Green Bean Books - blog

You're Never Too Cool for Books About School!

7/16/2016

There are so many wonderful back-to-school books!
We can't wait to share some of our new favorites!

School's First Day of School by Adam Rex, Pictures by Christian Robinson

It's not only kids who get first-day jitters as we see in School's First Day of School written by Adam Rex and illustrated by Christian Robinson.

This charming picture book introduces a freshly built school who is wondering how the students will like him! He worries about making a good first impression and not everything goes smoothly on the first day! He's a little bit mean to one of the students and then gets embarrassed when his fire alarm goes off. As the day progresses, though, he learns many exciting new things and makes amazing friends too.

Paired with Christian Robinson's vibrant and playful illustrations, Adam Rex has created a story perfect for any classroom read-aloud.

The Truth About My Unbelievable Summer . . . by Davide Cali, Illustrated by Benjamin Chaud

Everyone remembers the assignment, “What did you do over summer vacation?”

For a boy with a wild imagination, that’s the perfect question to launch him into a fantastic tale involving pirates, mummies, yetis, and dragons! But is it truth or fiction? Readers may be surprised! You're going to love The Truth About My Unbelievable Summer...written by Davide Cale and illustrated by Benjamin Chaud!

The Class by Boni Ashburn, Illustrated by Kimberly Gee

Celebrate all the ways children get ready for the first day of kindergarten in The Class written by Boni Ashburn and illustrated by Kimberly Gee. It’s a cute and chaotic romp of a rhyming book which follows twenty different kids as they prepare for their first day of school!

Ming Goes to School by Deirdre Sullivan, Illustrated by Maja Löfdahl

The beautiful watercolor art in Ming Goes to School is reason enough to pick up this lovely back-to-school book written by Deirdre Sullivan and illustrated by Maja Lofdahl. Absolutely gorgeous illustrations!

This quiet tale follows a girl through an entire school year as she soaks up the simple moments and gathers up strength to take on new challenges.

Image from Teachers Rock! by Todd Parr

And don't miss our annual
Educator Night
Wednesday, August 17th at 6:30pm!

All K-8 elementary school educators, counselors, and librarians are invited to join us for this special event in which we'll talk about the best new books to use in your classrooms, offer free posters and classroom supplies, and raffle off a few GBB gift certificates! We'll even have snacks and such!

This event is free, but registration is required.

Register now by calling 503-954-2354!

Green Bean Secret Agent Camp!

2/25/2016

Are you a super secret spy??

Then this camp is perfect for you!
It's time to dust for fingerprints! Green
Bean Books, artist Sarah Fagan, and
businesses on Alberta Street team up this
summer to offer a detective-themed half
day camp! Come brush up on your spy
skills and have some fun!

Who: Youth ages 6 - 9 (ish)
Where: Green Bean Books, with short trips on Alberta Street
When: M - F, July 18 - 22 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
(with a special party at 3:30 on Friday -- family and friends welcome!)
How Much: $180/week ($10 off for registration by May 1)
What: Art, science, and the powers of deduction unite! We'll learn to crack secret codes, make tools like periscopes, practice detective work, craft disguises, and read about great real and fictional sleuths. Daily snacks, special visitors, and a field trip round out the week.

Limited space! Call to register:
503-954-2354

Tui T. Sutherland comes to Green Bean Books!

2/19/2016

Tui T. Sutherland Visits Green Bean Books!

Calling all fans of the fantastical! We are thrilled to announce that fantasy middle reader author Tui Sutherland is making her way to Green Bean Books on March 4th at 5pm! She will be talking all about her newest book in her New York Times bestselling series, Wings of Fire!

Did you know Tui has written about 40 books for children and teens? Wow!

Tui was born the same day as Harry Potter (July 31st!) in Caracas, Venezuela and grew up a number of different places! She started out in theater, but then realized her passion for fantasy fiction writing. Most known for her New York Times bestselling series, Wings of Fire, Tui has written books for not only middle readers and teens, but also easy-to-read books and sticker books! Perhaps you have read some of her other books? She teamed up with her sister to write middle reader fantasy series, The Menagerie Trilogy. Check out her book in the Spirit Animals series, Against the Tide (book five)! Or see her writing in both popular series Warriors and Seekers (mostly Seekers) under the pseudonym Erin Hunter with three other authors! As an author, sometimes Tui goes by a different name - do you know of other books she has written under a different name?

Come meet Tui herself and listen to her talk all about her books, especially her Wings of Fire series, and answer all your fantastical questions on
Friday, March 4th at 5pm
at Green Bean Books!

Royally Fun Reads Middle Grade Author Panel Visits Green Bean Books!

2/11/2016

A Royally Fun middle grade author panel will visit Green Bean Books on Monday, February 15th at 2pm (President's Day!).

Kristen Kittscher, author of The Tiara in the Terrace, Anne Nesbet, author of The Wrinkled Crown, and Jennifer Lynn Alvarez, author of The Guardian Herd: Landfall, will share their new books and lead a panel discussion.

If Ivy and Bean mashed up with the Mysterious Benedict Society, Kristen Kittscher’s Young and Yang series will be the result. Different personalities have to work together to solve mysteries. Whether it’s spying on school staff or chasing a murderer, these two smart and sassy tweens prove they’re more than up for it even when they get in over their heads!

Jennifer Lynn Alvarez writes a fantastical series to perfectly go along with Warriors and Guardians of Ga’Hoole. In the lands of pegasi, a black foal who can’t fly is born. He is destined to become the most powerful of his kind and is hunted down to prevent that from happening. Can he survive long enough to fulfill his destiny?

In her books, Anne Nesbet whisks readers away into fantasy lands. Strong female protagonists and daring adventures in incredible worlds make for irresistible reads.

Best for kids ages 8-12.

Signed copies of all of each author's latest books will be available for purchase during this event.

Valentine’s Day Picks

2/4/2016

Fall in love with these super adorable picture books!

I Love You Already!
By Jory John

If you loved Goodnight Already!, you’ll definitely love this new tale of Bear and Duck by Jory John and Benji Davis! Bear just wants to take a walk in the park by himself, enjoy the peacefulness, the scenery, and more than anything, some quiet. But Duck just wants Bear to like him already! Discover friendship and a whole lot of love and patience between Duck and Bear in their newest book, I Love You Already!

Love Monster and the Last Chocolate
By Rachel Bright

Our favorite Love Monster just got back from vacation, and what did he find? Why, a box of yummy and delicious chocolates! What’s a monster to do with all these sweet chocolates? Perhaps the Love Monster should share them with his friends! But he’s not so sure; what if he doesn’t get one? But once the Love Monster realizes it’s better to share, he discovers something even better!

Hedgehugs
By Steve Wilson & Lucy Tapper

If you love hugs, you will love Horace and Hattie. They are the very best hedgehog friends. But they have one problem – they are too spiky to hug each other! And believe them, they have tried everything! From wearing scratchy leaves, to sticky strawberries to buffer their spikes, they just can’t seem to get the perfect hug. Will they ever get their perfect hedgehug?

We Love YA! Young Adult Picks!

1/18/2016

Winter is perfect for cuddling up with a great book! We have a wonderful Young Adult sale going on: Buy one, get one for 50% off! Here are some of our favorite Young Adult picks right now!

These Shallow Graves
By Jennifer Donnelly

Historical fiction at its most exciting! Following her dream to be a journalist, Jo Montfort sets out to find the truth behind her well-to-do father’s gruesome murder! His murder is disguised as an accidental death in order to protect the Montfort’s upstanding reputation. But will it lead her to a dead end and shatter her reputation as a Montfort? Find out in this thrill-seeking novel with a brilliantly clever female protagonist who is way ahead of her time!

Everything, Everything
By Nicola Yoon

Do you ever feel trapped in your own home? Well, that’s the case for Madeline Whittier. Except Madeline is allergic to the outside world. She hasn’t left her house in seventeen years. For those who love a good story about empowerment, Everything, Everything is everything you ever needed!

We All Looked Up
By Tommy Wallach

Breakfast Club meets the end of the world. Follow the stories of four high school seniors as they each navigate how they choose to spend their last two months before an asteroid is supposed to hit earth. High school stereotypes seem pretty trivial when you discover the world is about to end. How would you live the last days of your life to the fullest?

All the Bright Places
By Jennifer Niven

Violet is the one person Finch can unabashedly be himself around, and Finch is the only person that makes Violet forget about the pain of her sister’s death. These two bring out the life in each other, but is that enough? Grab this heart-wrenching, beautiful story of two teens searching desperately for their bright place in life.

Dumplin’
By Julie Murphy

Willowdean is a confident, self-proclaimed fat girl who has no trouble telling it like it is. But when she finds out her crush, typical hot boy Bo, likes her back, self-doubt creeps in. To gain back her confidence, she tries out for the beauty pageant, along with a few other unlikely contestants. For everyone who struggles with confidence in high school, this is a must read!

Season's Readings!

12/4/2015

Favorite Festive Holiday Reads!

Is It Hanukkah Yet?
By Chris Barash and illustrations by Alessandra Psacharopulo

Winter comes. Snow falls. Animals slumber. People gather. These are some telltale signs Hanukkah is just around the corner. Celebrate the Festival of Lights with this charming picture book perfect for readers curious about the holiday!

Oskar and the Eight Blessings
By Richard and Tanya Simon and illustrations by Mark Siegel

During Christmas Eve and the seventh day of Hanukkah of 1938, a young boy escapes the horrors of Nazi Europe and must walk the strange unfamiliar streets of New York City in search of his aunt. Along the way he meets people who will surprise and remind him there is kindness that can shine a light even in the darkest of times. Beautiful and uplifting to read aloud regardless of what traditions one celebrates.

Little Santa
By Jon Agee

Adorable fictional biography of a gung-ho boy living in the North Pole who enjoys nothing more than sliding down chimneys and the new friends he meets one day while trying to rescue his snowed-in family. Now available as a board book!

How to Catch Santa
By Jean Reagan and illustrations by Lee Wildish

If you're determined to catch Santa in the act this year, then you'll need this how-to guide! For tips, tricks, and all the secrets to catching Santa, and what to do once caught, this book is a must for this holiday season (and seasons to come)!

When Santa Was a Baby
By Linda Bailey and illustrations by Geneviève Godbout

Have you ever thought about what Santa would be like as a baby? If you thought his first words might be a booming, "ho, ho, ho", his favorite color being red, or if he had a unique interest in chimneys, you might be right! Perfect for the extraordinary child in your life!

‘Tis the Season of Giving at Green Bean Books!

12/1/2015

We LOVE the holidays at Green Bean Books! When families and friends get together to enjoy a cozy story or two, we relish doing our part by giving recommendations of books we think will be perfect for our readers.

We also love seeing the generosity of people in action. That's why we've devised three ways you can help us give back to our community this December!

Giving Tuesday

After the shopping mania of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, it’s nice to know there’s the worldwide movement of Giving Tuesday, inviting people to make a difference this holiday season.

On Tuesday, December 1st, Green Bean Books will be donating a portion of its sales to Alberta Main Street. We’re fortunate to live in such a vibrant neighborhood and Alberta Main Street ensures that it continues. From the Street Fair to the Sidewalk Sale, Trick or Treat and Retail Happy Hour, their events bring people together. You can show your support by shopping at Green Bean Books on Tuesday. December 1st or by donating here.

Don’t miss out on these festive celebrations on Alberta Street:
December 5th- Tree Lighting
December 12th-20th- Gnome for the Holidays

Gift Wrap for Good

Through December 31st, we will gladly gift wrap books purchased at Green Bean Books for $1 per package. We will then donate each dollar to Pet Partners, a fantastic nonprofit which provides gentle therapy dogs to listen to beginning readers at Green Bean each month.

Our next Read to a Dog is on Sunday, December 13th from noon to 1pm. Call 503-954-2354 now to register!

Book Angels Giving Campaign

We've also partnered with Randall Children's Hospital MESD Hospital Classroom this holiday season to give back to our community.

Children who are patients there have jotted down book wish lists. We have transformed these book requests into book angels that are hanging from the ceiling in our store. You'll be invited to pluck down a child's angel book request and buy that book for a child at a 20% discount from November 27th to December 18th.

It will be so much fun to deliver a big pile of books to the kids at the hospital!

So, this December, "grow your heart three sizes!"

And, speaking of which, don't forget to Meet the Grinch Thursday, December 3rd at 3:30pm! We'll have hot chocolate during this special story time and families will have opportunities to get their picture taken with the Grinch!

Mac Barnett and Christian Robinson Visit Green Bean Books!

9/24/2015

Two picture book Superstars are heading to Green Bean Books this October!

It’s no trick, just a special Halloween treat for our customers!

New York Times bestselling author Mac Barnett and award-winning illustrator Christian Robinson scare up a frightfully fun picture book in Leo: a Ghost Story! They’ll read and sign their book at Green Bean Books on Thursday, October 1st at 3:30pm! It’s going to be a sure hit with the whole family!

From his middle-reader mystery series The Brixton Brothers and the milk-out-of-your-nose-funny The Terrible Two (co-written by Jory John), to his many picture books, President Taft is Stuck in the Tub (illustrated by Chris Van Dusen), The Skunk (illustrated by Patrick McDonnell), and Sam and Dave Dig a Hole (illustrated by Jon Klassen), Mac Barnett has been giving readers of all ages uncontrollable giggles.

Watch Mac's inspiring and hilarious TedTalk on how children’s books open the door to a world full of whimsy and wonder!

Christian Robinson has been using his talents to make stories come to life with his beautiful and distinctive illustrations. Patricia Hruby Powell's Josephine (a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor recipient), Matt de la Pena’s Last Stop on Market Street, and Kelly di Pucchio’s Gaston are just some of the titles in which he’s clearly elevated the picture book into its own art form.

Here’s an animated short he did for
Leo: A Ghost Story!

Watch more of his incredible videos on his website.

Catch both Mac Barnett and Christian Robinson
at Green Bean Books, Thursday, October 1st, 3:30pm!

Green Bean Top Ten Board Books!

8/6/2015