Set Phasers to 'Fun' for Author Lisa Yee's Belmont Shore Visit

She shares a book editor with J.K. Rowling. Her notorious sidekick has a strangely magnetic personality for an inanimate yellow Peep. And Lisa Yee is also very, very funny.

The author of popular young adult books such as the Bobby series (Bobbie the Brave [Sometimes] and Kanani, American Girl of the Year, will make a much-anticipated appearance from 2 to 4 p.m. today at Belmont Shore's Apostrophe Books, where she will autograph any of her novels and visit with some of her favorite people: kids.

Her website describes her new book released just a few weeks ago:

"WARP SPEED tracks the life of Marley Sandelski -- 7th grader, Star Trek geek, and the target of the most vicious bullies at Rancho Rosetta Middle School. Millicent Min, Emily Ebers, Stanford Wong, and Digger, from Lisa’s other books, all play roles in Marley’s life. However, this hysterically funny, heartbreaking and horrific book stands alone in a story that’s all Marley’s."

Here's what Publisher's Weekly said of Warp Speed:

"Yee offers another empathetic portrayal of an outsider with unique attributes in this story about seventh-grader Marley Sandelski, an admitted geek, who loves Star Trek, old movies, and his Technical Sciences class . . . Featuring appearances from some of Yee's previous heroes and heroines—Millicent Min, Stanford Wong, and Emily Ebers—this slice-of-life novel focuses on themes that will likely hit home with readers . . . his internal conflicts and emotions ring true."

Her entertaining blog keeps fans amused and updated on her frequent travels to research her latest books and to visit schools and book publishing events.

Plus, she is conversant now in Vulcan, the language of Spock and something her protagonist, Trekkie-wonk Marley, would be thrilled by. Here is a half-minute YouTube.

At Apostrophe on Sunday, also at 2-4 p.m., author Joyce Dalman will be reading and signing from her book: Tillie and the Rabbit, a true story set right here in Long Beach.

Dalman's book is described by Apostrophe: "When a stray rabbit suddenly appears in the Long Beach neighborhood where a dog named Tillie lives, a friendship blossoms between the two adorable animals. The dog and rabbit begin to play together almost as soon as they first meet. The irresistible activity between Tillie the Dog and Bandit the Rabbit spark the curiosity of the people who live in the neighborhood. They start coming outside from their houses to watch the animals play together."

Apostrophe Books is located at 4712 E. 2nd St., and the phone number is: 562-438-7950.