‘Rick’ by Alex Gino

When thinking back to the first time I encountered an asexual character in fiction — someone other than a god’s chosen paladin or avatar and someone who explicitly navigates the identity of “asexual” — Rick by Alex Gino is the book that comes to mind. In honor of Ace Week, which is observed each year during the last full week in October, I want to recommend Rick for middle-grade and tween readers.

‘I Shall Never Fall in Love’ by Hari Conner

As part of promoting a culture of reading at Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts, I encourage young readers’ book reviews of their favorite books. In that spirit, I display five-star reviews of books that I’ve especially enjoyed. Here is one of my recent five-star reviews, for I Shall Never Fall in Love by Hari Conner.

‘Papá’s Magical Water-Jug Clock’

My read-aloud this past week in SRCSA library was Papá’s Magical Water-Jug Clock, written by comedian Jesús Trejo and illustrated by Eliza Kinkz.

‘What prompted you to change careers?’

In the Fall 2026 edition of Forum, its quarterly magazine, the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi posed the question, “What prompted you to change careers?” and featured responses by some of its members. Here is my contribution to the discussion.

‘Beasts Beneath the Winds,’ edited by Hanna Alkaf

As part of promoting a culture of reading at Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts, I encourage children’s book reviews of their favorite books. In that spirit, I display five-star reviews of books that I’ve especially enjoyed. Here is one of my recent five-star reviews, for Beasts Beneath the Winds, edited by Hanna Alkaf.