Vietnam Readers, Shirt Stains, Book Giveaways, & Back-to-school Deep Breaths,
Oh, and Halloween prep too!
Halloween is almost here!
Halloween is my favorite time of year. And I love scary movies. SO this year, I’m starting Halloween early. Scary movies and sorting out what I’m going to dress up as are my first orders of business. If you haven’t figured out your costume, I recommend figuring it out now… (otherwise you’ll ned up at Party City staring at empty racks like me every other year).
Are you as clumsy as me?
Cuz I am a total KLUTZ with a capital K (and L and U and T and Z).
People ask me all the time why I always wear black shirts…. it’s because the second I put on a white shirt, I spill all over it. This weekend, I wore a brand new white shirt. I immediately spilled wine on it and simultaneously put my sleeve in a bowl of guacamole. UGH.
BUT I found the solution…. SHOUT. More specifically: Shout® Advanced Ultra Concentrated Gel Brush. For $3.48 you can get stains out of your shirt! And no, this is not an advertisement, I just want to share that I have searched and search and SEARCHED and this is the best one I’ve found. So yeah. This is just an FYI.
*Also, why is it “klutz” with a “k” but “clumsy” with a “c”. If you know, please tell me.
HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY, LUCIA!
Today is the book birthday for my latest REY TERCIERO book—Doña Quixote: Flight of the Witch—another middle grade graphic novel that reimagines a classic novel into a modern day-fantasy. It’s the sequel to Doña Quixote: Rise of the Knight (also illustrated by the amazing Monica M. Magaña), which I loved writing as it was so fun to dive back into a world full of Mexican folklore, curanderos, and of course, the infamous La Lechuza.
*Fun fact: last year Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights opened a new haunted house: Monstruos, The Monsters of Latin America. If you’re in the area check it out. So stoked for my Brown people to get some spooky representation.
If you’re an educator or librarian with a Hispanic readership, definitely check out the Doña Quixote books. Both books touch on Mexican culture (including an Abuela who came to the U.S. illegally) while a youth is empowered through magic items passed down through her Latinx family.
Want both Doña Q. books for free?
Okay then! If you have a birthday this week (Sept 1st-7th) hit me up on Instagram and send me your address and how you want the books personalized. (This is on honor system, folks. Please be honest.) For the rest of you, I have written down a # (between 1-100) on my To-Do List. Anyone who guesses it also gets a free set.
Do any of you have Vietnamese readers at your schools or libraries?
I found 4 copies of FREE LUNCH in Vietnamese. If you have students or library patrons who would be interested, hit me up on Insta. First 4 folks get one.
Back to school? Take a deep breath.
First, I wanted to send you a virtual hug. Second, I know this first week is intensely stressful… not just for educators, but for parents. So make sure to do some self-care. Maybe an hour or two off tonight to watch a scary movie? Maybe that tiramisu from that Italian place you love? Or maybe just taking some time off this upcoming weekend to read a rom-com book? Do something for you. You deserve it.
Okay, I’m done talking.
Take care of yourselves this week. More soon! XOXO