A big week ahead for Whatcom Reads as author Javier Zamora visits Bellingham

The Whatcom Reads program is bringing New York Times best-selling author Javier Zamora to Pioneer Pavilion Community Center and Mount Baker Theatre to discuss his memoir, “Solito.”

Zamora’s book is the program’s selected title for 2026. Published in 2022, it tells the story of the author’s months-long emigration as an unaccompanied 9-year-old from El Salvador to the United States.

Whatcom Reads serves as a countywide book club, organized by Village Books and Paper Dreams and public and academic libraries across the county. Each year, the program selects one book for the county to read, and the libraries host various free events throughout the year to encourage people to come together and discuss that book, including an author visit to Whatcom County.

The book discussion with Zamora is scheduled for 7 p.m. March 12 at Pioneer Pavilion Community Center. The event at Mount Baker Theatre, starting at 7 p.m. March 13, will feature a conversation with Zamora and former Washington State Poet Laureate Claudia Castro Luna, as well as live music inspired by themes from “Solito.”

Staff at bookstores that have hosted Zamora in the past told Village Books co-owner Paul Hanson the community is “in for a heck of a treat.” To conclude the festivities, Zamora will announce the Whatcom Reads book selection for 2027.

“People are really going to like (the next book). If you enjoyed our pick for ‘Solito’ and its relevance, you’ll enjoy this one, too,” Hanson said.

Local relevance, current events and interest from a wide range of readers are all factors taken into consideration when Whatcom Reads chooses each year’s book, which is done a year or two in advance. While the program selected “Solito” a couple of years ago, the book’s themes still heavily resonate with the local community, Whatcom County Library System Community Relations Manager Mary Vermillion said.

The upcoming author events are the first to sell out in the program’s history, Vermillion said. She encouraged signing up for ticket waitlists by calling or emailing Mount Baker Theatre, because Whatcom Reads is looking into livestreaming the event for those registered. All tickets are free.

Whatcom Reads organized other events focused on discussing “Solito,” including painting, cooking and film viewings. The Whatcom Writes program encouraged local writers to write a short piece based on themes of “Solito,” with the opportunity for publication.

Village Books is donating 10% of every sale of “Solito” to Whatcom Reads. Hanson estimated the store has been selling about 200 copies per month.

When “Solito” was chosen as the 2026 Whatcom Reads selection in March 2025, Village Books asked customers to round up the cost of their purchases to donate to Immigrant Resources and Immediate Support, a nonprofit supporting immigrant women and children in Whatcom and Skagit counties. For the three months the campaign lasted, more customers agreed to round up, and more money was raised than in any previous round-up campaign from Village Books, Hanson said.

“Solito” is available for check-out from local libraries and can be purchased at Village Books and most other bookstores.

Whatcom Reads is funded primarily by Friends of the Bellingham Public Library and the Whatcom County Library Foundation, along with support from other businesses and organizations.

Noelle Reger is a journalism student at Western Washington University and a freelance contributor to The Herald.