On this episode we chat with author Malia Maunakea about her latest middle grade novel, Lei and the Invisible Island, which concludes her MG duology following the summer adventures of Lei, a Native Hawaiian girl from Colorado, who rediscovers her roots as she deals with the antics of spirits and gods drawn from Hawaiian folklore while visiting her grandmother in Hawaii for the summer. Malia shares with us her journey as an author, the inspirations for her series, as well as her thoughts on Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander representation in literature.Follow Malia on Instagram at @maliamaunakea and check out her novel Lei and the Invisible Island, available now on the Books & Boba bookshop!Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authorsSupport the Books & Boba Podcast by:Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perksPurchasing books at our bookshopRocking our Books & Boba merchFollow our hosts:Reera Yoo (@reeraboo)Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh)Follow us:InstagramTwitterGoodreadsFacebookThe Books & Boba June 2024 pick is Greta & Valdin by Rebecca K. ReillyThis podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective