The San Antonio Book Festival was supposed to take place this April 4 but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 health crisis. The festival would still like to encourage people to read while at home during this time of social distancing and quarantine. They have put together a list of recommended books for adults as well as options for parents to provide for their children while homeschooling. (San Antonio Book Festival, 2020)

If You Feel Like Confronting the Pandemic Head-On:
Fiction:
– “Cold Storage” by David Koepp
– “The Memory Police” by Yoko Ogawa
– “Severance” by Ling Ma
– “Station Eleven” by Emily St. John Mandel
– “The Dog Stars” by Peter Heller

Nonfiction:
– “Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World” by Laura Spinney

If You’d Rather Be Distracted:
Fiction:
– “The Jetsetters” by Amanda Eyre Ward
– “A Good Neighborhood” by Therese Anne Fowler
– “Simon the Fiddler” by Paulette Jiles

Nonfiction:
– “The Hunt for History” by Nathan Raab
– “The Falcon Thief” by Joshua Hammer
– “The Rumi Prescription” by Melody Moezzi

For Kids/Teens Stuck at Home: 
Kids:
– “Wayside School Beneath the Cloud of Doom” by Louis Sachar
– “Prairie Lotus” by Linda Sue Park
– “Amal Unbound” by Aisha Saeeed

Teens:
– “Tigers, Not Daughters” by Samantha Mabry
– “The Hand on the Wall” by Maureen Johnson
– “Bull” by David Elliott

The mission of the San Antonio Book Festival (SABF) is to unite readers and writers in a celebration of ideas, books, libraries, and literary culture. SABF was first presented in April 2013. Founding partners include the San Antonio Public Library, the Southwest School of Art, the San Antonio Public Library Foundation, and Texas Book Festival. This “Fiesta for the mind” is a gift to visitors and the citizens of San Antonio, free and open to all.