Shine, Coconut Moon and Skunk Girl are two books I haven’t yet gotten to, but as a young adult librarian, they are high up on my list of books to read. There is an awesome event coming up for connecting with the authors of these two books, Neesha Meminger and Sheba Karim. Unfortunately, I’m out of country, traveling in India, otherwise I would have definitely gone. Here are the particulars:

Wednesday, July 29th, 7pm

Beyond Gossip Girls:
An Evening with Young Adult Authors Neesha Meminger and Sheba Karim

Books and films for young adults have exploded onto the scene recently with the success of the Twilight series, Gossip Girl, Harry Potter, and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.  How do teens of color fare amidst this explosion?  What is it like to try to publish works with multicultural characters or characters of color in an industry clamoring for the next Twilight?

Join us for a reading and discussion with young adult novelists Neesha Meminger (author of Shine, Coconut Moon, Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster 2009) and Sheba Karim (author of Skunk Girl, Farrar, Straus & Giroux 2009).  Meminger and Karim deal with issues ranging from the Sikh experience post 9/11 and single parenthood to body image and Muslim American identity, while providing cohesive narratives of South Asian American adolescences and their growing pains.  Both authors will read from their new novels and discuss their different paths to publication and writing for a teen audience.  Booksigning and reception to follow.

at The Asian American Writers’ Workshop
16 West 32nd Street, 10th Floor
(btwn 5th Ave and Broadway)

New York, New York

$5 suggested donation