Winnetka shop, The Book Stall (811 Elm Street), is excited to host on Wednesday, April 12 at 4:30 PM a special writing workshop with middle-grade novelist, Kiyash Monsef, the author of the new book, Once There Was! Mr. Monsef will lead a writing workshop presentation to be followed by audience Q&A and a book signing! This workshop is recommended for kids ages 10 and up. In this thrilling novel where Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them meets Neil Gaiman, an Iranian-American girl discovers that her father was secretly a veterinarian to magical creatures, and that she must take up his mantle, despite the many dangers.
 
Sign up now, as space is limited! CLICK HERE to register. There's a $5 participation charge, which is fully redeemable for merchandise in the store. This fee is payable at the door. We suggest you use your $5.00 gift card toward the purchase of Once There Was!
 
More About the Book: Once was, once wasn’t. So began the stories Marjan’s father told her as a little girl, tales of mythical beasts that filled her with curiosity and wonder. But Marjan’s not a little girl anymore. In the wake of her father’s sudden death, she is trying to hold it all together: her schoolwork, friendships, and keeping her dad’s shoestring veterinary practice from going under. Then, one day, she receives a visitor who reveals something stunning, Marjan’s father was no ordinary veterinarian. The creatures out of the stories he told her were real, and he traveled the world to care for them! And now that he’s gone, she must take his place.
 
Marjan steps into a secret world hidden in plain sight, where magical creatures are bought and sold, treasured and trapped. She finds new friends she never knew she needed while trying to hide her double life from her old friends and classmates. The deeper Marjan gets into treating these animals, the closer she comes to finding who killed her father, and to a shocking truth that will put humans and beasts in the gravest of danger.
 
More About the Author: Kiyash Monsef is an Emmy Award–nominated producer and director; a writer of short stories, videos, comic books, and games; and a designer of innovative conversational and voice interface experiences. Once There Was is his first novel. You can find out more about him at www.kiyash.com.
 
*If the participation fee presents an undue financial burden, contact Robert at events@thebookstall.com. Scholarships are available.