Tonight: YA Reading @ KGB Bar!

It’s that time again! On the second Thursday of every month we host a reading at the KGB bar, and this month we’re teaming up with One Teen Story to hear from three amazing Young Adult authors: Matt de la Pena, Lauren Mechling, and Lisa Ko!

Matt de la Pena just wrapped up a short story program in 10th grade at the Community Health Academy of the Heights. He is the author of 5 books for young adults: Mexican WhiteBoy, Ball Don’t Lie, We Were Here, I Will Save You, and
A Nation’s Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis. He will also be releasing three new books in 2013 – one YA, one middle grade, and a picture book.

Lauren Mechling is a Brooklyn native, New York Sun columnist, and Wall Street Journal editor. She is also the author of six YA books, including Dream Girl and Dream Life, which Teen Vogue praised as “an engrossing mystery novel-cum-cheeky comedy of manners.”

Lisa Ko is a New York based freelance writer and author of author of One Teen Story issue “The Magic Hour.” She also mentors New York City high school girls with the program Girls Write Now and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, among others.

Join us, tonight at 7:00!

Looking for a last minute gift? BtB presents Mother’s Day Cards!

Remember when your mom read you a story before she tucked you in at night? This Sunday, on Mother’s Day, honor that tradition by giving the gift of literacy to a child in need!

Available on our website, BtB Mother’s Day Cards are a thoughtful, socially conscious gift that won’t wilt, break, fade, or go out of style; a gift that only appreciates in value.

Here’s how your contribution makes a difference:
$15 buys books for one student
$50 buys art supplies for an elementary classroom
$500 buys a mobile library cart for a school without a library

We are a nonprofit organization dependent on your support to continue offering high-quality programming in high-need schools. Your Mother’s Day Gift helps us bring award winning authors into classrooms to inspire students and take students out of their classrooms to bring books to life.

Visit Mother’s Day Cards to print or email a beautiful card commemorating your gift in her name.

Tonight: Readings @ KGB Bar!

On the second Thursday of every month we host a reading series at the KBG bar and it’s that time again! In the past, we’ve heard from some incredibly talented authors (check out March’s reading here, and February’s here) and April is no exception; we’re featuring Nell Freudenberger, Kristopher Jansma, and Diana Spechler.

Nell Freudenberger is a New York based novelist; the NY Times calls her most recent book is The Newlyweds “a genuinely moving story about a woman trying to negotiate two cultures, balancing her parents’ expectations with her own aspirations, her ambition and cynical practicality with deeper, more romantic yearnings.”

Making a splash right now in the literary world is Kristopher Jansma with his debut novel The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards. This novel about writing that whisks the reader from Manhattan to Sri Lanka to Iceland and more, and has garnered praise for its complex structure and fascinating but unreliable narrator since it’s release.

Diana Spechler’s writing has been featured in the New York Times, GQ, The Wall Street Journal, New York Magazine, Esquire, Slate and more; her most recent book is Skinny, which Publisher’s Weekly calls “Affectingly narrated…Spechler’s latest succeeds in lovingly detailing the agony of self-loathing.”

Join us tonight!

Tonight: Readings @ KGB bar!

It’s the second Thursday of the month and we all know what that means: tonight BtB hosts our KGB bar reading series at 7pm! This month, we’re featuring authors Jonathan Dee, Aria Beth Sloss, and Ben Schrank.

Jonathan Dee, a 2011 Pulitzer Prize finalist, is a staff writer for the New York Times Magazine, a contributor to Harper’s, and a teacher at the graduate writing programs at Columbia University and the New School; his most recent book, A Thousand Pardons, explores the theme of apology.

Aria Beth Sloss will be reading from her debut novel Autobiography of Us, named one of Amazon’s Best of the Month picks for February. Via The New York Times: “With surprising ease, the book plays out the friends’ complicated dynamic against a tableau of enormous changes for women, resulting in a potent story of altered expectations and thwarted dreams.”

Ben Schrank, author of the novels Miracle Man and Consent and publisher at Razorbill, will be reading from his most recent novel Love is a Canoe, which the New York Times praises as an accomplishment of the seemingly-impossible: “a funny novel about publishing that is not caustic but optimistic, not biting but bighearted.”

Join us tonight for what’s sure to be another great reading!

We’re all authors! BtB students celebrate their first published book

A student reads his work to author Susanna Pitzer

As author Susanna Pitzer entered the second grade classroom at PS 46 in Fort Greene, the seven year-old students instantly lit up and rushed to give her a warm welcome. Susanna’s book, Not Afraid of Dogs, was the centerpiece of a several part program where students wrote short stories based on their personal experiences with fear. Last week, BtB and PS 46 hosted a publishing party for the class’ finished book: Tales That Make You Afraid to Read.

The eight students in Mr. Braverman’s class have each been diagnosed with a learning disability, however, this obstacle didn’t stop them from producing strikingly creative work.

At the party, each student read their story out loud to the class and displayed their watercolor illustrations. Carli, a bubbly young girl, shared her story about being scared of wolves and how she overcame this fear by letting a wolf lick her hand. Several parents were also in attendance.

Once students shared their stories, Susanna invited the class to autograph all the copies. After all, everyone is an author! We even got our copy autographed!

BtB founder Jo Umans with her signed copy of “Stories That Make You Afraid to Read”

To wrap up the party, each student received an personalized card from Susanna showing appreciation for their hard work and creativity. Refreshments, including apple juice and cookies, were enjoyed by all.

BtB is looking forward to our continued partnership with PS 46 and all of the talented young students there! Check out all the photos from the party on our facebook page.

Special thanks to our guest blogger, Steven Pastores from Columbia University and to Kelly Blose, one of the many volunteer book designers who help us create beautiful student books.