Author Visit: Nina LaCour

Posted on 17 September 2018.

Picture of author Nina LaCour: a brunette white woman wearing a yellow velvet shirt, looking at the camera.

Coming to the Castilleja Library in late September is Nina LaCour, author of five young adult novels! LaCour seems to charm every reader with her stories of love, grief, and friendship. Her novels are a true and candid study of her characters’ identities and emotional journey to find themselves in the world around them. Her novel We Are Okay received the Michael L. Printz Award for Best Young Adult Novel of 2017, and all of her novels have been recognized by Publishers Weekly.

 

What is most striking about LaCour’s novels to young adult readers is her beautiful writing and narrative that truly allows readers to connect with her characters. She tells stories about all forms of love, and as a member of the LGBTQ+ community herself, LaCour’s novels are a testament to all young adults and their experiences with love and friendship by centralizing their character development and emotions rather than their queer identities. LaCour’s literature stands out for this as well as her outstanding quality of writing, earning LaCour her critically-acclaimed status.

a collage of Nina LaCour's books

Nina LaCour will visit our library and campus from September 24th-26th. She will speak at an Upper School assembly on the 24th, and will visit all the tenth grade English classes. She will also have lunch with student writers, hold office hours in the library, and host a writer’s workshop in the Ace Center during late start on Wednesday.

–Meher S., ’20

 

Ms. LaCour’s Schedule:

Monday, September 24th:
Assembly for grades 8 – 12, Chapel Theater: 2:35pm – 3:15pm
Book signing and informal Q & A, Library: 3:20pm – 4:00pm

Tuesday, September 25th:
Lunch with upper school student writers, ACE Project Room: 12:10pm – 12:55pm

Wednesday, September 26th:
Writing workshop during late start, Library: 8:00am – 9:00am
Office hours, Library: 9:00am – 11:00am
Lunch with middle school student writers, Room 9: 11:15am – 11:50am

This post was written by:

- who has written 49 posts on Castilleja School Library.


Contact the author


Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.


library catalog databases research-assistance
recommended-reading events student-publications
Questions about ebooks? Click here.

Check out the library on Instagram!

New in the Library

  • (Grades 9+) Danyal is good looking, but he’s never been that academically talented, much to his parents’ chagrin. Still, somehow he gets chosen to represent his school in a history competition, which he takes as an opportunity to impress his long-time crush, fashionable and brilliant Kaval. But the college freshman he recruits to tutor him opens his eyes to a lot more than his history classes have before. A mix of teen drama, humor and serious insights into colonialism and identity.
  • (Grades 8+) Jassie gets sent to summer camp because her parents and teachers worry that she doesn’t have enough friends, but once there she quickly becomes a member of a tight-knit trio. Jassie is confused by the ways her feelings are growing for both her new friends, and fears it may come between them when the other two girls seem to be falling for each other. But to Jassie’s surprise, there’s room in their hearts for her too. An unusual, diverse, affirming love story.
  • (Published for adults) Taking place over the course of three days in a Dublin hospital maternity ward during the 1918 flu pandemic, this is the story of relationships that thrive despite extreme circumstances. Donoghue’s writing brings vivid characters to life as we watch them tackle massive challenges amidst political uncertainty. Perhaps a perfect read for our times.
  • (Grades 9+) The emperor is dead. Traditionally, the heads of the five great houses would each send a dragon to fight for the right of ascendency. But this time outsiders are allowed to compete. Contenders include the desperate, the clever, the magical, and their many dragons, characters in their own right. As they face a series of challenges, their values will also be tested.
  • (Grades 7+) Kiku, a teenager in contemporary San Francisco, travels back in time to witness her grandmother’s harrowing confinement in a Japanese-American internment camp. Kiko is stuck there too, and her growing understanding of the fear, privations, and community in the camp are brought to life in the fine-lined artwork of this graphic novel.
  • (Grades 4+) Born inside a prison, Pong longed to see dwell in the lights of the distant city. But when he escapes he finds the city filled with corruption. Nok, the prison warden’s daughter, is on his trail. Told from each of their perspectives, this is an adventurous tale of loyalty, bravery, and social justice.

Follow us!

Awards and Recognition