The Tweens Read 2019

On Saturday, October 19, I attended the Tweens Read book event.
It was held at Pasadena Memorial High School.It was hosted by Blue Willow Bookshop. It was my second year attending and I always look forward to these events.

I really enjoy these events because I can learn more about the authors.I can learn about their inspiration, the writing process, and what you can do if you get stuck. These things are really important as I feel they help me with my writing.

This year I attended the Art on the Page panel (Which featured Lincoln Pierce, Matthew Holm, and Remy Lai)The authors talked about their books, read some of their books, and answered questions. Next I attended the creative writing workshop. Robbi Behr and Matthew Swanson were the authors for this event. They taught us how to brainstorm and how to crowd-source when you’re stuck.Then I went to the Shelf Stuff workshop from Harper Collins. They taught us how to advertise our books. Then they asked us for our advice and which apps would be the best to advertise on.We gladly came up with a few suggestions.Finally, we went to the Do the Write Stuff workshop. Varsha Bajaj, James Riley,Robbi Behr, and Matthew Swanson were the speakers for this panel. The setup was the same as the first panel but the things they talked about were completely different!

Interacting with these authors inspire me to work harder on my writing and to go above and beyond with it. I always want to be a great writer and by going to these sessions, I am motivated to become one. Going to the tweens read and also exposes me the tons of new middle grade fiction. My pile of books to read always increases with each visit to the Tweens Read.I would love if in the future I could interact with these authors: Kelly Barnhill (author of The Girl who Drank the Moon), Colin Meloy(author of The Whiz Mob and The Grenadine Kid), and Christina Uss( author of The Adventures Of a Girl Called Bicycle).




Mint Girl Reads : More To The Story by Hena Khan

When I first saw the cover of this book, I was captivated. The vibrant colors blended together in perfect harmony. The girls on the cover of the book captured my attention and I found myself wanting to know more about them. That is the reason I started to read More to the Story.

More to the Story is about how sisters, Jam, Bisma, Aleeza, and Maryanm, face a hard time where their dad is in a different country working and Bisma has just gotten diagnosed with lymphoma, a type of cancer. This book is about the relationship between the sisters and Ali, their cousin while they discover themselves.

Jam’s story enraptured me. I loved her passion for journeling and her interesting ideas. I especially love her relationship with Travis and how he keeps shooting down her ideas. Bisma deserves a big round of applause. She managed to stay brave and calm during a hard time for her. Aleeza and Maryanam don’t appear much in the story, but their bond surprises me to no ends.In any fights, it usually ends up being Bisma and Jam vs. Aleeza and Maryanm.

I’ve read many of Hena Khan’s literature before and I’ve always enjoyed them. I especially like how she uses diversity in middle grade fiction. Amina’s Voice will always be one of my favorite books, as I love Amina, Emily, and Soojin’s story.

Mint Girl Reads More to the Story by Hena Khan. Picture created on Canva.com
Mint Rating

Mint Rating: 4/5 Mints