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THE GARTH STEIN NEWSLETTER

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One Thousand Happy Kids

and One Fantastic Holiday

Well, we can only hope that your holiday was as fantastic as ours. Garth had a series of fun stops in Central Washington and our Book Donation Program was a HUGE success.

By the time the holiday arrived, we delivered brand new copies of Enzo and the Christmas Tree Hunt! to over 1,000 kids in hospitals, foster families, shelters, or whose families are simply in need. For many of these kids, owning a brand new book was a new experience. For others, it was a shining high point in their holiday season.

We can’t overstate how proud we are of this program, and we could never have done it without the help of dozens of independent booksellers across the US. On behalf of those kids, THANK YOU for your help. 

On the Road Again

The Art of Driving in the Snow

Yes, Garth made it to Central Washington in early December despite Mother Nature’s incredibly generous gift: several feet of snow! The trip was a fun (albeit slippery) flurry of children’s and adult speaking events with stops in Leavenworth, Ellensburg, Kennewick, and Yakima, including a special visit to a long-time fan who struggles with dementia.

Garth Stein reads Enzo and the Christmas Tree Hunt!, one of the four-book Enzo Kidz picture books series, at Inklings Bookshop in Yakima, WA.

Then he kicked off the New Year with Seattle7Writer’s (sold out!) Write Here Write Now conference in his hometown of Seattle. The intensive, collaborative one-day conference gives writers of all experience levels one-on-one face time with a number of the Pacific Northwest’s brightest literary voices. Tickets went fast, so mark your calendar for next year’s event!

Next: all the way down to the Georgia/Alabama border town of Columbus, GA for an event with the Columbus Public Library and then back to Washington for library events in Bainbridge and Port Orchard.

Thank you, libraries! Not only do these events help to encourage reading and increase literacy in our communities, they also promote critical thought and open discussion about important social issues that will inevitably impact all of us. If you haven’t thanked your librarian recently, do it today! (Tell her/him that Garth Stein sent you.)

April is going to be a busy month skipping from Ohio to Michigan and then a week-long visit to the Oregon coast! Oregonians, watch for April event announcements in Salem, Newport, Eugene, Corvallis and more!

In the News

“Libraries don’t work unless the community is willing to get behind them [...] Reading a book might be a solitary act, but the act of reading creates community.”  ~ Garth Stein in an interview with the Ellensburg Daily Record

“[Reading] is very important to our society and culture. It’s about feeling empathy. You can’t read a novel without feeling empathy. You won’t get it. And, we need more empathy in our world." ~ Garth Stein in an interview with the Tri-city Herald

Fourth Kid’s Book Coming

For the Fourth of July

Garth’s Enzo Kidz picture book series will welcome its fourth member of the family this coming May with Enzo and the Fourth of July Races. In this adventure, Zoë is told that girls can’t race go-karts by a little (boy) competitor and Enzo needs to help her regain her confidence. Stay tuned for details!

The Enzo Kidz website will be seeing some BIG updates this spring, including more educational materials specifically designed for teachers. Bookmark EnzoKidz.com in your browser and keep your eyes peeled for fun online updates!

The Art of Racing in the Rain

Young Reader Versions

You’re likely familiar with Garth Stein’s The Art of Racing in the Rain, the novel about Enzo, a narrating philosopher dog with big next-life ambitions. The book tells the story of his days as a pup to the end, along with a moving narrative of the personal turmoil of his family, Denny, Eve, and their little daughter, Zoë.

The story is personally relevant to many, many readers—dog owners or not—and rocketed to the top of the New York Time’s Bestseller list where it stayed for more than three years.

But, did you know there are young reader variations of the book available for kids?

  • Racing in the Rain, the Middle Grades version, is the same story less some of the (arguably) adult content, ideal for readers age eight to 12.
  • Enzo Races in the Rain is a kid’s picture book that imbues a few of the novel’s main themes for kids age four to eight.

Be sure to ask your neighborhood bookstore about the younger versions of Swift family story for the kids in your life. They’re sure to love Enzo as much we do!

Late Breaking Movie News

Word from Hollywood is that The Art of Racing in the Rain has moved from Universal Studios to Fox Studios! We’re not sure exactly what this means, but we’re hopeful that change is good and that the new studio's involvement will result in Enzo's mug being splashed upon the Silver Screen in the near future! 

Not to be outdone, word has come from New York City that a prominent and successful Broadway producer is angling to get Enzo up on The Great White Way.

So hold onto your hats, folks, and remember that the original contract includes the rights for an Enzo-themed amusement park ride…

Garth’s Winter/Spring Calendar

For more information on these and other events, visit Garth's website.

  • Bainbridge, WA — Saturday, February 11
    Bainbridge Kitsap Regional Library
     
  • Port Orchard, WA — Saturday, March 4
    Port Orchard Kitsap Regional Library
     
  • Avon Lake, OH — Monday, April 10
    Avon Lake Public Library
     
  • Canton, OH — Tuesday, April 11
    Palace Theatre
     
  • Port Huron, MI — Wednesday, April 12
    Blue Water Convention Center
     
  • Salem, OR — Tuesday, April 18
    Willamette University Smith Auditorium
     
  • Newport, OR — Wednesday, April 19
    Newport Performing Arts Center
     
  • Corvallis, OR — Thursday, April 20
    Grassroots Books & Music
     
  • Veneta, OR — Friday, April 21
    Fern Ridge Public Library
     
  • Eugene, OR — Saturday, April 22
    Eugene Public Library

Social Media!

(C’mon, it’s not like you’re working right now.)

If you're not already following Garth, you should make this your number one priority:

Facebook.com/GarthSteinAuthor
Twitter.com/GarthStein

Also, Enzo just opened up his own accounts for fun updates about Enzo Kidz, general Enzo insights, and fun ways for parents, librarians, teachers, and kids to engage with Enzo online. Be sure to follow @EnzoRaces!:

Facebook.com/EnzoRaces
Twitter.com/EnzoRaces

 

Social Media Highlights

This book is killing me. (Book snippet: "It's like there's a person inside there. Like you know everything." "I do, I said to myself. I do."

Photo Highlight

This photo of Enzo (the boy’s name is Enzo) reading his brand new copy of Enzo and the Christmas Tree Hunt! is too cute! Enzo is the son of a team member at one of our partner stores (Square Books in Oxford, MS) and was named after his Italian great grandfather, Vincenzo. Enzo, how cool it is to have your name on a book cover? Thanks for sharing, Square Books!

"My peace I give unto you." — John Muir
@GarthSteinAuthor
@GarthStein
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