This week, Asha Bromfield celebrates her debut; second graders observe Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month; and Scholastic authors have a fantastical panel.
Two Black Stars
On May 4, Riverdale and Locke and Key actor Asha Bromfield (top) launched her debut novel, Hurricane Summer (Wednesday Books), in a virtual ticketed event hosted by Anderson’s Bookshop, which has locations in Naperville and Downers Grove, Ill. Bestselling author Nic Stone (Fast Pitch) joined Bromfield for a discussion. Bromfield’s contemporary YA coming-of-age narrative features a Jamaican Canadian teenaged girl who explores her identity in Jamaica as hurricane season approaches.
A Radiant Read-Aloud
In honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Saving Our Daughters, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting and uplifting adolescent girls, hosted a May 6 storytime session at P.S. 42 – The Benjamin Altman School, located in Manhattan’s Chinatown. Actor Krista Marie Yu (Dr. Ken and Last Man Standing) read bestselling picture book Eyes That Kiss in The Corners by Joanna Ho, illustrated by Dung Ho, to second graders in the nonprofit’s Cinderellas Arts Program, co-founded by actor Keke Palmer.
A Wonder-Ful Conversation
Sayantani DasGupta (top c.) (Force of Fire, Scholastic Press); Kwame Mbalia (top r.) and Prince Joel Makkonnen (bottom l.) (Last Gate of the Emperor, Scholastic Press), and Bassem Youssef (bottom r.) (The Magical Reality of Nadia, Scholastic) joined New York City–based bookstore Books of Wonder for a Crowdcast panel titled “Fantastic Middle Grade Reads!” on May 8. During the event, the authors spoke about their novels and answered audience questions.
