The Festival of Books 2022

a big book event, the biggest in North America. Tons of authors, tons of bookstores, and tons of people and Leak Books is gonna be present. We're gonna be in the house. I'm gonna do what I do best. I'm gonna get on the stomp and I'm gonna find me some authors. I'm gonna get a few author interviews, particularly some independent as well. I'm looking forward to it. Um, the thousands and thousands and thousands of people, uh asking

me about fifty thousands gonna come out. Um. The event is held at usc and right, I'm a former children Uh. My first episode is called me Malake, and I talked about my journey as a Trojan as an Olympian and so forth when I attended USC. So this is home for me, and so I'm going back to the Captains. Ain't the same campus it was, you know when I went. This as seat and is taking all over Los Angeles.

Now you know, it's going from the thirty of in Jefferson all the way down to the Staples in the l A High And now they they actually extended it more and more down the King Boulevard, which is more south. So that's c's just growing and in all directions. This university is just uh taking over l A. Well, the l A Times Festival Books hosted at USC and uh

for and I'm alumni. I'm hitting down there. Maleak Books is gonna be president on you know, we had a booth situated in the children area, but now only am I going to be hosting our booth there. But I'm gonna go on the stomping. I'm gonna find me some authors, I'm gonna get some interviews. So stay tuned for this episode two called the Festival of Books League. Mohammed's on the stomp I got another one lined up for you. I'm getting some great content now, this brother here's the author,

You Are Not Alone Alphabet Rocker. Is that okay? And and what's your name? My name is Caitlin mcgoth and I'm half of the Alphabet Rockers. Well, here we go, Here we go. I'm gonna let them tell you about this book. You Are Not Alone. You Are Not Alone. It's this book that we just came out with the January. It's about empathy and inclusion. It really includes everybody that you don't think gets included in these books and and so so get ready. The representation is uh, it's it's honest,

it's what it's supposed to be. Uh, and it's very beautifully illustrated by Ashley Evans. My name is Tommy so Lati Shephard. I go by he um day uh and uh yeah, the book is here and it's a song. It's uh it's also a music video. Uh. And it's connected to all of our music which you can find

on Spotify and all of the music platforms. Alphabet Rockers dot Com is everything and we're excited about let's putting this into amazing book stories like yours because uh huh, because every child in this story is actually teaching us where what they want us to be. So when we read the books with our children, they actually inform us of the world they need. And so that's what this

is all about. It is like us as the readers, like learning from how they respond to the characters, the questions they ask will help us be better parents and teachers along the way. Well, that's what Meliek's Bookshelf is all about, bringing a world together with books, culture and community. And this right here is a book that I know it's important in time. You gotta show on critical race theory. That's right, it's critical and we know all about it,

and it's coming to a school near you. Hello. Critical race theory is just truth, that's it. It's not even controversial. This is a this is a joke they're trying to play on us. But we already know the truth, so they can just do all their insisative for telling the truth, that's it. I mean, if we don't tell you, who will. It won't get told, It won't told. It's been It's been a lot of years of lives for all of us, and sometimes we we got to check ourselves as we are.

We are storytellers. Every human is a storyteller. So what story do you tell. Do you let your nostalgia, which buries a lot of the truth, be the thing, or do you allow the truth to be complicated and say, hey, yeah, we live in a world that's unfair and we haven't been treated right, and sometimes it feels like we can't make change. But actually we just gotta believe we can, and we gotta listen to one another. It's really about

just honestly shifting your point of view. You don't gotta about face, you don't gotta turn completely around in the opposite direction to get things happening. You just gotta pivot a little bit and let that space open up for your point of view to open and not be so skewed. I mean, that's about it. That's why Malik Books exists. You know, we kind of amplify vote because we don't tell our story. Who will, right? I got a microphone,

you want to talk on it? I got a lot of turn it on and you can turn it up. I'll turn it up, you know what I'm saying. So that's what we do. We we amplify these voices. Brings people together, you know. So, Hey, I was just want to thank you for taking the time I'll give me a few minutes for Meleek's books show bringing the world together with books culture community. This has been wonderful. You

are not alone. Let me drop your little station. I d ready on links links books books to get to cut the books dot com, but leaks up books dot com dot com. WHOA, that wasn't it? That was lit for literature? For was hot? Thank you, thank you. My name is Nicholas Smith. I'm the illustrator of Born on the Water sixteen nineteen. Father. Um, and I've had I've had a pretty fun and crazy adventure to get to

this point. UM. When I was little, maybe like your age, your age, your age, I would draw a lot of pictures. I love to draw. Um. I found myself from many years later designing theme parts about Disney imagineering and hey we've got some for imagineers and the audience. Um. And now I'm a full time artist. And what I do is I I like to illustrate and write children's books. UM.

I create movie posters. UM. I you know sometimes do concept art for for films, UM, like Space Jam where they have a lot of words and no pictures and I need to create some concept Artum. What is this gonna look like before to think what is Lebron gonna look like in a loony tune or all. I don't know, let's figure it out. That kind of stuff, which I really love. It's it's all about imagination. Um. And I also do traditional digital paintings. Um. And what I love

to do is artivism, and that's art and activism. So I try to find, like, what is that thing that's not working right? What is that has broken in the world that needs to be fixed, and how can I fix it? And how can I use my art to really like encourage people and inspire people to make that

positive change. So there are so many issues that we want to talk about in the world that aren't working right, immigration, mass incarceration, you know, shooting, community outreach, suicide, prevention, wildlife conservation. It was just Earth Day. Um. We have global health, which has been a huge thing this past couple of years. UM. Global peace because wars are bad and piece is good, right. UM. I like to create superheroes. This is my friend child

close men who is the child the Black Panther. He's amazing. And you know heroes that are in the justice system, life Totanti Brown Jackson, she's a really really important judge. UM. And people like my great great great great grandparents, who, uh, they were around a long time ago, and unfortunately they were born into slavery and on Juneteenth they realized that they were free. Um. And they are amazing and wonderful

and beautiful human beings. And I just wanted the whole world to know that my ancestors were wonderful people and they did brilliant, amazing things and helped create this you know, this country, um, which brings me to Born on the Water. Um. This book is all about my ancestors. It's about where I come from and the amazing people that persevered and fought and did so many wonderful things so that I

can get to where I am right now. UM. And the thing that I really really love about this book is that it starts off many many years before typically you might hear about my ancestors. It starts off in West Africa. Now, when my ancestors were intential West Africa. Uh, they had a kingdom called in Dongo, and it was a beautiful place and you know, they laughed and they loved and they lived wonderful lives. Um. They were unfortunately taken from that place, and slavery happened, and they fought

and fought and fought to get their freedom back. And that's another beautiful thing about this book is resistant Also so many beautiful and wonderful people were born from that movement and escaped that movement, and geniuses who helped, honestly build the US capital, the White House, they helped design entire cities, They did so many wonderful things. They wrote poems, they you know, created inventions, they did beautiful things, and I love that I get to highlight all of them

in the book. Um there's a few of them here if you can see, as Christmas Addicts, and there's Frederick Douglas, and there's George Washington Carver, and there's just like so many wonderful people, surely Chisholm, beautiful politicians, you know, activists, authors, artists, so many amazing people. And I just love that I get to, you know, talk about him in the book.

And so if you look in the book the first page, before you even get into the entire book, there is what I like to call the in papers, and so the im papers of the book, UM actually tell the entire story of the book, and it's in scarification form, which is like, really, there's um this beautiful thing about how a lot of Africans will um honestly tell the story of their lives or tell specific stories about their character or their tribe right on their face. Um. And

it's through scars. And so you'll see the entire story uh in in symbols before you even get to the book. Um. And so this is one of my favorite reads of the book. It's called and they danced, and it is it's really just a celebration of joy um. And so I'm gonna read this this scrap from the book, absolutely one of my favorites. And they danced, and the people moved their feet, move their whole bodies to the melody of horns and stringed instruments of marimbas and drums. They

danced to celebrate some more. They danced as a way of worship, to offer things their bodies. I saw, under open sky and bright sun, their bodies a swaying testament to the qut of creation. And that is and they danced. Malik is owned the stomp. I'm out here at USC at the festival books. Then I got another author, what's your name, I am Kwan Jamison. Kwan Jamison came up with some finance at literacy books. I'm very impressed. They four kids and that's very important. And she also developed

in a business box entreprene a kid. So tell us about only these wonderful books, because you also have been in Spanish too. Yes, So we have a couple of Chinese I'm sorry, a couple of finance my daughters learning Chinese and she just talked to my mind. A couple of financial literacy books. UM. One is the first title we releases, A Spare Counting, and that is a storyline following a little girl that is starting her own cupcake business.

So it's teaching children the basics the terminology, um, you know, accounting, budgeting, credit scores, employees. And then the second book that we published is called Paying with Plastics. So in that story, there's a little girl going to the mall and her mother's just to swipe in her credit card away and and and she's learning the lessons of how to is that properly? So those are two books that we have, and like you said, we have our a Square County

in Spanish. Um. Yeah, and we're we're working we're trying to get the correct alone and in games and things to make kids engage. Yeah, because one thing that I know, Um, because you know, I've been a part of the black community for all my life, and financial literacy wasn't a topic in my house at a very early age. And I think this is a subject matter this should be discussed. You should know you know the ins and outs about credit scores, um, how to use classic card, interest rates,

all of these things. It's very important in the biggest investment that most of us going to make in our lifetime is a buying a home normally, and so unless you become archreneur, open your own business. Now you're making different investments, making different different business decisions. It's all important, absolutely, and and and he was your inspiration. Yeah, to your point,

that was my inspiration. Um. By trade. I'm an accountant and my daughter was just so intrigued about what I did, and I figured, you know what, she's not too young to learn that, so it's never too early to start. And once I saw that she was really engaged, I wanted to find ways to really connect with her and other families to connect with their kids and have those conversations because most grown ups don't understand that. So how

can you teach someone that you understand you started? We gotta starts for them exactly, you know, because how do you fit You don't have to say answer that, but adult it's like, how do you put all those years into a book for little kids? You know? And you te Well, the biggest piece is starting with one topic and then just trying to make it real life because they see us as adults going through things, paying bills, purchasing homes, but we don't engage them in the conversations.

So that was the biggest inspiration. Is making sure that my daughter was more advanced than me. You know, I didn't learn these lessons into like college and afterwards. It's never too early. Well, I know that um, as parents, we like to invest in our kids and we wanted the fastest towards We want them to take it to

another level. And so for UM, but I know that for a lot of people that I've interviewed since I had the podcast, Malik books Shall bringing the world together with books coach your community kids have been a major inspiration. Why a lot of people have written books is that if I knew man, what I know now you know, things would be so much differently and they say, you know, the best knowledge you can find is reading a book.

Absolutely absolutely, well, I love your collection and whatnot. I definitely want to make sure Malik book has representations because find out your lives so important. So we're gonna connect and what have you. And I appreciate this interview at the Los Angeles Times Festival. Books out here at USC Thank you, Thank you. MALIEK Books is proud to be partner with Harper College new publication Finding Me by Viola David.

You heard me the actress Violet Davis Well April twenty six and evening with Viola Davis at virtual event to talk about her new book, Finding Me, a memoir about the life and career of Viola Davis. So that's April twenty four pm Pacific time. Go to Millie books dot com to register for the event. And on April thirty and planning a big event around independent booksellers. They were gonna have twenty authors and our headliner is Terry Crews. He's gonna be headline independent book store Day. So you

want to come out. It's fun for the families, all ages. April thirty, from twelve to seven is the event. Now it's a free rent, but you got a register for the Terry Crews book signing his book Tough My Journey to True Power. Tough My Journey Through True Power by Terry crew book signing April thirty of Independent Bookstore Day. Bus rs repeat. Go to Malik books dot com under events and register for the Terry Crews book signing at

Malik Books on April thirty of Independent Bookstore Day. Okay, I don't want to read this book, but you already know that written by Maximenfield and he illustrated by again the Gray Mike Lowery. Okay, I don't want to read this book. I know it happens to be at the title of this book, but let me make myself very clear. You see any big words you can read along with me. I really don't want to read it. Liked. I mean, why would I read this book? I already know what's

going to happen. I'm gonna open up the front cover only to find pages with let me guess, words, sometimes a lot of words. This is not one of those dames, but this one is this words words, words, words, words, words, words, words, words, words, words, words, words, words, words, words, I'm not actually reading it night words, words, word of words, words, words, words, words, words, words words. Look. Most words are fine, like cake and YouTube.

But some words are just plain ridiculous. Take the word doubt, for example, a bee doing in there? If no one can hear the be, why don't we have to see it? I doubt whoever put it there was very smart at all? Are words are too big? Like infinitessimal? Do you can believe it? This word means small? Words like infinitessimal are the exact reason I don't want to read this book.

And as if words weren't bad enough, I'm sure this book also has its para share of sentences, which is really just too many words I'll switched together without period at the end. Sentences are the worst. I don't ever want to read a book that has sentences in a period, which brings me to paragraphs. I do not, under any circumstances, want to read a read a book with a single paragraph in it. Did you know that a paragraph could be more than half a page long? I have seen

some that take up an entire page. I mean want these paragraphs trying to prove just looking at a paragraph exhausts me. All those words. I would love to to me a person who is able to read a full paragraph and not lose their train of thoughts, as if anyone wouldn't lose interest after a sentence or two and started thinking about other things, like how Azzi threw his snack at Chilly right and it was class today, and how no one could believe it, and Artilly was like,

what is wrong with you? And how as he was like what is wrong with you? And until it was like and then you know, wait a minute, where was that again? Oh yeah? Paragraphs yuck. I don't want to read any book that has a paragraph, and a paragraph belong in chapter books, and chapter books are for people with nothing better to do. Chapter two. I still don't want to read this book. The job doesn't want to read it. All the things I could be doing that

are more important than reading this book. One eating cake, to eating cake while watching YouTube, three watching YouTube and now you can can't but truth be told, I much prefer to be eating cake. My brain hurts, laugh, and my eyes be all tired. Reading this book has been a truly miserable experience. I can't believe that I'm almost done with this book. I did not want to read it. After I'm done, I'm gonna need some space, all right, I really don't want to read the last page. I

already know what it's gonna say. It's how all books and as if anything could be anymore predictable, let's just get it over with. I guess v and what I'm abtable. I can't believe I just read this book. The chances of it ever happening again? Are you anyway some space? You know what I do best. I'm out here at the festival books, my leaks bookshelf. I got the interview some author. I came up with the author, her name is she got how many books? You are? I already illustrated?

Around thirty books? Thirty books? Tell us some of the titles. There are one series, it's called the Life of La Vida there and they are about play Flora um Selena, and they are about the life of several important characters in Latin American culture and in yeah they are Yeah, that's wonderful, wonderful. These are children books, they board books, and they for you know, the next generation to change.

And she's illustrated and are the thirty books are thirty So hey, I'm just blessed to be able to be out here and get some interview. I just wanted to give you your problems because Malik books bringing a world together with books, coaching community, and this is what it's all about. Because books bring opportunity, books bring change. Then this is a wonderful collection of books and this bilingual. Hey tell us your name again. Well, thank you. I

appreciate the opportunity interview. Best of luck. You're welcome. Malik Bookshelf wouldn't be doing his thing if I didn't get an interview from Shnefa Nazi, who's doing a book signed here at the l A Festival. Book right here at Malik Books. She got two books, It's In You and Simply Love. And you know I got to interviewer for Malice Bookshelf. This is the episode twenty two, so I gotta standing right here. So without further delay, welcome to

Melik's Books. Thank you, thank you for having me. Well, hey, talk to us about your books. Um. Sibling Love and It's In You are both my book babies. It's in You I published in It's a book for big dreamers, So shout out to all the big dreamers. Out there and um, it's about a caterpillar with a big dream

to fly. And this is an encouraging tale and message for all children that no matter what you want to be in life, UM, if you stick to your goals, if you're consistent, if you're uh, you know, trust people that mean good for you, Um, good things will happen. So that's what it's in you. It's all about what Malik Books is all about the kid. We believe children are of our future and that's why we carry a large selection of children books at Malik Books. And this

has when one of the most brisk selling books. Every time we get your book, we sell out. That's right. I love Leek Books. Thank you, I love it. You're welcome. Are you working on another project? I am going to be working on a memoir? Um, so that slightly different but still encouraging and about having faith and stepping out on faith. Okay, stepping on moving away from children and

putting your memoir. That's a beautiful thing. But these two books are doing very well out here at the Los Angeles Times Festival Books and we're blessed to have you signed him with us and we just I mentally thank you and we want you to be selling. We want to help sell a million these books. What do you want to leave, um meliast bookshift audience with something inspiring, something encouraging, something inspirational. Um. Well, as I mentioned about

dreaming big, that's just always been my motto. Right, we have to we only have one life, right what did Drake say? Yolo? So um, I'm a believer that you've got to use all your talents whatever that is? Right. A lot of people are scared. A lot of people at are at nine of five that they hate a lot of people are doing things that they just don't enjoy. And we only got one life to live. So um. The books are written for kids, but really adults too.

It's for y'all to read it, enjoy it, and you know, go after the things that you're you're passionate about and that you really love doing. Absolutely, we're gonna end on that note. We appreciate you, and uh and thank you again, thank you. I'm out here at the Festival books out here in USC I got an author. And you know what I do when I see an author, I like to get a few words for them to talk about their book. I have an author she wrote a book

called Family Thirteam Mona Falkey. Okay, okay, please tell us about your book. Well, it's about a family that is misunderstood and um a situation that they come up with to prove that they are not what everybody thinks they are. I see, I see. And what are the lessons we should learn from your book that be kind to everyone, regardless if they are different from you, if they look different from you, UM, be kind because uh, sometimes someone will look different from you, but it doesn't mean that

they are against you. Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely, And this is your first book, Yes it is any more books? Did you're planning? Yes, We've got a couple of more surprises coming. Are you going to build off of this book and just something different? For now? We have something different to other different books, but maybe in the future will build off of this. Is how important children? All of you everything to me because your book is about children, right,

It's about families, about kids, about experience. It's about family and experience and accepting everyone into your life, giving love and wonderful. Yeah. Well I appreciate you giving this opportunity for Meliek's bookshelf and bringing a world together with books. Culture and community. Thank you thanks for listening to Meliek's Bookshelf where topics on the Sholf, our books, culture and community. Be sure to subscribe and leave me a review. Check

out my Instagram at Milik Books. See you next time.