It’s officially September, which means … *drumroll* welcome to the Tour the World in 30 Books Blog Tour.

You may have seen me talk about this on Twitter or seen the introductory post I did last month, but if you didn’t, let me tell you a little bit about it.

About the blog tour

Tour the World in 30 Books is a blog tour focused on introducing readers to our favorite diverse books. It’s in conjunction with a Diverse Book Drive hosted by the CCPL—a small, rural library in an area with a high poverty rate and a very homogeneous population, where people rarely have the means to travel or experience new perspectives. However, the library doesn’t believe that should stop people from learning more about the world around them, so they’re running a Diverse Book Drive through the month of September in an attempt to bring the rest of the world to the county instead. With a focus on MG and YA books, the CCPL aims to expose especially its young patrons to new and diverse perspectives and cultures.

Want to donate?

The CCPL is accepting monetary donations sent via PayPal to orders@caseylibrary.org.

For donations of new or gently used books, send them to:

Sammie Betler
Casey County Public Library
238 Middleburg St.
Liberty, KY 42539

I’ve also put together a wish list of all the books that will be featured on this blog tour. Hardbacks are preferred but not required.

• Amazon
• Book Depository
• Bookshop

(If you order something from the Book Shop wishlist, please DM @srbetler on Twitter or email sammie@thebookwyrmsden.com, because I don’t believe that site automatically removes books from the wish list.)

Need more ideas? The library has a general Amazon wish list with suggestions, too.

Donations are used at the discretion of the library.

I’d like to take a moment now to introduce you to … Paola Santiago and the River of Tears.

I chose this book for several reasons. One, there’s a decent population of Hispanic (mainly Mexican) children in this county, but not really books they can see themselves as the heroes of. Two, it was my former assistant director’s passion to try to bring the Hispanic community more into the library, and since she passed last month, I wanted to make my donation something that I could donate in her name. So not only will I be introducing you to this book, but I’ve donated it to the library myself. How’s that for getting things started?

One of the things I really loved about Paola Santiago is her love for science, which includes astronomy! Young me had a big thing for astronomy, too (and my own telescope, just like Paola), so I thought, what could be more perfect for introducing this book than comparing the characters to a constellation?

Constellations are created from groupings of stars, sure, on the surface. But there’s more to them than meets the eye, just like these characters, and each of them has their own backstory! So let’s get to it.

All character images, unless stated otherwise are from the Riordan Fandom Wiki.

The Legend

Virgo is associated with the Greek goddess Dike, goddess of justice. When the gods abandoned Earth, Dike remained, counseling humans and warning them to not abandon their ideals. In the end, when humans fall to war, she turns her back on them and is the last god to leave Earth.

The character

Paola may seem like a strange character to compare to a goddess of justice, especially at first, because she’s … well, 12. She’s jealous and sometimes petty and occasionally rude and convinced she’s always right. What really makes me think of Virgo is that Paola likes to give people second chances. She tries very hard to get people to see another perspective, and in the end, unlike Virgo, she refuses to give up on them. The real lesson she has to offer is that it’s okay to have shortcomings, as long as you learn from them. And second chances are always a thing.

The legend

Two friends, Cygnus and Phaeton, compete in a race across the sky, but they fly too close to the sun and end up knocked out, tumbling back to Earth. When he comes to, Cygnus realizes Phaeton is trapped beneath a river, and no matter how he tries, Cygnus can’t reach him to save him. Zeus offers to change Cygnus into a swan so he can save his friend, but in exchange, he’ll have to trade his immortality and live the remainder of his life as a swan.

The character

Dante very much portrays the loyalty and sacrifice of Cygnus. Time and time again, he sacrifices himself to save his friends, because that’s just the kind of person he is. He’s not a perfect person, of course. After all, he’s 12. But he’s a paragon of loyalty, and no one can fault him for not sticking up for what he believes in and doing what’s right.

The Legend

Libra represents the scales of equality, which represents justice and balance.

The Character

Emma is for sure the balance in the trio. Paola and Dante seem to have larger personalities, which means they’re often bumping against each other. Emma is the steadfast rock that holds the group together. She’s a loyal friend. Even if she doesn’t always understand her friends or get where they’re coming from, she’s always there for them.

The legend

Lyra is Orpheus’ lyre, who was a musician of the gods, especially known for making the gods weep. When his wife died, Orpheus visited Hades and Persephone, playing for them and pleading with them to return his wife.

The character

Mrs. Santiago embodies the same sort of devotion as Orpheus for her daughter. Even though Paola scorns her mother and her mother’s beliefs, Mrs. Santiago has endless patience and love for her daughter and has made so many sacrifices for her. She’s definitely the type that would walk into the underground to save Paola.

The legend

There are many myths and legends surrounding Pegasus, but the thread that runs through all of them is servitude and loyalty. Pegasus assisted many a hero and was a loyal companion and hero in his own right. The constellation is supposedly in honor of Pegasus’ service and deeds.

The character

Bruto is also a loyal sidekick and deserves major props for the role he plays, despite being a little pup. I can’t say too much about him without delving into spoiler territory, but he’s adorable and deserves all the pets afforded a good doggo.

The legend

The story of Andromeda starts as a sad one. Her mother boasted that she was more beautiful than the gods, which angered the gods, and so in an attempt to appease them, Andromeda was chained to a rock and sacrificed to the gods. The story ends happily when she’s freed from her chains and rescued from the monster.

The character

Ondina’s story is very similar to Andromeda’s … in ways I actually can’t really get into … for reasons. Suffice it to say that she’s trapped in her own prison, of sorts, chained down by a mistake that should be her mother’s to bear, and yet, she’s the one paying the price for it. Does her story end in a happy ending like Andromeda’s? Well, I can’t say. Guess you’ll just have to read the book and find out yourself. 😉

Looking for more diverse bookish goodness? Check out the full Tour the World in 30 Books schedule below.

✦ September 1 ✦
Sammie @ The Bookwyrm’s Den – Introduction, Paola Santiago and the River of Tears
Leelynn @ Sometimes Leelynn Reads – Dating Makes Perfect

✦ September 2 ✦
Lauren @ Always Me – The Epic Crush of Genie Lo

✦ September 3 ✦
Toya @ The Reading Chemist – Felix Ever After

✦ September 4 ✦
Michelle @ Carry A Big Book – Sharks in the Time of Saviors

✦ September 5 ✦
Shenwei @ READING (AS)(I)AN (AM)ERICA – The Astonishing Color of After

✦ September 6 ✦
Maria @ A Daughter of Parchment and Paper – Patron Saints of Nothing

✦ September 7 ✦
Bri @ Bri’s Book Nook – True Friends (Carmen Browne)

✦ September 8 ✦
Bec @ bec&books – Lobizona
Jorie @ Jorie Loves A Story – Top Ten Diverse Stories Jorie Felt Deeply Connected To Whilst Reading

✦ September 9 ✦
Sienna @ Daydreaming Book Lover – Loveless

✦ September 10 ✦
Kerri @ Kerri McBookNerd – Raybearer

✦ September 11 ✦
Noly @ The Artsy Reader – The Name Jar

✦ September 12 ✦
Jacob @ The Writer’s Alley – Forest of Souls

✦ September 13 ✦
Keri @ Are You My Book – The Tea Dragon Society

✦ September 14 ✦
Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight – The Space Between Worlds

✦ September 15 ✦
Melissa @ Ramblings of a Jedi Librarian – Girl in Translation

✦ September 16 ✦
Livy @ Shelves of Starlight – Clap When You Land

✦ September 17 ✦
Crystal @ Lost in Storyland – American Born Chinese

✦ September 18 ✦
Lili @ Lili’s Blissful Pages – A Wish in the Dark

✦ September 19 ✦
Leslie @ Books Are The New Black – The Poppy War

✦ September 20 ✦
Noura @ The Perks of Being Noura – Love From A to Z

✦ September 21 ✦
Crini @ Crini’s – A Pale Light in the Black

✦ September 22 ✦
Rachelle @ Rae’s Reads and Reviews – Dear Haiti, Love Alaine

✦ September 23 ✦
Dini @ DiniPandaReads – Wicked As You Wish

✦ September 24 ✦
Madeline @ Mad’s Books – Spin the Dawn

✦ September 25 ✦
Tessa @ Narratess – Brace Yourself

✦ September 26 ✦
Kimberly @ My Bookish Bliss – Truly Madly Royally

✦ September 27 ✦
Rena @ Bookflirting 101 – Anna K: A Love Story

✦ September 28 ✦
Susan @ Novel Lives – Burn the Dark

✦ September 29 ✦
Arina @ The Bookwyrm’s Guide to the Galaxy – A Song of Wraiths and Ruin

✦ September 30 ✦
Maya @ Awesome Reads – Jackpot

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