Pine Reads Review

Book Launch: The Broke Hearts by Matt Mendez

man in stylized hoodieWOW Teen Reading Ambassadors with partners Pine Reads Review invite you to a book launch for The Broke Hearts, a new book from Matt Mendez!

Meet Matt Mendez, author of the forthcoming The Broke Hearts. From Simon & Schuster, “A year after losing their best friend, JD and Danny are still brokenhearted. JD’s impetuous decision to join the Air Force only makes him yearn for ‘before’ more than ever. Danny, who’d rather paint murals than open a book and certainly never thought of himself as college material, makes the equally impulsive choice to do what Juan will never be able to and enrolls in a community college. When Danny is on the verge of flunking out and JD gets notified of imminent deployment, the two are forced to confront their shared grief that led them to these paths.”

A coyote creeps down the page, his tail poking out through the titleThe program includes a group discussion with the author and personal interactions.

UArizona BookStores will be in the WOW Center selling copies of The Broke Hearts. A list of retailers for preorders of The Broke Hearts is listed on the Simon & Schuster website.

Matt Mendez is the award-winning author of Barely Missing Everything, his debut novel, and the short story collection Twitching Heart. Like many of his characters, Matt grew up in El Paso, Texas and continues to love and live in the Southwest. He is a military veteran and earned his MFA from the University of Arizona where he has taught creative writing. Matt is the father of two daughters that he loves fiercely. His new novel, The Broke Hearts, is set for release on October 3, 2023.

Free parking is available at the surface parking lot north of the intersection of First and Vine. Sometimes free parking is available at the Second St. Garage next door to the College of Education. The WOW Center is also located just off of the 2nd St. Modern Streetcar stop.

To request disability-related accommodations that would ensure your full participation in this event, please email wow@arizona.edu or call 520.621.9340.

Reading Ambassador author meetings occur every other month throughout the academic year and are open to the public. This free program for area middle and high school students encourages them to promote reading in their own contexts. Additional information on the Reading Ambassadors is available on our website under the About tab.

Event details may change. More information to follow.

Pine Reads Review Presents Dhonielle Clayton

Dhonielle ClaytonPine Reads Review brings Dhonielle Clayton, best-selling YA author, co-founder of Cake Literary and COO of We Need Diverse Books, to Worlds of Words to talk about diversity in publishing, and to read from and discuss her solo debut, The Belles.

The University of Arizona Bookstore offers books for sale and autographing during this event. Clayton’s other works include Meet Cute: Some People Are Destined to Meet, The Radical Element: Twelve Stories of Daredevils, Debutantes, and Other Dauntless Girls, Shiny Broken Pieces and Tiny Pretty Things.

This event is sponsored by University of Arizona College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Arizona Department of English, University of Arizona College of Education, University of Arizona Poetry Center, Poets and Writers and Worlds of Words.

The presentation includes two free hours of professional development.

Free parking is available at the surface parking lot north of the intersection of First and Vine. Paid parking is available at the Second St. Garage next door to the College of Education. Located just off of the 2nd St. streetcar stop.

Event details may change.

This all-ages event is free and open to the public. For a calendar listing of our events, visit our Events Page.

Pine Reads Presents

Pine Reads Review

Pine Reads brings YA authors Kathleen Glasgow, Stephanie Elliot and Kelly deVos to Worlds of Words. Please join us to discuss the value of difficult topics on YA literature.

Kathleen Glasgow’s Girl In Pieces (in paperback April 10, 2018) has been named to best of lists by The New York Public Library, Amazon, TAYSHA, Goop, TeenVogue, BN Teen, Refinery29, EW.com and TeenReads. Her second young adult novel will be published by Random House/Delacorte in 2019.

Stephanie Elliot’s Sad Perfect is the story of a 16-year-old girl with ARFID, Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, a unique eating disorder. This is a heartbreaking, visceral perspective on disease, love and recovery.

Kelly deVos’s Fat Girl On a Plane comes out this June and is told in dual Fat and Skinny perspectives, about smart fashion, pursuing your dreams, and loving yourself.

The panel also includes an MD from COPE Community Services.

Books will be available for purchase at the event.

Pine Reads Review (formerly Tucson Tales) is an online YA publication showcasing new and established writers. Run by undergraduates at the University of Arizona, they strive to be a resource for young adult readers and writers alike.

This event is sponsored by the University of Arizona College of Medicine.

Event details may change, so check back for updates.

Special Screening: Coraline!

Halloween may have passed, but we’re still celebrating the spooky and surreal. Join Tucson Tales and Worlds of Words for a special screening of Neil Gaiman’s beloved story, “Coraline”! The movie will be followed by a brief discussion about horror in children’s content. Popcorn and drinks provided!

Free parking is available at the surface parking lot north of the intersection of First and Vine. Paid parking is available at the Second St. Garage next door to the College of Education. Located just off of the 2nd St. streetcar stop.