Monday, April 10, 2017

Event Alert: Andrew McCarthy, Kenneth Kraegel with Fox and Branch, Lindsey Becker, Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney, Devorah Heitner

Don't forget, #1: We close at 6 pm tonight to the general public, due to the Andrew McCarthy event described below.

Don't forget, #2: Tickets were announced today for our event with Sheryl Sandberg, co-author of Option B, in conversation with Jane Hamilton, Monday, June 5, 7 pm, at the Pabst Theater. Visit their website for more details.

Monday, April 10, 7:00 pm, at Boswell:
A ticketed event with Andrew McCarthy, author of Just Fly Away.

Andrew McCarthy has worn many hats. He's beloved for his starring film roles in Pretty in Pink, Mannequin, and Less than Zero. He appeared on Broadway in the Tony-Award-winning production of Side Man. He's directed series such as Orange Is the New Black and The Blacklist. And his work as a travel writer and Editor at Large for National Geographic led to his bestselling memoir, The Longest Way Home, and the editor slot for Best American Travel Writing 2015.

Now his first novel, Just Fly Away, is being published in April, and we're thrilled to be hosting a ticketed talk and signing for this powerful young-adult novel on Monday, April 10, 7 pm. It starts when fifteen-year-old Lucy Willows discovers that her father has a child from a brief affair, an eight-year-old boy named Thomas who lives in her own suburban New Jersey town. She begins to question everything she thinks she knows about her family and her life. Lucy can't believe her father betrayed the whole family, or that her mother forgave him, or that her sister isn't rocked by the news the way Lucy is. Worse, Lucy's father's secret is now her own, one that isolates her from her friends, family, and even her boyfriend, Simon, the one person she expected would truly understand. When Lucy escapes to Maine, the home of her mysteriously estranged grandfather, she finally begins to get to the bottom of her family's secrets and lies.

Tickets are $19 and include admission to the event and a copy of Just Fly Away. On the night of the event only, a $12 Boswell gift card is available in lieu of the book. That said, you must take the book option to get in the signing line.

Thursday, April 13, 4:00 pm, at Boswell:
A Green Pants Dance Party with Kenneth Kraegel, author of Green Pants featuring musical guests Fox and Branch

Jameson only ever wears green pants. When he wears green pants, he can do anything. But if he wants to be in his cousin's wedding, he's going to have to wear a tuxedo, and that means black pants. It's an impossible decision: Jameson would love nothing more than to be in his cousin's wedding, but how can he not wear green pants? Will Jameson turn down this big honor, or will he find a way to make everyone happy, including himself?

About the Author: Kenneth Kraegel is the author-illustrator of the picture books The Song of Delphine and King Arthur's Very Great Grandson, which was a New York Times Notable Book and a Wall Street Journal Best Book of the Year.

Dave Fox and Will Branch strive to create a communal atmosphere of fun and high spirits wherever they play. A Fox and Branch show is as much a celebration of being together as it is a musical performance. Based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the nationally known duo has toured the Midwest, the East Coast and the South. They are the winners of four Parent’s Choice recommended awards.

Friday, April 14, 7:00 pm, at Boswell:
Lindsey Becker, author of The Star Thief.

The constellations come to life in this imaginative fantasy adventure debut from UWM alum and Indie Introduced author Lindsey Becker.

Honorine's life as a maid at the Vidalia mansion is rather dull, dusting treasures from faraway places and daydreaming in front of maps of the world. But everything changes when she catches two brutish sailors ransacking Lord Vidalia's study, and then follows a mysterious girl with wings out into the night.

Suddenly, Honorine is whisked into the middle of a battle between the crew of a spectacular steamship and a band of mythical constellations. The stars in the sky have come to life to defend themselves against those who want to harness their powers. Much to her surprise, Honorine is the crux of it all, the center of an epic clash between magic and science, the old ways and the new. But can this spirited young girl bring both sides of a larger-than-life fight together before they unleash an evil power even older than the stars?

Lindsey Becker writes middle grade fiction with ghosts, monsters, mythical beasts, and daring children who love adventure and magic. The Star Thief is her first novel.

Saturday, April 15, 2:00 pm, at Boswell:
Book Club Afternoon with Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney, author of The Nest featuring recommendations from Jane Glaser and Daniel Goldin

Join us for an afternoon delight featuring book club recommendations from Boswell’s Jane Glaser and Daniel Goldin and a talk from Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney, the bestselling author of The Nest. A breakout debut novel in 2016, The Nest offers a warm, funny, and acutely perceptive novel about four adults siblings and the fate of their shared inheritance that has shaped their choices and lives.

Every family has its problems. But even among the most troubled, the Plumb family stands out as spectacularly dysfunctional. Years of simmering tensions finally reach a breaking point on an unseasonably cold afternoon in New York City as Melody, Beatrice, and Jack Plumb gather to confront their charismatic and reckless older brother, Leo, freshly released from rehab. Months earlier, an inebriated Leo got behind the wheel of a car with a nineteen-year-old waitress as his passenger. The ensuing accident has endangered the Plumbs' joint trust fund, "The Nest," which they are months away from finally receiving. Meant by their deceased father to be a modest mid-life supplement, the Plumb siblings have watched The Nest's value soar along with the stock market and have been counting on the money to solve a number of self-inflicted problems.

A story about the power of family, the possibilities of friendship, the ways we depend upon one another and the ways we let one another down. In this tender, entertaining, and deftly written debut, Sweeney brings a remarkable cast of characters to life to illuminate what money does to relationships, what happens to our ambitions over the course of time, and the fraught yet unbreakable ties we share with those we love.

Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney's first novel, The Nest, is The New York Times bestseller which has been translated into more than 25 languages and optioned for film with Sweeney writing the adaptation.

Monday, April 17, 6:30 pm, at University School Milwaukee, 2100 E Fairy Chasm Rd, River Hills:
Devorah Heitner, author of Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in Their Digital World.

Many parents feel that their kids are addicted, detached, or distracted because of their digital devices. Media expert Devorah Heitner, however, believes that technology offers huge potential to our children—if parents help them. Screenwise offers a realistic and optimistic perspective on how to thoughtfully guide kids in the digital age. Using the foundation of their own values and experiences, parents and educators can learn about the digital world to help set kids up for a lifetime of success in a world fueled by technology.

Screenwise is a guide to understanding more about what it is like for children to grow up with technology, and to recognizing the special challenges—and advantages—that contemporary kids and teens experience thanks to this level of connection. In it, Heitner presents practical parenting hacks: quick ideas that you can implement today that will help you understand and relate to your digital native. The book will empower parents to recognize that the wisdom that they have gained throughout their lives is a relevant and urgently needed supplement to their kid’s digital savvy, and help them develop skills for managing the new challenges of parenting.

This is part of USM’s speaker series. This event will be held in Mellowes Hall at the Upper School. Registration is requested.

Devorah Heitner, PhD is the founder and director of Raising Digital Natives, a resource for parents and schools seeking advice on how to help children thrive in a world of digital connectedness.

No comments: