Kao Kalia Yang, Minnesota’s award-winning writer, teacher and public speaker, introduces two new books in March — “The Rock in My Throat,” a children’s picture book, and “Where Rivers Part: A Story of My Mother’s Life.”

(Courtesy of Lerner Publications)
Kao Kalia Yang (Courtesy of Lerner Publications)

Yang will launch “The Rock in My Throat” at 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 5, in Huntington Bank rotunda, Mall of America, joined by illustrator Jiemei Lin.  A reading from the book begins the free program, accompanied by the premiere of a composition by Jocelyn Hagen written for the book. Yang and Lin will sign copies after the reading.

The book’s launch in St. Paul, where Yang lives, will be a free reading and reception at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 12, at Minnesota Humanities Center, 987 E. Ivy Ave.

“The Rock in My Throat” (Carolrhoda Books) is Yang’s real-life story capturing heartbreak and hope in her experiences as a young Hmong refugee navigating life at home and at school with selective mutism. At first, no one notices Kalia has stopped speaking. Having seen the poor treatment her parents received when making their best efforts to speak English, she no longer raises her voice at school. She struggles to get through days in the classroom and play with her classmates. Despite the somber narrative, the text is also filled with moments of beauty, love and hope. An author’s note explains how she eventually found her voice.

Jimei Lin (Artist Trust)

Yang was born in a refugee camp in Thailand after her family escaped the war in Laos and arrived in the U.S. when she was 6. She holds degrees from Carleton College and Columbia University. Her writing has won numerous awards and recognition, including multiple Minnesota Book Awards and an American Library Association Children’s Book Award. Among her popular children’s books are “A Map Into the World,” “The Shared Room” and “From the Tops of the Trees.” Lin’s full-color illustrations add layers of emotion to “The Rock in My Throat.” Born in  Hangzhou, China, she lives in Washington state working in digital and traditional media to create paintings, murals and illustrations.

Yang will introduce “Where Rivers Part: A Story of My Mothers Life” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 19, at the Parkway Theater, 4814 Chicago Ave., Mpls., presented by Valley Booksellers and Literature Lovers’ Night Out. $25 advance general admission. For information, go to valleybooksellers.com.

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