Laurel Goodluck will talk about her two new picture books for young readers at Bookworks

AT BOOKWORKS

Laurel Goodluck of Albuquerque will talk about her two new picture books for young readers at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 19, at Bookworks, 4022 Rio Grande Blvd. NW.

One of Goodluck’s books is “Fierce Aunties.” In an author’s note, Goodluck tells readers that fierce aunties can be found anywhere. And they’re not just a parent’s sister. “They can be a family member or a favorite teacher, coach or friend in the community. Fierce Aunties are women who you look up to and admire,” the author writes in the note.

Steph Littlebird’s illustrations give the story an exciting visual element.

Goodluck’s other new book is “Yáadilá!/Good Grief!” It tells the story of a young brother and sister helping their grandmother transition from her rural summer sheep camp to their home in the city.

The focus is on Bahe, the grandson who is secretly gathering items — a bucket of water, yarn, even his sister’s dollhouse. By the end of the story, Bahe’s secret is revealed — he’s constructed a miniature sheep camp just for Grandmother Nali. Bahe’s act of love and caring is sure to make her feel at home away from home. And that makes everybody in the family happy.

Goodluck states in an author’s note where she found inspiration for the “Yáadilá” story. The author and a Diné coworker ran a leadership training camp for Native teens. The coworker brought her young son and a cousin to care for him at the camp.

“I was curious how the child would spend his day while his mom was busy. Well, the son and the cousin made do without toys. They used water, twigs, rock and leaves to make their own miniature sheep camp.

“This really showed a lot of imagination, and I was impressed,” Goodluck writes in the author’s note.

The illustrations by Jonathan Nelson, who is Diné, are a sweet complement to the “Yáadilá” story.

The two books, she said, have been well received by youngsters of different cultures at readings she’s given at the San Pedro Public Library and at Vista Grande Elementary in Rio Rancho.

Goodluck is Mandan and Hidatsa from North Dakota and Tsimshian from Alaska. Her husband is Diné.

AT THE ALBUQUERQUE PRESS CLUB

Carolyn Dawn Flynn will talk about her recently published memoir “Boundless” at a launch party at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 17. Flynn said in a news release that “Boundless” is a reimagining of the empty nest.

The event is free but those interested are asked to register to eventbrite.com.

Flynn is also a novelist and essayist, and is a former editor and columnist at the Albuquerque Journal.

With her at the launch will be special guests Dr. Wendy Johnson and Deborah Begel. The launch party is at the Albuquerque Press Club, 201 Highland Park Circle SE.

AT BOOKS ON THE BOSQUE

Ramona Emerson, a Diné writer and filmmaker, will sign copies of her two well-received novels — “Shutter” and “Exposure” — at 3 p.m. Saturday, April 19, at Books on the Bosque, 6261 Riverside Plaza Lane NW.

“Exposure” was named as one of the Washington Post’s 10 Best Thrillers of 2024. “Shutter,” Emerson’s debut novel, was longlisted for the National Book Award.

The author lives in Albuquerque but is originally from Tohatchi.

AT COLLECTED WORKS

Three authors — James Reich, Kurt Baumeister and Constance Squires — will share the stage at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, April 13, at Collected Works.

Reich will present his futuristic novel “Skinship,” which penetrates the loneliness of an ecological crisis. Baumeister will talk about his book “Twilight of the Gods,” which is described as a satire and an alternate history written on operatic, cinematic and cosmic scales and with a cast that transcends time and space. Squires will discuss “Low April Sun,” her novel that explores the enduring impact of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. It’s also a mystery and a meditation on grief and forgiveness.

The bookstore is located at 202 Galisteo St., Santa Fe.

Laurel Goodluck will talk about her two new picture books for young readers at Bookworks