signed copy of Kate DiCamillo's new book, La La La.

You can reserve your spot for this ticketed event at the Alberta Rose Theater website.