Celebrate the beautiful brown and black girls in your life with this magical and empowering ABC board book.

Tell your little one that they are magic with ABCs of Black Girl Magic. Featuring enchanting illustrations showcasing the power, beauty, and magic of black and brown girls alongside positive affirmations, this board book is a wonderful way to show your child they are loved and important.

From read alouds to bonding moments, this beautiful board book is the perfect baby shower gift, birthday present, and gift for your daughter, sister, mother, or any strong woman in your life that needs to know they are magic.

You are…

Amazing

Beautiful

Courageous

…and so much more!

From National Book Award Longlist K. Ancrum comes a striking YA novel about the unexpected bond between a troubled girl and an otherworldly creature, for fans of Kacen Callender and Ari Tison.

Ellie is counting down the days until high school is over. Between her negligent guardian, abusive stepparents, and impoverished small town, every day is worse than the last. One night, Ellie’s reality explodes when she collides with an ancient shape shifter trapped in human form, who she finds stealing food at a gas station.

This beautiful angry creature reveals that he’s on the run from his captors after years of bondage. Seeing the same desperation in Ellie, he offers her the tools she needs to free herself, as well. As the two share their tales of subjugation, violence, and triumph, they begin to seize the life of peace they both deserve.

K. Ancrum's breathtaking new YA novel is magical, visceral, and memorable -- a must have for fans of deeply emotional reads like EVERY DAY and COMPOUND FRACTURE.

Award-winning author Kai Ashante Wilson returns with a bold new vision of fantasy. The Fall of Elvenesse transforms the genre of Tolkien in the image of N. K. Jemisin, Marlon James, and Simon Jimenez.

Elves have ruined the world.

From their high mountain, the cruel knights of Elvenesse range out to conquer. They pillage, they enslave, they wreak genocide. Always the Elves have taken, never considered when the bill for their crimes will come due.

That time has come. The fury of the world has awoken. The victims will have their vengeance.

A divine scourge of fire sweeps across the land toward Elvenesse, and the last free people of the Nations flee before it. As the mountains char, rivers boil, and savannas burn, the Free Nations rely on the muscle and magic of their strong and runt freaks. But as their one remaining Saint assumes his power, he receives a prophecy: the Nations' only path to survival runs through Elvenesse. Only by navigating the Elven labyrinth can he win his people's lives.

Winner of the Bancroft Prize
Winner of the David J. Langum Prize
Winner of the Merle Curti Social History Award
Finalist for the Cundill History Prize 2026

A revelatory history of the laws that conditioned the everyday lives of Chinese people in the American West―and of those who negotiated, circumvented, and resisted discrimination.

Legal discrimination against Chinese people in the United States began in 1852, with a California tax on foreign gold miners that was explicitly designed to exploit Chinese labor. In the ensuing decades, California, Oregon, Washington, and other western states instituted more than five thousand laws that marginalized and controlled Chinese residents. Long before the Chinese Exclusion Act banned Chinese immigration, these laws constrained the activities and opportunities of Chinese people already living in the United States.

In this eye-opening account, Beth Lew-Williams describes a legal architecture redolent of Jim Crow but tailored to the people whom official records often referred to only as “John Doe Chinaman” and “Mary Chinaman.” Enforced by police, tax collectors, schoolteachers, missionaries, and neighbors, these laws severely limited Chinese access to American society. Cementing stereotypes of Chinese as criminals, invaders, and predators, states regulated everything from healthcare and property ownership to business formation and kinship customs. Yet Chinese communities reacted resourcefully. Many fought, evaded, and manipulated racist laws, finding ways to maintain prohibited traditions, resist unfair treatment in court, and insist on their political rights.

Revealing the depth of anti-Chinese discrimination beyond federal exclusion, John Doe Chinaman tells the stories of those who refused to accept a conditional place in American life.

Written by an engineer who has worked for the FBI and the White House, this STEMinist picture book biography tells the story of Bessie Blount, a groundbreaking Black inventor.

What do you do when people tell you no? This is a true story of what happens when you tell yourself yes!

When a teacher said she couldn’t write with her left hand, Bessie taught herself to be right-handed. At a time when many people were unfairly denied more education, Bessie studied hard and became a nurse and physical therapist. And when her patients—injured World War II soldiers—couldn’t feed themselves, Bessie invented a device to assist them. Bessie‘s determination allowed her to help others in so many ways.

From celebrated STEMinist (STEM-feminist) Afua Bruce and award-winning artist Laura Freeman comes the inspiring true story of the extraordinary Bessie Blount.

* A trailblazing inventor who overcame oppression to succeed
* Informational back matter, including a timeline, author’s note, and guide to inventing
* Inspiring true story for fans of Maya’s Song, Ketanji, and Because Claudette

An ambitious teen enrolls at an elite science institute in Morbid Curiosities, a young adult thriller from author S. Hati.

When the Institute’s invitation arrived at my doorstep, it felt like it had been inked in my blood, sweat, and tears.

Aarya’s life plan has been set for as long as she can remember: finish high school with a bang, attend the best college she can get into, then land a prestigious biology research job. Her ticket to this dream is a one-year program at the Elizabethan Institute, the preeminent organization for life sciences in the United States, currently on the cusp of revealing a major project that could transform the worlds of biology and medicine.

But as Aarya tries to settle in to a school with sky-high academic expectations and research cloaked in mystery, it becomes clear that someone doesn’t want her there. As the scholarship student surrounded by rich, cutthroat peers who seem all too willing to torment her, she never expected to make friends, but the notes warning her to run rattle her to her core. She finds an ally in Sofia, a mysterious girl who claims to be the subject of closed-door Institute experiments and begs for Aarya’s help in discovering the Institute's true goal.

As rumors of mutated flora and fauna in the nearby city circulate and a murder investigation rocks the Institute, Aarya must navigate Sofia’s growing paranoia and her own increasingly unreliable memory to determine which classmates she can trust―and which would rather see her dead.

"A sharply intelligent, darkly fascinating academic thriller about unraveling the hard truths of who you are and who you want to be - and the final twist made me gasp out loud." ―Andrew Joseph White, New York Times-bestselling and award-winning author of Compound Fracture

Acclaimed author Richard Ho and artist Xuân Lan take readers on a tour of Asian homes around the world—just please remember to leave your shoes at the door! A rich exploration of cultures, families, and traditions for fans of A Big Mooncake for Little Star and Eyes that Kiss in the Corners.

Welcome. You are about to step into an Asian home. But before you do. . . please remove your shoes.

Slippers are allowed. Socks and bare feet, too. You may have always taken off your shoes before stepping into a home, or it may be new to you. But have you ever stopped to wonder why it is a common practice to take off your shoes in Asian households?

Richard Ho explains the custom, which spans across cultures and generations, in his thoughtful, richly layered text that is excellent for reading aloud. Xuân Lan's playful artwork showcases a variety of Asian cultures and introduces a young cat to lead readers on a journey through time and place.

Along with the curious cat, readers will:

* Visit an ancient Chinese village, an historic Korean classroom, a modern Japanese dining room, and many more places.
* Honor the cultures and traditions of the Asian diaspora.
* Celebrate our feet, which work so hard every day.
* Learn more from the author's note and visual glossary providing further details about each culture's customs.

Celebrate the release of If This World We're Mine with Arriel Vinson!

EVENT DEETS

When: Thursday, January 28 @ 7 PM CST

Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St. Houston, TX 77004)

How: 

• RSVP ONLY to reserve your seat.

• RSVP WITH BOOK to reserve your seat and purchase a copy If This World We're Mine, supporting both the author and our store programming. The book will be available for pickup at the event.

Please Note: Books purchased from other retailers are not permitted in the bookstore and are not eligible for the signing or photo line. To participate in the signing and photo opportunity, you must purchase a copy from Kindred Stories.If you already have a copy from Kindred Stories feel free to choose the RSVP only option. 

If you purchase a ticket and are unable to attend the event, your ticket is non-refundable. If your ticket includes a book, an email will be sent to all attendees before and after the event with instructions on how to receive your book. Books must be claimed within 14 days following the event. If your book is not retrieved it will be returned to the publisher and will not be available for pick up in the future.

ABOUT THE BOOK

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Arriel Vinson is a Midwesterner who writes about being young, Black, and in search of freedom. Her debut YA novel-in-verse, Under the Neon Lights, is a 2026 Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award winner, a Reese’s Book Club LitUp selection, and a Junior Library Guild Gold Selection. Arriel earned her MFA in Fiction from Sarah Lawrence College and is a Tin House YA Scholar, Highlights Foundation scholarship recipient, and Walter Grant recipient. Her sophomore novel, If This World Were Mine, is forthcoming in spring 2027. You can connect with her on social media at @arriwrites and find her work at arriwrites.com

ABOUT THE CONVERSATION PARTNER

LIARA TAMANI grew up in Houston, Texas, where every spring meant one thing: rodeo season. She loved getting decked out in her best cowgirl gear and soaking up the music, food, and electric energy of the rodeo, a joy she now shares with her daughter and husband. Her deep Texas roots shine through her storytelling, capturing the spirit and rhythms of the state in all her acclaimed novels: Calling My Name, All the Things We Never Knew, and What She Missed. Before becoming a writer, she attended Harvard Law School and worked as a marketing coordinator for the Houston Rockets and Comets, television production assistant, home accessories designer, floral designer, and yoga and dance teacher. She holds an MFA in writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts and a BA from Duke University.

The story that captivated readers―now complete for the first time.

Passion for the Heist introduced readers to the love story of Passion Adams and Percy “Pain” Wells―a tale of survival, betrayal, and love. Now, experience The Wild Hearts Duology in one volume, including Passion for the Heist and the never-before-published sequel, Murder of Crows.

A crime brought them together. Grief bound them. Love made them infamous.

Percy “Pain” Wells returned from prison with two things: a ruined reputation and his grandmother’s medical bills. Debts don’t care if he’s trying to go straight, and the streets he once ruled now whisper his name like a warning.

Passion Adams has nothing left but the locket holding her parents’ ashes, a monster for an uncle, and habits that numb the pain. When the locket is stolen in a robbery, she thinks it’s gone forever. Then it turns up in the hands of a stranger with hardened eyes and a calm that screams danger.

Pain should walk away, but something about Passion―her fire, her pain―won’t let him go. Their lives collide, and what starts as a mission to make things right becomes a fight to stay alive. Their explosive love turns two broken souls into the most wanted names in the city, hunted by cops and the underworld alike.

For Passion and Pain, there are only two ways out: disappear into the shadows or become the story everyone tells.

Originally published in 2005, former NBA star Etan Thomas’s first poetry collection defies the stereotype of the apolitical athlete; featuring brand-new poems by Thomas and his son―and University of Dayton basketball star―Malcolm Thomas

RETIRED NBA STAR, AUTHOR, AND OUTSPOKEN POLITICAL ACTIVIST, Etan Thomas is more than an athlete. In this, his first collection of poems―originally published in 2005 and reissued here with many new poems―the former center for the NBA’s Washington Wizards defies the stereotype of the apolitical athlete, and plants his roots in his budding literary career. With the conviction of a Bill Russell, and the poetic finesse of Muhammad Ali, Thomas takes on controversial topics such as the Death Penalty, the GOP, and racism. 

This fiery poet approaches his work fearlessly, writing in the strong, historical lineage of his literary elders Amiri Baraka and Sonia Sanchez, and in the tradition of more contemporary poets Ras Baraka, Tony Medina, and asha bandele. More Than an Athlete is not just a book of poetry; it’s a statement about new generations not being confined to a box, a definition, or a label. Some people play ball, and some people write poems. Etan Thomas has mastered the art of both.

The reimagined 2027 edition features brand-new poems by Thomas as well as his son Malcolm, who is following in his father’s footsteps on the court as a collegiate athlete, and on―and off―the page as a poet and activist.

From the 2025 Children’s Literature Legacy Award winner, New York Times bestselling, and multiple award-winning author Carole Boston Weatherford comes a powerful nonfiction picture book that follows the individual acts of courage behind the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott.

In Montgomery, everyone relied on the city’s buses, but only white riders could sit in the front. If white riders needed more seats, Black riders had to give theirs up. And the white bus drivers would call the police whenever they wanted to. How could the Black community fight for their rights?

With incredible coordination and planning, Black people across the city carefully planned a boycott. When Rosa Parks was arrested after refusing to give her seat up to a white rider, they were ready to act. But, as the months drew on, everyone found themselves wondering: What would it take to end the boycott?

Award-winning team Carole Boston Weatherford and Noa Denmon unite to tell the remarkable story of the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott and the people who achieved justice by working together.

* Important American History: This book spotlights the collective action of the Civil Rights Movement.
* Unsung Heroes: Strength in Numbers celebrates the many people who made the long bus boycott a success.
* Impressive Back Matter: This book features an extensive timeline, along with additional information about the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Silver loves to swim and dreams of one day becoming a mermaid. There's only one problem: Her dad can't swim! 

From the bath to the pool and the beach, Silver's always been a water baby. 

She looks like a mermaid, swims like a fish, and even sleeps under the sea. 

Silver and her dad bake mermaid-tail cupcakes, build mermaid caves, and read underwater stories, but he can't join her in the pool like other dads. Silver would rather give up on her mer-mazing dreams than swim away without her dad. But what if she doesn't have to? 

This joyful story celebrates swimming and empowers little dreamers to pursue their passions.